Like air traffic control at key junctions...

[cjs11]

Checking Traksy to see if a southbound freight had passed through yet, I scrolled to Wolvercote Junction just north of Oxford, where the four tracks through Oxford funnel back down to two, with ample distance to hold freights whilst passenger services scurry through.

One evening in early March there was fun and games where three metals trains from south Wales to the North East got bunched up and funneled, including wrong-line working one along the Up Main... a peculiarity of 23:00 on a quiet night with nothing much around, I thought, a rare opportunity to mix it up for the signallers and drivers.

But lo, today at 16:30 (albeit not peak traffic under Covid) the same trick on the mainline north of Oxford... 414F freightliner Sohants-LawleySt had already passed through Oxford onto the Down Slow and brought to a stand at Wolvercote; 498D is actually 4M51 Sohants-Trafford and followed through Oxford, pathed over to work "wrong way" on the bi-directional Up Main up to Wolvercote; so that 1M58 XCountry RDG-MAN could follow them into Oxford, stop, and then scamper between them on the Down Main away towards Banbury.



The LawleySt liner then got away behind the Voyager to the north, but not the Trafford liner... that had to wait for the following GWR Hitachi working 1W31 to Malvern to pass on the Down Main and turn at Wolvercote Jn for the Charlbury line, before it finally got a clear road to rejoin the Down Main and head north, which it has only just done.



Rare daytime viewing! Much excitement!

 

[GW43125]

Abuse of Bi-Directional signalling always makes things a little interesting!

 

[Dr Hoo]

Interesting situation. Thanks to the OP for posting.

(I am not entirely sure that holding two cargo planes stationary in mid-air at the same elevation a few yards apart so that a passenger Boeing 737 could squeeze between them is an entirely feasible parallel, mind you.)

 

[cjs11]

Interesting situation. Thanks to the OP for posting.

(I am not entirely sure that holding two cargo planes stationary in mid-air at the same elevation a few yards apart so that a passenger Boeing 737 could squeeze between them is an entirely feasible parallel, mind you.)

Could be - holding two in landing pattern spirals whilst a low-fuel one gets the quick down.
More likely to be Ground Control holding the apron on approach to runway, though, granted

 

[Dr Hoo]

Fair enough on the Ground Control.

 

[800002]

Checking Traksy to see if a southbound freight had passed through yet, I scrolled to Wolvercote Junction just north of Oxford, where the four tracks through Oxford funnel back down to two, with ample distance to hold freights whilst passenger services scurry through.

One evening in early March there was fun and games where three metals trains from south Wales to the North East got bunched up and funneled, including wrong-line working one along the Up Main... a peculiarity of 23:00 on a quiet night with nothing much around, I thought, a rare opportunity to mix it up for the signallers and drivers.

But lo, today at 16:30 (albeit not peak traffic under Covid) the same trick on the mainline north of Oxford... 414F freightliner Sohants-LawleySt had already passed through Oxford onto the Down Slow and brought to a stand at Wolvercote; 498D is actually 4M51 Sohants-Trafford and followed through Oxford, pathed over to work "wrong way" on the bi-directional Up Main up to Wolvercote; so that 1M58 XCountry RDG-MAN could follow them into Oxford, stop, and then scamper between them on the Down Main away towards Banbury.

View attachment 77703

The LawleySt liner then got away behind the Voyager to the north, but not the Trafford liner... that had to wait for the following GWR Hitachi working 1W31 to Malvern to pass on the Down Main and turn at Wolvercote Jn for the Charlbury line, before it finally got a clear road to rejoin the Down Main and head north, which it has only just done.

View attachment 77704

Rare daytime viewing! Much excitement!

Of course 4M51 is due to sit somewhere at Wolvercote Jn for 52 minutes (1652 - 1746) as a matter of course (4M51). Although, by the looks of it it is planned actually to sit on the DML - lack of route code in the schedule to say where. Running 16 minutes early at Oxford, having been put ahead at Didcot North (from the west curve) instead of being held to time where It should have followed 1M58.

414F being planned to sit on the Down Relief 1632 - 1645 with 1M58 running past at 1642.

Got to love the flexibility the new bi-di signalling offers though.

 

[800002]

Further to my post above,
I do believe 4M51 is indeed planned to reside on the Down Main at Wolvercote Jn as the AXC it is meant to follow northward, 1M62 is planned to run passed it on the DOR, or Down Oxford Relief at Wolvercote Jn.

 

[Melancholia]

Signaller playing with trains, which is well known for some of the ex-Oxford PSB boys that currently reside at TVSC

I remember when it happened a few occasions, when the evening 2000 dep to Marylebone loco hauled Chiltern 68 departure landed on Plat 4 early from Hinksey Yard, and the 1952 2 car Turbo arrival from Didcot was put permissively behind the loco hauled stock on Plat 4, to turn around and form a service back to Didcot dep at 1958 (it was normally booked to happen on Plat 3, but there was a late 1943 XC bound for Reading close by).

 

[Dr Hoo]

There is, of course, nothing new about letting a fast passenger service 'comb' between a looped freight on the left and another working of lower priority in the same direction standing on the adjacent line to the right.

Quintinshill in 1915 being an obvious case in point.

 

[UTV]

Oxford Signallers always mess Freight trains around, mostly in the dead of night and for no reason.

 

[800002]

Oxford Signallers always mess Freight trains around, mostly in the dead of night and for no reason.

Oh now, I'm sure they'll be a reason for it...
Somewhere, somehow... They'll be a reason.

 

[midland1]

They will often switch trains from up line to down line if it has two way signalling to make sure it is working if in case they need it latter at busy times.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Abuse of Bi-Directional signalling always makes things a little interesting!

Abuse? Isn't that what bi-directional signalling is for?

Unlike Quintinshill, there was still a vacant up line available for traffic comi9ng the other way - and of course Oxford is fully track-circuited.

 

[cjs11]

Really interesting thread, thanks for responses.
Where is TVSC now then? (And where was Oxford PSB?)

So 4M51 should sit and wait for the XCV to scoot past, but the timings were out so 414F had to sit wait at the same time.
As you say, north Oxford has the capacity and functionality to do it, good to make use... only emphasises the other times the queuing and shuffling appears painfully odd!

Obliged to all.
CJS

 

[cjs11]

Meant to add, today's quirky through Oxford was the LeicLIP-Eastleigh pair of 20s getting routed through Wolvercote Jct onto the Up Relief to the New North Jct, back onto Up Main to station throat, off onto Up Relief again through P3, back onto Up Main, and off through Hinksey toward Didcot.
Swervy swervy!

 

[FGW_DID]

Really interesting thread, thanks for responses.
Where is TVSC now then? (And where was Oxford PSB?)

So 4M51 should sit and wait for the XCV to scoot past, but the timings were out so 414F had to sit wait at the same time.
As you say, north Oxford has the capacity and functionality to do it, good to make use... only emphasises the other times the queuing and shuffling appears painfully odd!

Obliged to all.
CJS

TVSC is at Didcot (The building is in the triangle formed by the Main Lines, Didcot West Curve & the Oxford Line.)
Oxford Panel was in a little building just off the down platform (now platform 4)

 

[800002]

Meant to add, today's quirky through Oxford was the LeicLIP-Eastleigh pair of 20s getting routed through Wolvercote Jct onto the Up Relief to the New North Jct, back onto Up Main to station throat, off onto Up Relief again through P3, back onto Up Main, and off through Hinksey toward Didcot.
Swervy swervy!

Have you seen the schedule for that ROG move of today? See here
It was running 120+ minutes late throughout. That may have had something to do with the weaving.
Orginially it was due to sit on the Up Oxford Relief at Oxford North for 8 minutes, to allow 1O14, Man Pic - Reading passed and 1Y30 Oxford - Marylebone down on the Up Oxford Relief get of to Bicester.

I've no idea what it was though... Any assistance, anyone? Much appreciated.

 

[800002]

So 4M51 should sit and wait for the XCV to scoot past, but the timings were out so 414F had to sit wait at the same time.
As you say, north Oxford has the capacity and functionality to do it, good to make use... only emphasises the other times the queuing and shuffling appears painfully odd!

Obliged to all.
CJS

Yes, 4M51 is planned to do that under normal running - with 1M62 1545 Bournemouth to Manchester Piccadilly running past it (as described above it was 1M58 which ran between the two lines of boxes).

 

[Oxfordblues]

Oxford Signallers always mess Freight trains around, mostly in the dead of night and for no reason.

It's important to occasionally route some trains over little-used switches and crossings to prevent the rails from rusting and ensure the track-circuits work properly. This is often done at night to minimise delay. The 'box is the TVSC at Didcot.

 

[High Dyke]

It's important to occasionally route some trains over little-used switches and crossings to prevent the rails from rusting and ensure the track-circuits work properly. This is often done at night to minimise delay. The 'box is the TVSC at Didcot.

Indeed. I've noticed a few times that 2S32 - the last Skegness - Nottingham service has crossed over at Rectory Jn to run on the bi-directionally signalled Up Grantham to Netherfield Jn and then crossed back to the Down Grantham.

 

[Romsey]

Some "odd" movements are planned for route knowledge or ensuring points are swung at least once per day to keep them working for the time they might be needed in a hurry.
PSUL published by the Branch Line Society saves a lot of trawling through RTT or working timetables.

 

[cjs11]

Have you seen the schedule for that ROG move of today? See here
It was running 120+ minutes late throughout. That may have had something to do with the weaving.
Orginially it was due to sit on the Up Oxford Relief at Oxford North for 8 minutes, to allow 1O14, Man Pic - Reading passed and 1Y30 Oxford - Marylebone down on the Up Oxford Relief get of to Bicester.

I've no idea what it was though... Any assistance, anyone? Much appreciated.

Thanks 800002, the ROG move was a pair of 20s... https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/class-20s-in-action.204396/

Thanks FGW_DID and others contributing, useful learning, obliged.

 

[800002]

Thanks 800002, the ROG move was a pair of 20s... https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/class-20s-in-action.204396/

Thanks FGW_DID and others contributing, useful learning, obliged.

Oh, awesome. Thanks.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

Thanks 800002, the ROG move was a pair of 20s... https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/class-20s-in-action.204396/

Class 20's were late to Eastleigh (problems with locos at Leicester or something) and then subsequently failed at Eastleigh, resulting in 37800 going from Ilford to Eastleigh, and the 442 drag moved to Saturday, with 37800 hauling 2 dead 20's and the 442 plus barriers!

 

[800002]

Class 20's were late to Eastleigh (problems with locos at Leicester or something) and then subsequently failed at Eastleigh, resulting in 37800 going from Ilford to Eastleigh, and the 442 drag moved to Saturday, with 37800 hauling 2 dead 20's and the 442 plus barriers!

How unfortunate....

Please tell me someone managed to document this visually.

 

[cjs11]

More fun was had today with the same trip, Leicester LIP - Eastleigh Arlington... departed Leicester on time but then stuck at South Wigston for a couple of hours... only just passed Oxford so I didn't get to see it

Realtime Trains - 593W 1402 Leicester L.I.P. to Eastleigh Arlington (Zg)

Realtime Trains provides live realtime running information for the Great British railway network using open data.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[heart-of-wessex]

How unfortunate....

Please tell me someone managed to document this visually.

I did see a video on a Facebook group, there's this on Youtube as well