Old T Key Help

[motherwell334]

HI guys,
I hope some of you guys can help me on this, i was given this old style t key by an old timer when i joined the railway many moons ago, i have unfortunatley lost it and cant find one anywhere including ebay.

Does anyone have one of a spare one(it has the letters SC/ES/1155) who is willing to sell me, i prefer the smaller one to the big one.

many thanks

Geordie


p.s if this is in contavention to the site rules i do apologise

 

[ralphchadkirk]

If you need one for your duties, then you will be issued with one. If you don't need one, then you won't be issued one! Simples.

 

[motherwell334]

If you need one for your duties, then you will be issued with one. If you don't need one, then you won't be issued one! Simples.

I have one for my duties one of the newer style keys,im only asking as old style one could easily fit into ur pockets.

They no longer issue the smaller ones

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Longleat then.

 

[185]

They are like gold dust, but always falling down. Best clip them onto a chain to some housekeys, as belt clips are useless with them.

 

[motherwell334]

I cant find their site on the web,i can find the safari site but cant find the railway shop

 

[Hydro]

I've got one of these things, they're a lot better than the gigantic multi tool that seems to be the current trend.

 

[railgraduate]

T-Key's are a controlled piece of equipment and should not be given to people outside the controlled environment of the workplace as I am sure 99% of the people on this forum are aware, they can give access to control panels on trains etc.

 

[scotsman]

T-Key's are a controlled piece of equipment and should not be given to people outside the controlled environment of the workplace as I am sure 99% of the people on this forum are aware, they can give access to control panels on trains etc.

Yup, but as you are also aware, there is a thriving heritage railway industry as well - you'll find plenty of folk there with T-Keys for their work there. I've got one, they're bloody useful!

 

[Yew]

And if railways where really scared about people with T key's they wouldnt use a design that could be made in any metal shop anywher ein the country (they would use actual keys not a square steel bar)

Maybe you could look at Chuck keys for lathes, some of those are a similar shape/size?

 

[AlexS]

T-Key's are a controlled piece of equipment and should not be given to people outside the controlled environment of the workplace as I am sure 99% of the people on this forum are aware, they can give access to control panels on trains etc.

As someone who regularly forgets to pick his up and has to improvise I can assure you that you don't need a t key to open a budget lock! It should be fairly obvious that they're not secure fastenings, hence the move away from using them. Security keys are far more appropriate (albeit more expensive).

 

[PaulW]

Speaking of T keys.... I made one today using two bolts, a MIG welder and a bench grinder.

It does it's job.

 

[railgraduate]

Very true indeed and I am sure that people working on heritage railway's etc look after them.

Am well aware that the T key is a very simple design that could be produced by any good D&T student in a workshop, but I imagine that the 'railways' want to control their supplies so that if anything unfortunate did happen then at least the TOC could be sure that it did not come from them.

Can't imagine however that it is much of a problem in reality though.

 

[9K43]

Excuse my ignorance, is this a carriage key that we are talking about?

 

[scotsman]

Very true indeed and I am sure that people working on heritage railway's etc look after them.

Am well aware that the T key is a very simple design that could be produced by any good D&T student in a workshop, but I imagine that the 'railways' want to control their supplies so that if anything unfortunate did happen then at least the TOC could be sure that it did not come from them.

Can't imagine however that it is much of a problem in reality though.

I've had one heritage guy unlock a HST toilet with me in it, but that's about it
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Excuse my ignorance, is this a carriage key that we are talking about?

yes, it is

 

[motherwell334]

T-Key's are a controlled piece of equipment and should not be given to people outside the controlled environment of the workplace as I am sure 99% of the people on this forum are aware, they can give access to control panels on trains etc.

As i mentioned before i DO work on the trains, i was given this old style key by a driver who worked in Corkerhill, as the key is small it could easily be put into the trouser pocket as is easier than carting the onther monstocity around with you.

 

[CarterUSM]

Excuse my ignorance, is this a carriage key that we are talking about?

I believe so. It's what I call a carriage key anyway, I call the modern ones T keys. I lost my carriage key a while ago, it was my uncles, and weirdly didn't have a small hole in the centre of the square.

 

[ChrisCooper]

Yes, carriage key is the old term for them as one of their main uses was to operate the manual locks on slam doors.

Identical keys and locks are used all over the place, not just in the rail industry. They are widely used on buses, for things like lockers, destination blind boxes, even removing panels (many old buses you need a t key to remove the front panel for towing), infact the term "t key" I think is borrowed from the buses as the standard bus one is a basic T (having just the tapered square part), with rail ones traditionally being "carriage keys". They are also used for many other things, the last one I bought was officially a "horse box key", and budget locks and keys are widely found from DIY suppliers for various purposes. Like many others who have legitimate use for them, I also have experiance of how easy they are to open without even having a key (since I tend to loose them frequently, hence why I tend to keep a good stock of them).

 

[AlexS]

I believe so. It's what I call a carriage key anyway, I call the modern ones T keys. I lost my carriage key a while ago, it was my uncles, and weirdly didn't have a small hole in the centre of the square.

The small hole is to do with a security feature some slightly more 'up to date' locks come with - some of the now have a little metal bit sticking up so unless you have a key with a hole in it you can't unlock them. Does tend to scupper the improv as well

Some of our Mk1s on the GCR have odd examples of the newer locks and they cause some of the guys with older kit a few problems as they try and work out why they can't unlock some doors

 

[Old Timer]

HI guys,
I hope some of you guys can help me on this, i was given this old style t key by an old timer when i joined the railway many moons ago, i have unfortunatley lost it and cant find one anywhere including ebay.

Does anyone have one of a spare one(it has the letters SC/ES/1155) who is willing to sell me, i prefer the smaller one to the big one.

many thanks

Geordie


p.s if this is in contavention to the site rules i do apologise

Please check your emails, Old Chap.

Any problems getting hold of one, please let me know.

 

[CarterUSM]

The small hole is to do with a security feature some slightly more 'up to date' locks come with - some of the now have a little metal bit sticking up so unless you have a key with a hole in it you can't unlock them. Does tend to scupper the improv as well

Some of our Mk1s on the GCR have odd examples of the newer locks and they cause some of the guys with older kit a few problems as they try and work out why they can't unlock some doors

Yes, it's generally just the door key switches on our units that have the metal prong sticking up. I was quite annoyed with myself for losing it though. I will perhaps try and pick up another one myself.

 

[Ploughman]

If anybody wants a leather holster for one we will make one for you.
http://www.yorkareagroup.co.uk/index.php?p=1_16_Sales-Items

Let me know if you do.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

If anybody wants a leather holster for one we will make one for you.
http://www.yorkareagroup.co.uk/index.php?p=1_16_Sales-Items

Let me know if you do.

Could you send me a photo of the leather holster? I may be interested.

 

[scotsman]

Could you send me a photo of the leather holster? I may be interested.

Ditto

 

[ralphchadkirk]

It would be be nice to have a holster that could fit the T-Key, BR1 and master.

 

[CarterUSM]

Does anyone know of any other uses for the circular prong of the T-key? I have only recently learned of it's use in isolating certain things in class 380's passenger accommodation, and that is a first to my knowledge !

 

[scotsman]

Does anyone know of any other uses for the circular prong of the T-key? I have only recently learned of it's use in isolating certain things in class 380's passenger accommodation, and that is a first to my knowledge !

I was aware of that some time before...I reset half the alarms in the prototype 380 in the museum

 

[OxtedL]

I was aware of that some time before...I reset half the alarms in the prototype 380 in the museum

That sounds like a story worth telling!

 

[scotsman]

That sounds like a story worth telling!

Had been keeping my T-Key in the part of my rucksack, went to visit the Transport Museum and the 380. Remembered about the T-Key after seeing that most of the alarms had been activated - so I reset them...

 

[OxtedL]

You could have told it in a more exciting way!

Is that prototype now gone forever?