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Shore supply at Sheffield station

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ryan125hst

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I went to Sheffield yesterday and while waiting for the train home, I noticed a cable between the tracks for platforms 3 and 4. I can only assume it's a shore supply for Northern Rail's DMU's, probably the Class 158's as I also noticed two electrical connectors under the frame.

29z64xv.jpg


As well as this cable, I also noticed the following connector that appears to be part of the signalling system. It was connected to the box you see on the platform. Any ideas what it is and why it isn't connected to anything? (Apologies for the low quality image- I used digital zoom on my phone)

13zwuwl.jpg


Finally, I'm assuming that this things are for tanking the trains? The water to flush the toilets has to be put in somewhere!

2wg98go.jpg


Many thanks

Ryan

(Sorry for the large images. I've used Tinypic before a few years ago but they didn't appear as large as that. Any ideas how to make them smaller?)
 
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edwin_m

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Second one is just a junction box I think. One of the cables looks like it leads to the TPWS loop also visible.
 

Elecman

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Second picture is definatly a TPWS Grid connection and junction ( disconnection) box
 

lincolnshire

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Your picture shows an installation that a lot of stations had back in the days of coaching stock for battery charging of stock or DMU,s. Hull Paragon was fitted with them down between the lines in the platforms for charging coaching stock when the 650/1000v shore supplies was in working order for train heating overnight. If you had flat batteries on a coach or DMU then you could plug it in and charge the said coach from the box between the tracks in the platforms.
The equipment was located in a remote room and the 24volt cables was run to the boxes trackside into which they was plugged. There are still some in position at Hull but most have been removed as now redundant when track work has been carried out.

The Sheffield one may still be in use as the end plug is what is now fitted to DMU,s and the other end plugged into the ground box.

The other is an S & T connection box

The final one looks like its the water tanking hose point for filling coach water tanks for toilets and sinks.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
In fact just looking again at the pictures there are two battery charging boxes installed in the ground and two leads the right one is not so obvious as it seems to be disappearing under the ballast.
 

eMeS

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... Any ideas how to make them smaller?)[/I]

If you've got Photoshop, Photohsop Elements (or something similar) installed, after loading your original image, you should be able to use <Image> <Image Size...> which then gives you a dialogue box, showing the current pixel sizes of your image. Change the upper figure to something like 800 to 1200 pixels, and with "Constrain Proportions" and "Resample Image" ticked, you then click "OK" and your image will be resized. Do a "Save As..." and publish.
Other image editing apps will offer something similar. e.g. The viewer Maxview offers resizing of images. CTRL + R.

HTH
 

ryan125hst

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Second one is just a junction box I think. One of the cables looks like it leads to the TPWS loop also visible.

Elecman said:
Second picture is definatly a TPWS Grid connection and junction ( disconnection) box

Thanks for that, any ideas what that cable that is disconnected is?

lincolnshire said:
Your picture shows an installation that a lot of stations had back in the days of coaching stock for battery charging of stock or DMU,s. Hull Paragon was fitted with them down between the lines in the platforms for charging coaching stock when the 650/1000v shore supplies was in working order for train heating overnight. If you had flat batteries on a coach or DMU then you could plug it in and charge the said coach from the box between the tracks in the platforms.
The equipment was located in a remote room and the 24volt cables was run to the boxes trackside into which they was plugged. There are still some in position at Hull but most have been removed as now redundant when track work has been carried out.

The Sheffield one may still be in use as the end plug is what is now fitted to DMU,s and the other end plugged into the ground box.

The other is an S & T connection box

The final one looks like its the water tanking hose point for filling coach water tanks for toilets and sinks.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
In fact just looking again at the pictures there are two battery charging boxes installed in the ground and two leads the right one is not so obvious as it seems to be disappearing under the ballast.

Thank you for the detailed insight and apologies for the delay in replying- I went on holiday the day after and forgot all about it. :oops:

I thought the tanking water hoses and battery chargers for the DMU's would be the case. Is it just the 158's that have a socket on them as I don't recall seeing them on the Pacers and other Sprinters? I could have just missed them though.

eMeS said:
If you've got Photoshop, Photohsop Elements (or something similar) installed, after loading your original image, you should be able to use <Image> <Image Size...> which then gives you a dialogue box, showing the current pixel sizes of your image. Change the upper figure to something like 800 to 1200 pixels, and with "Constrain Proportions" and "Resample Image" ticked, you then click "OK" and your image will be resized. Do a "Save As..." and publish.
Other image editing apps will offer something similar. e.g. The viewer Maxview offers resizing of images. CTRL + R.

HTH

I don't have Photoshop although I do have Serif Photo Plus which should do a similar job. That said, I don't recall having issues with linked images before. I wonder if the forum software has changed? Either that or it's the site I use to host images that has increased the resolution the images are displayed at.
 

edwin_m

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Thanks for that, any ideas what that cable that is disconnected is?

I don't think any of the cables are disconnected. The "disconnection box" is simply to allow them to be disconnected if necessary. That way if, for example, a tamper damages the cable where it goes under the rail only that short bit has to be replaced.

Otherwise it would need replacing all the way back to the equipment cabinet which could be hundreds of metres away. Or it could be spliced at the trackside in some way which would take longer, be less safe for the person doing it, and be more likely to fail later.
 

ryan125hst

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I don't think any of the cables are disconnected. The "disconnection box" is simply to allow them to be disconnected if necessary. That way if, for example, a tamper damages the cable where it goes under the rail only that short bit has to be replaced.

Otherwise it would need replacing all the way back to the equipment cabinet which could be hundreds of metres away. Or it could be spliced at the trackside in some way which would take longer, be less safe for the person doing it, and be more likely to fail later.

On my second photo, there's what appears to be a cable and a socket. Is this just another battery charging cable, as with the first photo?
 

edwin_m

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On my second photo, there's what appears to be a cable and a socket. Is this just another battery charging cable, as with the first photo?

I'm currently on a PC with a large monitor. I think that the "socket" is actually a Costbucks coffee cup viewed end-on, and the cable doesn't end but rather dives under the rail and connects to the TPWS loop.
 

ryan125hst

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I'm currently on a PC with a large monitor. I think that the "socket" is actually a Costbucks coffee cup viewed end-on, and the cable doesn't end but rather dives under the rail and connects to the TPWS loop.

Looking on my PC monitor, now you mention it, I think you might be right! :oops:
 

edwin_m

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I think it is a McDonalds cup, with the loyalty sticker card removed.

That's a shame, I was hoping someone with access to a 50" plasma would be able to read the name Starbucks write on the cup, so we could name and shame them for littering!
 

gerryuk

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On the last picture there is a plate on the brickwork just above the ballast, under the platform edge (near top left corner of image), the plate has a lever that looks like it can be moved into three positions. I have seen these plates not only at Sheffield station but on the tube at Tower Hill station. What do these do?
 

rebmcr

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On the last picture there is a plate on the brickwork just above the ballast, under the platform edge (near top left corner of image), the plate has a lever that looks like it can be moved into three positions. I have seen these plates not only at Sheffield station but on the tube at Tower Hill station. What do these do?

Ding ding ding! We have a winner!

That's a Datum Plate, used to record the correct position of the rails in relation to the platform edge.
 
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