Some advice on infrastructure terminology related to train planning?

[The Welsh man]

I have recently started to learn planning and have minimal knowledge of the railways and all the the terms used, would you be able to to help tell me what the following are and in what documents i should find them in?

1. LOR - line of route
2. ELR - engineers line reference
3. what is a sectional appendix
4. what is a hazard directory

also what is a quail diagram?

 

[The Planner]

I have recently started to learn planning and have minimal knowledge of the railways and all the the terms used, would you be able to to help tell me what the following are and in what documents i should find them in?

1. LOR - line of route
2. ELR - engineers line reference
3. what is a sectional appendix
4. what is a hazard directory

also what is a quail diagram?

You should be taught what they are. The LOR is a system of numbering the routes on the network and is how planning graphs are seperated. ELR are more for maintainers etc, you will rarely need to use them for planning. There are often many ELR sections on a line of route.
The sectional appendix is the repository of route information from schematic diagrams, route clearance, specific instructions etc
Not convinced you really need to worry about hazard directories.
A Quail diagram is effectively a detailed atlas of the network split into regions, you should get given any relevant ones or just ask for them.

 

[alxndr]

I have recently started to learn planning and have minimal knowledge of the railways and all the the terms used, would you be able to to help tell me what the following are and in what documents i should find them in?

1. LOR - line of route
2. ELR - engineers line reference
3. what is a sectional appendix
4. what is a hazard directory

also what is a quail diagram?

If you have a role where you need to know such things someone should be available to ask these questions to. Better to ask even the simple questions at the start than discover you've been getting it wrong months down the line!

ELRs - A unique reference number for a line. Found in the Sectional Appendix. You might hear people say "such-and-such happened and 60 mile 15 chain on the MLN1". Every place can be uniquely identified by the ELR and mileage.

LOR - A collection of ELRs forming a route. Also found in the Sectional Appendix.

Sectional Appendix - Documents that give lots of information about an area of railway. Some of the information is for drivers and probably not too relevant, but there is also information on possession requirements and the map pages which are very useful and were I'd go for the ELR and LOR (there may be other locations). https://www.networkrail.co.uk/indus...ators/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/

Hazard Directory - Lists lots of information, including Hazards (buried services, invasive species, restricted clearance areas etc) and Access Points. Best used with local knowledge where possible as it's a bit lacking at times, or very outdated.

I'd also recommend the NR Jargon Buster and I can recommend Ellis' British Railway Encyclopaedia for usually having the answer to anything except the most specialised of things, but it's just over £20.

 

[The Welsh man]

If you have a role where you need to know such things someone should be available to ask these questions to. Better to ask even the simple questions at the start than discover you've been getting it wrong months down the line!

ELRs - A unique reference number for a line. Found in the Sectional Appendix. You might hear people say "such-and-such happened and 60 mile 15 chain on the MLN1". Every place can be uniquely identified by the ELR and mileage.

LOR - A collection of ELRs forming a route. Also found in the Sectional Appendix.

Sectional Appendix - Documents that give lots of information about an area of railway. Some of the information is for drivers and probably not too relevant, but there is also information on possession requirements and the map pages which are very useful and were I'd go for the ELR and LOR (there may be other locations). https://www.networkrail.co.uk/indus...ators/national-electronic-sectional-appendix/

Hazard Directory - Lists lots of information, including Hazards (buried services, invasive species, restricted clearance areas etc) and Access Points. Best used with local knowledge where possible as it's a bit lacking at times, or very outdated.

I'd also recommend the NR Jargon Buster and I can recommend Ellis' British Railway Encyclopaedia for usually having the answer to anything except the most specialised of things, but it's just over £20.

Thanks for your help.

 

[DelW]

Quail diagrams are commercially produced books of track layouts, split into regions of the country. They were originally produced by the Quail Map Company, but are now updated and published by Trackmaps:

Railway Track Diagrams Archives - TRACKmaps

www.trackmaps.co.uk

They're widely bought by enthusiasts as well as professional railway staff.

 

[pdeaves]

ELRs can be found here: http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/elrs/elr0.shtm
LORs can be found here: http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/pride/pride0.shtm (LOR used to be called PRIDE for Possession Resource Information Database)
A converter between the two can be found here: http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/pride/elrmapping.shtm

Hope that helps!

 

[Annetts key]

It should be mentioned that most ELR codes are related to the original line name. Hence some can be a bit confusing when looking at today’s network which in some areas is a mix of what is left of what was a much bigger network built by different companies at different times.

This is also the same reason that some mileages also do not appear to make sense.