Thatcham Level Crossing

[neilmc]

I have just stayed overnight in Thatcham, near the station. The level crossing warnings were very audible from my room, and work me up at 02:45. I peered out of my window to see what was passing at that time, expecting a freight but in fact it was the overnight from Penzance to Paddington. However, this didn't pass until 02:59 leaving vehicles queuing at the gates almost a quarter of an hour - in fact, several vehicles gave up and went to find alternative routes.

This would have been completely unacceptable during the day at this busy crossing so why did it happen overnight - is it the case that for some technical reason the signalling staff didn't know quite where the train was so closed the gates too early?

 

[najaB]

...is it the case that for some technical reason the signalling staff didn't know quite where the train was so closed the gates too early?

I doubt that. They don't close gates based on schedule.

 

[Trainfan344]

According to Real Time Trains, the only thing that passed Thatcham during the stated times was 5X41 from Castle Cary to Reading which passed at 02:58.

 

[Tomnick]

According to Real Time Trains, the only thing that passed Thatcham during the stated times was 5X41 from Castle Cary to Reading which passed at 02:58.

...having seemingly passed Newbury at 0242, and thus losing around 12-13 minutes between there and Thatcham (although it was running early). Possibly stopped out of course for some reason after the barriers had been lowered and signals cleared?

 

[neilmc]

Thanks, as it was a passenger train I assumed it must have been the overnighter from Penzance at such an unearthly hour.

 

[Thatcham Xing]

I live in Thatcham, but just far enough away from the Station to be out of earshot of the crossing warnings.

However, having been at the Station late at night many times I was always under the impression that the audible warnings are silenced during the night hours.

 

[83G/84D]

The audible crossing alarms (yodels) should have a day and a night setting the latter being not so loud.

 

[Hartington]

I thought 5x41 was an 800. It's run a couple of nights this week starting from Stoke Gifford, reversing at Reading, terminating at Castle Cary and then retracing its' steps.

 

[tellytype]

The audible crossing alarms (yodels) should have a day and a night setting the latter being not so loud.

You sure about that? Ones round here a Yodalarm YA30 sounder which are essentially conventional IP66 fire alarm sounders (akin to a Roshni) & don't have any concept of time or day. Volumes on these are set within the sounder by a pot, and that's the volume they'll run at.

Datasheet: http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/1678763.pdf


Unless NR mod the sounder - remove the pot on every sounder, replace it with wire jumpers & are handling the resistance that would otherwise be provided by the pot within the crossing electronics somehow, it's impossible for the YA30 at least to know time of day, or change volume. Some sounders can achieve a small drop in audio level by a voltage drop too, but I'd consider this an unlikely scenario as safety critical ops mean you need to guarantee the thing will work & with top too low voltage sometimes they don't function reliably.

 

[Thatcham Xing]

Same crossing but different subject....and not about building a (much needed) bridge, which is a permanent topic of conversation locally.

There have been road signs up at the crossing all this week warning of 4 night-time closures next week.....anyone know if this is for more OHLE work or something else?

 

[alxndr]

You sure about that? Ones round here a Yodalarm YA30 sounder which are essentially conventional IP66 fire alarm sounders (akin to a Roshni) & don't have any concept of time or day. Volumes on these are set within the sounder by a pot, and that's the volume they'll run at.

Datasheet: http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/1678763.pdf


Unless NR mod the sounder - remove the pot on every sounder, replace it with wire jumpers & are handling the resistance that would otherwise be provided by the pot within the crossing electronics somehow, it's impossible for the YA30 at least to know time of day, or change volume. Some sounders can achieve a small drop in audio level by a voltage drop too, but I'd consider this an unlikely scenario as safety critical ops mean you need to guarantee the thing will work & with top too low voltage sometimes they don't function reliably.

Some certainly do have day/night settings. I don't know the specifics of the wiring off the top of my head, but it certainly can involve a bank of resistors and a programming unit containing a clock. There are other set ups that I've only heard about too.

 

[3973EXL]

I live in Thatcham, but just far enough away from the Station to be out of earshot of the crossing warnings.

However, having been at the Station late at night many times I was always under the impression that the audible warnings are silenced during the night hours.

RTT show a HOPS train on the B&H tonight.

There are also two HOPS shown for Wed & Thur nights (seem to be working between: one Aldermaston to Theale and the other Thatcham to Newbury RC).

 

[Thatcham Xing]

Thanks, will look for some more metalwork appearing then.

Biggest gaps are still around the down passing loop just east of Aldermaston and through the stations themselves.