This thread took me back to my time in North Kent in the mid 1980s. No fancy PIS displays, track diagrams on computer monitors, radios and what-have-you. Passenger information relied on what I will call an ‘open Tannoy’ from Rochester signalbox and a similar system from Gillingham signalbox to staff accommodation at platforms in the Medway Towns.
Nobody used headcodes or reporting numbers. It was all round where the train was heading and which signal section it was in. For example “Fast Cannon Street by the boneyard” was enough to get the wooden finger board out and quick manual announcement on the platform at Gillingham as to what train was approaching within the next minute. Other locations on the Up were “Just left Rainham”, “By the bakery”, “On the arches” [Luton Arches bridge], “In Fort Pitt Tunnel” and so forth. It was less important in the Down direction but “Bottom of the bank”, “Just left Strood”, “Over the water”, etc. could also be heard. It was amazing how staff could just hear this in the background and instinctively maintain situational awareness of where trains were, when they would arrive and in what order.
With a 12VEP formation you had 100 slam doors to keep an eye on but could get 200 luggageless and well-drilled Cannon Street passengers on and away in less than 30 seconds when things were running well. These days it seems to take longer that that after the train has stopped just to get the doors released on a typical Hope Valley local. (And yes, I know what has changed and that we can’t go back.)
