What does -ISO mean on the railway?

[Couru]

Hey all,

Fleet is my local station and morbid curiosity reared its head when I heard the line to Basingstoke was shut until 4pm. Looking at OpenTrainTimes, I found this:
Now SHUT is fairly obvious, as is LB-- (line blocked) and 1T34 (train headcode). Does anyone know what -ISO means though? Google only gives me the standards org, which is hardly what I want here.

 

[skyhigh]

Isolation, presumably.

 

[godfreycomplex]

Isolation, presumably.

Correct

 

[Couru]

Thanks for the quick reply! I take it that refers to the electricity being turned off?

 

[skyhigh]

Thanks for the quick reply! I take it that refers to the electricity being turned off?

Yes

 

[Couru]

Awesome, cheers! Coincidentally I also found this at Staines:

Something tells me that's not quite rulebook-approved.

 

[devon_belle]

Electricity turned off while emergency serves deal with an incident.

Awesome, cheers! Coincidentally I also found this at Staines:
View attachment 143728
Something tells me that's not quite rulebook-approved.

This one is, however, more cryptic!

 

[LAX54]

Thanks for the quick reply! I take it that refers to the electricity being turned off?

sometimes you may also see ISOL as well as -ISO

 

[Krokodil]

Awesome, cheers! Coincidentally I also found this at Staines:
View attachment 143728
Something tells me that's not quite rulebook-approved.

Sometimes signallers have used the TD berths to commemorate the closing of the panel or the last XC HST. More controversially one wrote "-THX -TPE" after the operator blocked multiple platforms with crewless trains.

 

[12LDA28C]

Electricity turned off while emergency serves deal with an incident.


This one is, however, more cryptic!

Usually displayed when a 'box is closing or long-standing member(s) of staff moving on/retiring. A similar message was displayed recently when Peterborough panel closed with staff transferring to York.

 

[43096]

Awesome, cheers! Coincidentally I also found this at Staines:
View attachment 143728
Something tells me that's not quite rulebook-approved.

That’s the last message before the area was resignalled. Open Train Times haven’t updated since the line reopened after the work was completed.

 

[Siemens Staines]

Awesome, cheers! Coincidentally I also found this at Staines:
View attachment 143728
Something tells me that's not quite rulebook-approved.

This is from when the new signalling system was commissioned in August and was the final message on the old signalling system as it was being switched off. opentrainsmaps has yet to be updated with the new signalling information and so shows the last message of the old system with trains appearing to disappear in to a black hole at Egham and re-emerging at Whitton

 

[BrummieBobby]

TD berth messaging are a rare opportunity for us signallers to display creativity; the festive period will usually see TD messages such as:

*HO* *HO* *HO*
APPY XMAS
APPY *NEW YEAR 2023

 

[55018ballymoss]

Awesome, cheers! Coincidentally I also found this at Staines:
View attachment 143728
Something tells me that's not quite rulebook-approved.

There is no standard in the rule book for what is shown in TD berths! The only requirement I would insist on is that nothing offensive or derogatory is entered.
They are either headcodes or visual reminders for the signaller usually. This example probably refers to the signalling being transferred to a different location.

 

[Surreytraveller]

Its a way for Signallers to remind themselves, or tell others, what is going on.
Such as -DVR to indicate to controllers that a train is awaiting a driver

 

[fairysdad]

The only requirement I would insist on is that nothing offensive or derogatory is entered.

You say that, but during major disruption (the heavy windstorm a few months back for example), I did see - amongst all the TREEs and NOGOs - an ITS- -ALL F%KD (my censoring)...

 

[AdamWW]

Then there's this one:

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Ayr is full of codes I don't understand at the moment due to being fully closed because fire.

 

[The Puddock]

View attachment 143775
Ayr is full of codes I don't understand at the moment due to being fully closed because fire.

The berths with the various SA codes in them show the identities of the isolated electrical sections.

"POSS" is possession.

"APW1" is the Wire item number of the emergency T3 possession that has been taken.

(I have previously had to remind a signaller that thanks to open data, the world can now see what they've interposed in a berth and would they please change it to something less sweary.)

 

[55018ballymoss]

Good luck insisting on something when staff are up to their necks. They'll likely tell you 'there's the chair, get on with it, I'm off'

Obviously not worked in a PSB with a SSM.

 

[TPO]

Then there's this one:

View attachment 143765

I suspect that is because the line has new signalling under test and that is the name of the Tester in Charge.

(The name is of a S&T Tester in Charge who works in the Western quite regularly).

TPO

 

[RedPostJunc]

Can somebody please decode this? And what (exactly) is a T3?

 

[FGW_DID]

Can somebody please decode this? And what (exactly) is a T3?

View attachment 146907

Engineering Possession and it’s Item 46 in the Weekly Operating Notice.

 

[Annetts key]

Can somebody please decode this? And what (exactly) is a T3?

See also what I posted earlier in the week here.

 

[Chris Hamilton]

Signallers will use whatever memory device is necessary to remind themselves with the TD. I’ve even seen my initials and department (CHST) dropped onto the TD (via Traksy), clearly to remind the signaller I was dealing with a TC indication fault (not in a line blockage), presumably to remind themselves when **** appears in the next berth that it’s a known fault.

 

[Ashley Hill]

A particularly amusing one outside Paddington for the last few days indicating a track defect.

 

[yorkie]

Just a reminder that when posting images (or videos), our blind members may not be able to see them, so if there is any text being referred to, we do ask that this is quoted in a caption underneath the image. For images that do not contain text, then a summary/description would be good. Many thanks

 

[MarkyT]

I suspect that is because the line has new signalling under test and that is the name of the Tester in Charge.

(The name is of a S&T Tester in Charge who works in the Western quite regularly).

TPO

Dave H is definitely involved with testing the South Wales Metro changes.

 

[Trackman]

A particularly amusing one outside Paddington for the last few days indicating a track defect.
View attachment 146938

But that is exactly what it is!
(picture shows traksy panel stating WET - BED )

TD berth messaging are a rare opportunity for us signallers to display creativity; the festive period will usually see TD messages such as:

*HO* *HO* *HO*
APPY XMAS
APPY *NEW YEAR 2023

Always worth a look at Christmas - I saw one that said 'Happy Birthday Jesus, Lee loves Santa'
Also, when signal boxes close for good.

 

[Western 52]

I wonder what this one means?

Picture shows track berth at Cardiff Bay station showing RDRL on 19th November 2023.