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Post by rdm on Feb 4, 2024 22:25:10 GMT
This thread is most interesting! Having read all of Piers' articles in that London Underground Signalling series I do wonder whether there is any possibility of these being put together in book form - in appreciating that this is quite a 'niche' subject I for one would be willing to pay for such an issue outside the LURS subscription if it was possible to produce the articles in this format (as has been done with the series on the trains themselves).
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Post by rdm on Dec 18, 2023 15:16:42 GMT
Further to mine above (13/12), I have now sampled the newly refurbished WB stairs and found them to be greatly improved, with deeper, non-slip treads, which are much safer especially for those with mobility problems. In passing today I noted that the works to the EB stairs are progressing even in traffic hours so the completion date of end-Jan 2024 would seem to be achievable even with a break for the Christmas/New Year period.
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Post by rdm on Dec 13, 2023 9:18:02 GMT
Noted from the station foyer this morning (13 December 2023) the WB side has reopened, with the closure transferring to the EB side, meaning that to travel East one must firsst go West to Nortfields and change there for EB trains. This is expected to last until mid-January 2024. I have not yet sampled the repaired stairs but will do so tomorrow and report back.
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Post by rdm on Dec 1, 2023 15:10:26 GMT
I looked over the road bridge parapet this morning and there is definitely evidence of work in progress - materials up against the side of the footbridge etc - which would tend to support this theory.
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Post by rdm on Oct 18, 2023 21:21:36 GMT
Please see my reply to your email this evening. R
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Post by rdm on Oct 12, 2023 22:32:47 GMT
On passing through the station today I noticed a 'Local' notice advising that from 31st October for six weeks the Westbound staircase (which has been steadily deteriorating for some time now) will be closed for repairs and that a further notice is to be posted 'soon' giving details of the program of work - the Eastbound stairway is in a similarly poor state and today has been reduced to one side only in use. This will mean WB passengers arriving and departing will need to use Northfields instead and return to South Ealing on the EB. Let's hope the EB stairway, already reduced, remains in service until the WB repairs are completed, otherwise the station will have to close completely for the duration.
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Post by rdm on Oct 7, 2023 15:19:21 GMT
Between Bewdley North (BN), Bewdley South (BS) and Kidderminster(KR) on the Severn Valley Railway there are two systems in use: on the Back Road between BN and BS, Direction Lever (DL) and on the true single line between BS and KR, Acceptance Lever (AL). Both lines are fully track cirduited. The principle difference beteen the two systems as that with DL working the signalbox in rear, on receiving Line Clear on the Block Instrument, reverses the DL at that end, which (a) proves the DL at the box in advance is Normal and (b) releases the Section Signal at that end to allow the train to proceed. Whereas with AL working it is the signalbox in advance that reverses the AL to accept the train, thus releasing the Section signal at the rear box. There are no Block Instruments but trains are offered and accepted on the bells, with movement of the respective AL at the accepting box equating to a Line Clear on the Block Indicator. As with DL working the AL cannot be reversed unless the one at the opposite end of the section is Normal. The circuits are proved electrically by means of plungers on the block shelf. The interlocking between the boxes works in the same way as described by Tut above.
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Post by rdm on Aug 26, 2023 14:38:59 GMT
There is a picture of Fisher's Lane SB on page 195 of Volume Two of the late MAC Horne's 'London's District Railway - ISBN 978 1 85414 430 0. i would scan it for you but it is obviously copyright of the author so I cannot do so.
Russell Maiden.
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Post by rdm on Jun 23, 2023 17:01:50 GMT
There's certainly a major problem today - no service Acton Town - Hammersmith all day so far due to 'a signal failure'. District seems unaffected though.
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Post by rdm on Mar 13, 2023 15:40:31 GMT
Herewith (I hope!) two pictures I took at Leyton Junction many years ago, shewing the layout looking towards Stratford from the road overbridge and looking the other way, the EB Inner Home signal with disc-type distant signal. Hope these are of interest. The URL is www.flickr.com/photos/69499916@N08/7893852892/in/album-72157631320283980/EDIT - I see on looking at my post that the URL gives access to a small album of historical signalling; the two of Leyton may not be the first to appear, but if you use the side arrows they will eventually reveal themselves.
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Post by rdm on Dec 19, 2022 16:10:47 GMT
Thank you for the info DStock.
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Post by rdm on Dec 16, 2022 22:28:13 GMT
There appears to be some sort of 'signal failure' on the outer rail in the Gloucester Road area, suspending the OR service and this has been the case for two or three days now. Travelling Eastbound last evening it appears this failure affects the EB/IR services at the junction - my train (at around 17.40) was delayed in EC station and then at the approach to the junction, for 1 minute and approx 5 mins respectively and there was considerable blocking back too. I don't know how trains are 'called by' failed 'signals' under the new signalling but that may or may not have been the reason for these delays since we were not 'tripped' if indeed this is still a procedure under the system.
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Post by rdm on Aug 13, 2022 15:37:43 GMT
With reference to the diagrams up thread, are these available on-line at all please?
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Post by rdm on Aug 13, 2022 13:57:18 GMT
Don't forget that prior to there being the former Up Goods line (on the alignment of the even earlier Up L&SWR line) there was a Down L&SWR line where the WB Richmond line now runs. The last named line was originally one line further to the right (as viewed from the bridge). This line joined the aforementioned Down L&SWR line just prior to the Acton Lane road bridge.
There are full details of the history of this area in the late MAC Horne's history of the Met. District Railway (part 2).
I imagine the falling gradient between Turnham Green and Gunnersbury may be a problem with the stabled trains, with a risk of runaways unless wheels are 'scotched'.
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Post by rdm on Dec 7, 2021 22:58:14 GMT
That isn't the case at all. The service status definitions are here. In theory, perhaps. In practice I have, on many occasions, had to endure very long waits for a train on a line that was advertising 'Good Service'. Hammersmith to Richmond is a good example, where (over the years) I have had to wait twenty minutes or more for a Richmond train whilst they were pumping Ealing Broadway trains through, and advertising a 'good service'. I believe this depends upon the time frame as it can occur at the end of the peak service, when a number of EALING trains are actually those booked back to the Depot, running in service to Ealing Broadway to reverse empty to the Common, whereas the RICHMOND service at those times may well be at the usual off-peak intervals so one cancellation creates a gap in the service.
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Post by rdm on Oct 12, 2021 21:43:05 GMT
I think these would be the usual reductions to cater for reduced speeds/extended section times for the leaf-fall period until mid-December rather than a Covid service reduction.
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Post by rdm on Jun 16, 2020 15:51:15 GMT
I'm not an employee, but in the general populace if one cannot wash hands one is told one should use a hand sanitiser. Maybe personal issue of such may be required?
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Post by rdm on May 15, 2020 11:35:59 GMT
Briefly, on Network Rail lines (including those lines where TfL operates the trains) Route Cards are issued to signalling staff for use when necessary to operate and pass trains in degraded mode. Prior to authorising any unsignalled movement, or authorising a driver to pass a signal held at Danger, the signaller must first check by means of the Card that all points that are required to be in either Normal or Reverse position as appropriate for the movement(and conversely that any such points that would normally be set to protect the proposed movement)are so set and detected and that reminder appliances are applied to the controls to prevent unintentional operation. Signalling staff must also satisfy themselves that any track circuits that may be shewing occupied within the required route when thought to be clear are in fact clear of vehicles by means of visual inspection by ground based staff, who may in any case be on site to operate any points manually. I don't know whether any similar protocols are used on the London UndergrounD though.
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Post by rdm on Feb 5, 2020 16:34:22 GMT
Travelling yesterday from home to London I noted (but did not picture) that the in-car line diagrams had been updated to shew 'walking distance' connections between Park Royal and Hanger Lane in the West and between stations East of KX that were within walking distance of Overground stations nearby. I presume there is a program to update all the car maps over time, since my return train had not been so modified.
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Post by rdm on Mar 10, 2019 20:42:54 GMT
Haven't the west Harrow ones been showing metropolitan line (eastbound one) for a while now? Sorry, but as I very rarely travel that way I do not know. In fact I was only there on Friday because I wanted to go to Uxbridge to source footage (mainly of buses!) for a future YouTube film. I returned via Cowley station (deceased) - a station which until WW2 was served by a few through trains that ran over Metropolitan Railway tracks.
Cowley was the only intermediate station on the line between West Drayton and Uxbridge and in my time at school (late '50s/early '60s) there were through trains from Paddington Suburban to Uxbridge via West Drayton. These ran over the H&C lines between Paddington Sub and Royal Oak, and ceased when the line closed in 1962. Are these the services to which you refer, please?
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Post by rdm on Mar 10, 2019 17:44:53 GMT
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Post by rdm on Feb 1, 2019 15:36:01 GMT
Semaphore signals only dropped to show a green aspect on GWR lines locally. All other companies were raised semaphore for line clear Once, This was all GWR territory before the Central Line came. I suspect this was at Hanger Lane to protect workings at North Acton to Wood Lane milk depot, or to Park Royal goods. Don't know but don't forget there were through runnings several eons ago, and that is why, further up the same old line, there is a drop semaphore at Greenford and another for the Greenford bay platform, thus showing the GWR origins of railways in that area The 'Hanger Lane' that is the topic of this thread has nothing whatsoever to do with the GWR/WR route through Hanger Lane on the Central line. Hanger Lane Junction is on the Picc/District lines West of Ealing Common, where the Ealing Broadway and Uxbridge routes diverge. I can remember these signals (and the EB Home for the junction at North Ealing). There was also a lower quadrant semaphore on the bank leading to Ealing Common depot from the Acton Town direction, controlled IIRC by the shunter. Also, for historical accuracy, the GWR was not the only railway to use lower quadrant signals (but it did retain them and still does on some ex-GWR lines under Network Rail ownership where modernisation has not yet arrived!). I won't go into details as this would be off topic.
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Post by rdm on Jan 19, 2019 15:33:25 GMT
Yes, I remember travelling on the shuttle, several times in the late 1950s - just for the fun of it! IIRC the G23 car had hand-worked doors right up to withdrawal of the service at the end of February 1959.
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Post by rdm on Jan 15, 2019 20:29:06 GMT
Thanks DistrictSOM for the reference to earlier discussions - I was looking only at the Picc/District boards.
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Post by rdm on Jan 15, 2019 15:43:16 GMT
Thanks Londoner.
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Post by rdm on Jan 15, 2019 15:22:28 GMT
Apologies if this has been raised before (I cannot find any references in a search of the site), but I'm wondering whether there will be total separation between the two lines as between Barons Court and Acton Town West/Northfields, with no 'working over' possible, as I believe there is between the Met. and Jubilee lines between Finchley Road and Wembley Park (except for access to/from Neasden depot), or will the present arrangements be continued? I should think that the loss of operational flexibility, and District access to/from Barons Court Siding for engineers' trains and the fact that the two lines share the same tracks between Acton Town West and Hangar Lane Jn would make such a separation impracticable, but it would be good to know what is planned.
Thanks.
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Post by rdm on Jan 2, 2019 16:42:02 GMT
There is a series of articles on just this subject running in Underground News, the journal of the London Underground Railway Society. Memebership details can be found at www.lurs.org.uk
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Post by rdm on Jun 19, 2018 22:26:33 GMT
Sorry rdm but we'll have to agree to disagree In the late 50s and 60s, the connections at Richmond were different. BR Trains came off BR metals from the Twickenham direction and ran straight though to Turnham Green The N to E chord north of Gunnersbury was well rusted and unused, not even for a weekly service Castlebar - I have personal knowledge of the workings of these LMR goods trains from July 1960 until March 1962 and I can assure you that the 'Midland Curve' between Acton Lane and Bollo Lane Jns and the Coal Line between Acton Lane Jn and Turnham Green (Picc line) was used almost daily except Sundays by one and sometimes two goods trains in each direction as per the timetable extract I quoted above. During these dates there was no reference in the WTT to any goods trains between Richmond and Turnham Green and apart from the very rare engineer's train for overnight work on the Gunnersbury triangle there were NO trains ex the SR Main lines at Richmond to Acton Lane Jn and even these engineer's trains never went forward to Turnham Green. I would hazard a guess that the last 'Main Line' through trains of any sort between Richmond and Turnham Green would have been before WW1 when the LSWR Kensington and Richmond services operated. The former layout between Turnham Green and just East of Ravenscourt Park (Northern pair for LSWR and Southern pair for the District) was completely re-arranged in the early 1930s for the 1932 extension of the Picc west from Hammersmith. In all the time that I knew the service I never saw the 'From Gunnersbury to Turnham Green (Coal Line)' home signal (shewn in one of the Bluebell pictures in my earlier post) operated.
The history of this whole area is fascinating and would be worthy of a new thread, which I may start when I have the time to put something together. I would be very interested in any evidence you have of such through workings in the 'late 50s/60s' as quoted by you, such as WTT times or photographs, as this would fill a gap in my knowledge of the area. Thanks.
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Post by rdm on Jun 19, 2018 19:22:31 GMT
Coal trains ran through Richmond from BR metals to the District, then through to a special holding route via the Picc platform at Turnham Green on to the District again to Lillie Bridge well into the '60s Although these were steam hauled from the Southern, (poss. from Feltham), they were always pulled by a BR Midland Region engine I'm afraid I beg to differ here - I am familiar with these trains and as I posted earlier, they ran from Brent (LMR) to either West Ken or High Street goods yards via Acton Lane Jn, Picc at Turnham Green to holding loop between Picc and DR thence to the depots. The interesting thing so far as the 1950s an 60s are concerned was that Gunnersbury and Acton Lane boxes, although LSWR boxes and still worked by SR signalmen, never saw revenue earning non-passenger trains, only the occasional engineer's train (which did come from Richmond direction). Come to that, Gunnersbury and Bollo Lane Jn only saw DR or LMR (North London Line) trains so far as passenger workings were concerned. These coal trains last ran in mid-1965, and as per District Line WTT No 84, from 12th June 1961, they were booked as follows:- UP 4.40am (MO) Brent to West Ken (Acton Lane pass 5.10am) Runs as required. 5.0am (MX) Brent to West Ken (Acton Lane pass 5.23am) Runs as required. 8.45am Brent to High Street (Acton Lane pass 9.30am). 9.45am Brent to West Ken (Acton Lane pass 10.19am). 10.40am Brent to West Ken (Acton Lane pass 11.18am) Runs as required. 12.25pm Brent to High Street (Acton Lane pass 1.3pm) Runs as required. DOWN 10.29am West Ken to Brent (Acton Lane pass 10.38am) Runs as required. 12.13pm West Ken to Brent (Acton Lane pass 12.22pm) Runs as required. 2.23pm High Street to Brent (Acton Lane pass 2.36pm). 3.58pm West Ken to Brent (Acton Lane pass 4.6pm). (Edited to shew booked timings).
(the first on shews a Down freight train and the second a westbound DR train with the Eastbound DR Home signal in the background).
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Post by rdm on Jun 15, 2018 14:27:23 GMT
I'm late onto this due to holidays, but IIRC, on the lines with which I am familar, the steam-hauled freight trains between Brent Sidings and West Ken/High Street via Acton Wells Jn, South Acton Jn, Bollo Lane Jn, Acton Lane Jn and Turnham Green last ran in 1965; I'm not sure when the freight (and early morning passenger) trains to/from the GE lines ran on the East end of the Central line via Leyton but I think it was roughly the same general period. Likewise the services on the northern side of the Circle between Acton Yard and Smithfield sidings via Paddington Suburban and Edgware Road. Hope this helps!
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