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Post by happybunny on Apr 20, 2008 23:35:07 GMT
OK.. today whilst I was doing the Oly-ECT shuttles I noticed that when coming out of the "yard" at ECT into platform 3 to continue westbound to Olympia, there was a problem with the tripcock tester.
It seemed to me that this tripcock tester does not work, for trains coming out of the "yard" into the platform. As we know, when you come out of the "yard" to platform 3 the draw-up signal comes into play and you have to slow down for it. The tripcock tester is just before the draw-up signal. I observed when coming into the platform, the tripcock tester light does not even illuminate, and the testing arm itself, on the tripcock tester is pulled down. It is quite hard to explain but basically it doesn't test the presence of the tripcock at all, or certainly this was the case four times this evening for me.. Is this how this tripcock tester is suppose to work?
So my point is, on these shut down weekends when the Oly service is just a ECT - OLY shuttles, the west-end cab tripcock is never tested! I am not sure how these trains come into service in the morning, i.e. they may be EACDT-EAB-HSK-ECT-OLY in which case they will have there west end tripcock tested on the HSK-ECT trip, but then not for the rest of the day.. or if they enter service in the morning by EACDT-EAB-ECT (reverse in yard)- OLY.. in which case the west-end tripcock will not be tested all day!
I am very very sure that I heard somewhere, that the tripcock must be tested at least once every trip... unless I am missing something very very obvious and am being very dumb, this was not the case this weekend!
Please forgive me if I have overlooked something obvious, or the above makes no sense!
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Post by chrish on Apr 21, 2008 0:24:50 GMT
Well, you are definately correct that tripcocks have to be tested once on each trip, hence why we now have testers at Upminster bridge to allow a Upminster - Hornchurch shuttle on shutdown weekends.
I am a little perplexed by your description of the tester itself... why would the ramp on the tester be in any other position than normal? The only reason I can see is if someone has been on the track and secured it down manually... which makes no sense.
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Post by c5 on Apr 21, 2008 1:26:38 GMT
I thought I had noticed that earlier too!
Put in a What's Wrong form!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2008 2:15:23 GMT
Can/would a tester's functionality be dependent on the routes selected via the track it is attached to? I would be surprised if setting the route via EC31A rte 2 and EC29 was required for the tester to activate.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2008 8:52:04 GMT
I am a little perplexed by your description of the tester itself... why would the ramp on the tester be in any other position than normal? I believe in does secure down for trains reversing in platform 3. |
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Post by happybunny on Apr 21, 2008 9:31:46 GMT
Yes it does secure down for trains reversing West to East in P3... otherwise trains would get rear tripped on it when carrying out the move! I believe the tripcock testers at Harrow-on-the-Hill work in a similar kind of way. I think I will put in a whats wrong form today, of course they could solve it by changing the way the tester works, so it does test trains coming out of the "yard" into platform three.
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Post by happybunny on Apr 21, 2008 11:43:43 GMT
Thinking about it I should have called the LC when I entered service at ECT and said this train hasn't been tripcock tested you need to divert me via West Ken.... does anyone know if I put in a whats wrong form and they look into it, will I get DB'd for operating the train un-safely? (I.E. I knew it hadn't been tripcock tested but still took it to Oly in service)
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Post by chrish on Apr 21, 2008 13:25:28 GMT
Thinking about it I should have called the LC when I entered service at ECT and said this train hasn't been tripcock tested you need to divert me via West Ken.... does anyone know if I put in a whats wrong form and they look into it, will I get DB'd for operating the train un-safely? (I.E. I knew it hadn't been tripcock tested but still took it to Oly in service) Would seem a bit harsh, but if you think something is unsafe... CIRAS then? |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2008 18:01:52 GMT
im sure they only have to be tested once a day like the low shoe detectors they could always reform the train on these shut downs and have it tested at barons court if it really needed it
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2008 18:04:13 GMT
also with that tester listern out for the air leak  |
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Colin
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Post by Colin on Apr 21, 2008 18:25:09 GMT
im sure they only have to be tested once a day like the low shoe detectors That is absolutely incorrect - trains MUST have their tripcocks tested on EVERY trip. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2008 18:30:44 GMT
I'm sure Colin is right: the tripcock should be tested every trip.
I remember about 6 years ago there was a Parsons Green - Wimbledon shuttle service one weekends for engineering work. Every train had to have both tripcocks tested while reversing at Parsons Green - this was achieved by deliberately going past the fixed tripcock at the end of the siding at the west end and deliberately passing the shunt signal at the east end of the platform.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2008 18:55:15 GMT
dunno only a guess we dont really do the operational rules
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Post by happybunny on Apr 21, 2008 23:31:47 GMT
I checked the workings for 151 yesterday.. in the morning it came out of EACDT East End, straight to ECT P2 de-trained, into the yard, then out to WB plat 3 to OLY then did the shuttles all day.. this means that, if the tripcock tester was working the way it did each time I experienced it (I can't see how it worked any differently earlier in the day) this train did NOT have its west-end tripcock tested at all that day! This surely can not be right.
atearlscourt, can you explain if this is how this tripcock tester is meant to work?
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Post by railtechnician on Apr 22, 2008 10:00:19 GMT
also with that tester listern out for the air leak If that TT has an air leak and you know about it why does it still have an air leak? |
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Post by railtechnician on Apr 22, 2008 10:17:00 GMT
I can't speak for the TTs at Earls Court but I used to maintain the ones at Acton and sometimes those at Wood Green.
The TT circuit is normally set up when the train drops onto the track on its approach side i.e. the first platform track at which time the lunar white TT lamp should illuminate at the headwall. If the tripcock is in gauge and correctly operates the TT ramp the TT lamp will extinguish otherwise it will remain alight and an audible alarm will be given, generally this is a bell on the platform but it may be elsewhere. I believe for Acton there are no bells on the station but the alarm will sound or be otherwise indicated at Earls Court Control room.
In the case of a TT being fitted in a position where 'wrong road' moves may be made over it then it contains a trainstop motor which will hold the ramp down once operated but which will also pull the ramp down when the TT needs to be released for a 'wrong road' move. In this case a train dropping onto the track in which the TT is located (the second platform track in normal DOT)
will operate the TT motor.
Apart from a 'wrong road' move I am unaware of any circumstances in which a TT would be released unless it has been legitimately operated by a train's tripcock. Of course I am not infallible!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2008 17:01:36 GMT
also with that tester listern out for the air leak If that TT has an air leak and you know about it why does it still have an air leak? its getting done tonight as now its been reported as a job i thought it might get the attention of someone in here if i said that ;D ;D |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2008 18:27:43 GMT
i will look tomorrow on how its wired up but should be the standard way has railtech has described
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2008 11:43:07 GMT
the TT has now been fixed the micro switches in it had failed it was changed last night and also the air leak has now gone with the help of a new bit of hose but it is wired up as railtech described for sure
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Post by railtechnician on Apr 23, 2008 12:49:36 GMT
the TT has now been fixed the micro switches in it had failed it was changed last night and also the air leak has now gone with the help of a new bit of hose but it is wired up as railtech described for sure You know those microswitches always seemed to be less robust to me than the original open contacts. I recall changing the TT in the WB local platform at Acton and having to run around to the emergency stores myself and collect another because the newly delivered one had a faulty microswitch in it. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2008 20:33:13 GMT
yer we have had the same trouble in the past with the clamplocks and there supposly RAF microswitchs but its all working now so all good
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