Brave New Railway (again)

Arriving at Wolverhampton to travel to London, the first service south was an Arriva Cross Country which I decided to board, intending to change at Birmingham to a Virgin Birmingham - Euston train. I was a bit surprised to find an HS125 working the Arriva train. The set had been quite nicely refurbished recently and the short journey to Birmingham reminded me how much better the elderley HS125 is from the customer's point of view compared with the modern 'Voyagers'. There's more space in the cabin, the sound insulation is better and I found the ride quality better. Back to the future?

I know that some Virgin services manage to run to time but I don't often manage to catch those particular trains. This trip was no exception. The Virgin train I hoped to catch was already in the platform at Birmingham - not the expected 'Pendolino' but the previous-generation push-pull arrangement with an electric locomotive on the back and Driving Van Trailer 82101 on the front.

Part of the train was in the old Virgin livery of red with black horizontal lines but a number of coaches were in the British Rail blue and grey livery which I've not seen for a long time. All the coaches were very run-down internally and I was reminded of the way British Rail used to use all sorts of nondescript stock on Football Specials, half expecting it to be vandalised.

Although there were a number of passengers already on board, quite a few were hanging around on the platform, suggesting some sort of problem. It transpired that there was a fault on the Central Door locking system. I'm not quite sure why such a fundamental flaw was not dealt with before passengers boarded. Needless to say, the Passenger Information Displays were confidently predicting an 'On Time' departure. Walking along the platform, I found a number of doors festooned with yellow tape and a few staff apparently investigating the problems. As departure time approached, I asked various platform staff whether the departure would be delayed but they all were equally unaware of what was likely to happen. Long after departure time, the displays insisted that the train was 'On Time'.

As usual, passengers were left to their own devices but increasing numbers concluded that the subsequent Wolverhampton - Euston Virgin service was a better bet. I think a 'live' public address announcement was made at one point, but I've no idea what was said because of the noise of a number of diesel trains in the vicinity. In general, the pre-recorded announcements at New Street are fairly audible but 'live' announcements seem much less satisfactory. It irks me that apologies for late running and cancellations (there's quite a lot of both) are given by a sincere-sounding pre-recorded message. It's difficult to take comfort from a pre-recorded message starting "I'm sorry..." when, having paid an eye-watering sum for the opportunity to travel, plans for the day are smashed by the casual incompetence of our transport system.

The picture below shows the London-bound 'Pendolino' which I eventually caught arriving at New Street. In the background, you can see the E.W.S. electric locomotive at the rear of the ill-starred push and pull I'd initially boarded. I've no idea what happened to the failed train - when I returned through New Street the same evening it had departed, perhaps to some convenient breaker's yard.

Excursions at Sedgeley Junction

Back in the '60s, when I worked signal boxes unofficially, I was used to seeing long-distance express trains on the Stour Valley line, but the South Stafford Line was the haunt of heavy freight and a fairly intensive service of local passenger trains.

Diesel Multiple Units (DMU) had taken over almost all the passenger workings, except for a steam-hauled service to Birmingham Snow Hill in the morning with a steam return working at tea-time. Eventually even that service was worked by a 'Swindon' Inter-City DMU. During the day, there was a Walsall-Dudley DMU each way every hour, a Birmingham Snow-Hill-Dudley each way every hour and the occasional trip between Dudley and Dudleyport by a single unit railcar.

But the Zoo at Dudley was still a popular destination for Day Excursions at Bank Holidays. With few freight trains running, paths could be found for a number of trains which converged on Dudley from a number of places, mainly in the East Midlands. Cars were far less common in the '50s and '60s and British Railways would speculatively advertise all sorts of rail excursions to the seaside or other destinations like Dudley which offered excellent value for money. On the lead-up to Bank Holidays, I would study the Special Traffic Notices to see what what had been laid on and, if the opportunity arose, I would visit Sedgeley Junction to work the box.

There could be up to six or seven 'Specials' all arriving at Dudley late morning and returning late afternoon. Most trains would be on the South Stafford Line but a few would arrive on the Dudleyport branch from the Stour Valley Line. I can't currently locate the detailed notes I made at the time (it was a long time ago) but one Easter Bank Holiday Monday I remember should give you the flavour.

The local passenger trains were signalled on the 'Block' as either '3 pause 1' (ordinary passenger train) or '1 pause 3' (branch passenger train) so there was a frisson of excitement when taking on the first 'four-beater' (express passenger train) from the Great Bridge direction. As far as I remember, trains loaded up to 9 or 10 bogies so the locomotive could be expected to be working hard coming up the bank to Dudley. We'd try to 'get the road' from Dudley East Box in good time to clear our Up Home and our Up Distant so as not to 'baulk' the approaching train.

The first train came by in fine style with a fairly grubby 'Black 5' on the front and a miscellaneous assortment of coaches. If originating stations were trying to run a number of 'Specials', they would often run out of coaches and all sorts of unlikely vehicles could appear. Since most of these trains were speculative, it might happen that an unexpected number of passengers would turn up for a particular train and the Station Master could be faced with the problem of 'strengthening' a train by adding whatever rolling stock he could find at the last minute.

Once the train had unloaded its passengers at Dudley, the staff there had the problem of stabling the coaches somewhere in the goods yard after which the incoming locomotive would wait for a 'path' to go to Bescot Motive Power Depot for servicing. A few hours later, the engine would return to Dudley, find its train, gather the by-now tired passengers and take them back home. Since a number of trains were sheduled to arrive over a period of less than an hour, some pretty smart working was needed at Dudley.

After the first train had passed clear of Sedgeley Junction, we could allow a following train to approach from Great Bridge direction. Once a second train was 'on the block', we would be anxiously waiting for Dudley East to 'knock out' (give 'train out of section') indicating that the first train was clear and that he could accept the second train from us, allowing us to clear our signals. I say 'anxiously waiting' because the approach to our Up Home signal was a particularly bad place to stop a train and drivers always seemed to feel a personal affront when stopped in a tricky location.

We'd been listening to the exhaust of the approaching second train for some time when we 'got him the road'. I'm not sure whether he saw our distant 'off' but he kept coming hard and, as the train appeared, we could see a 'Horwich Crab' 2-6-0 at the front. I think that was the only 'Crab' I saw at Sedgeley Junction. They were mainly used for freight but, with fairly large coupled wheels, they could run quite fast and were popular with some drivers for use on this sort of passenger excursion.

It was a few minutes before the next excursion was taken on and by the time we received 'section' (Train Entering Section) on the block bell, Dudley East had 'knocked out' for the second excursion so we could offer the approaching train on and clear our signals in good time. The locomotive exhaust was noticeably different because this train had a '5X' (Jubilee) on the front, the three cylinders giving six 'beats' to the revolution, compared with four for a 2-cylinder engine. I'm sorry, I can't remember the name but she looked quite handsome in lined green British Railways livery and the heavily-loaded train was soon disappearing up the gradient towards Dudley. I think that was the first time I'd seen a '5X' on the South Stafford line.

The next excursion was soon on the block and, with the Dudley East Block Indicator remaining at 'Train on Line', we were afraid we'd stop this train on the bank. Dudley station must have been getting a little crowded by now, having received three passenger trains in quick succession. However, we received 'Train Out of Section' in the nick of time and got 'Line Clear' for the next train. We may have slowed him, but he was going quite well by the time he passed the box. As the train approached, I at first thought it was hauled by another 'Black 5' but as it came nearer, I was startled to see an Eastern Region 'B1' 4-6-0. It was certainly the first time I'd seen one of those at Sedgeley Junction. It had no trouble keeping its train going well on the last mile of its journey to Dudley.

There was little time to think about the unusual motive power on the previous train because the last of the 'specials' was approaching. It was almost a relief to find a Stanier 'Class 5' in charge of the crowded train as he slogged up the gradient to Dudley. Only then did I realise that none of the engines off the earlier arrivals had yet come back light en route to Bescot M.P.D. We debated whether perhaps other arrangements were in use, but it seemed unlikely.

Eventually, Dudley East offered a '2-3' (Light Engine). Shortly afterwards, we received '2' (Train Entering Section). After I'd acknowledged and placed my Down Line Block Indicator at 'Train on Line', I received '2-2' (Engine Assisting). The 'two pause two' was commonplace on the Up Line where heavy freight trains required banking up to Dudley but in the down direction it meant that two light engines in steam had, for convenience, been coupled together. Having acknowledged the '2-2' for the second engine, I was startled to receive another '2-2'. I delightedly acknowledged this additional engine - it was the first time I'd handled three light engines coupled together. Then Dudley East sent '2-2' again. I hesitated for a moment before carefully acknowledging 'two pause two'. "Four light engines!" I cried unbelievingly to Tom, the rostered signalman, who was amused at my enthusiasm. Then Dudley East slowly sent '2-2' again. Suddenly, I wondered if it had all gone wrong. Had I misunderstood a 'Special Train Entering Section'? (I think 2-2-2 was authorised for certain trains). Was it not a succession of light engines but the repetition of a code I'd acknowledged incorrectly? "Was it another 2-2?" I asked Tom. He nodded "Take a 2-2" and I'll talk to him on the 'phone". So, with trembling fingers I acknowledged the fourth '2-2'. If correct, there were five light engines in steam coupled together approaching. Tom's 'phone call confirmed that they had, indeed, collected all the engines from the specials together and that we'd got five engines 'Rightaway Bescot'.

I 'got the road', pulled off and stood on the landing looking out for what was, for me, an unprecedented train. I could scarcely believe it as the five engines passed the box, all tender first, with the leading engine doing the work and the other four crews taking their ease. By this time, Tom had advised the box in advance what was going on by telephone so when I sent the '2-2' for each assisting engine, it was promptly acknowledged.

Tom was working 'early' shift (6.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.) so shortly after the engines had gone, his relief arrived and I returned home. I didn't see the engines and crews return to Dudley, sort out the various rakes of coaches and take their passengers home around tea time. But I'll never forget the excitement of that day!

Earlier posts: 'Sedgeley Junction' and 'Sedgeley Junction Remembered'.

You can find all my posts describing Traffic Movements on the South Stafford Line and the Stour Valley Line in the steam era here.

There are quite a few posts describing signal boxes and railway signalling. You can find them all here. [Link to all 'Traffic Movements' and 'Railway Signalling' posts added 10-Nov-2015]