Traffic Movements at Dudley Port, 1962

There's an introduction to Dudley Port (with a signalling diagram) here.

Dudley Port Saturday 17th February 1962

A short visit, mid-morning.

(1) A parcels train from Sedgeley Jn. runs into the Bay and asks for the ‘Bay Bolt’ to run into the South Sidings.
(2) The down Stockport Parcels, hauled by a ‘Black 5’, arrives and draws down to the Down Branch Starter before backing his train into the bay. The Dudley Parcels engine shunts around at the rear of the Stockport Parcels. After the Down Local, the Stockport runs ‘Onto the Bridge’ [The Sedgeley Jn. branch crosses the Birmingham Canal Navigation here], sets back onto the Down Main and departs.
(3) T342, running late, rushes through at about 50 m.p.h. with about ten on.
(4) The up diesel (taken on at 10.51 a.m.) was slowed at Watery Lane by the preceding express and we can only loose him into the platform whilst waiting for Albion to ‘knock out’ [give Train out of Section] for the express.
(5) The Down football special (1Z60) was a diesel multiple unit (6-coach, I think), with a bright yellow panel on the front end below waist level.
(6) The diesel locomotive on 1S61 also had a yellow patch [This is presumably the period when British Railways were experimenting with various liveries for improving the visibility of trains to staff on the track].
(7) On the down, T153 arrives and goes into the Down Sidings to shunt. Billy Cook is guard. By the time he’s completed his shunting and the train is entering the station on the Down Main, we’ve received the ‘Shunt’ from Albion [‘Shunt Train for Following Train to Pass’ 1-5-5], so we pull off to loose him into the Down Loop. However, he stops to take water! Once he’s in the loop, he stops to attach wagons which were left in the short Down Through Siding by T300.

Dudley Port in the Dark: Friday 24th August 1962

(1) On arrival at the box, 3G02, a 'Crab' 2-6-0 with a few parcels vehicles is backed onto the branch, just clear of points 39.
(2) When the express which brought me from Wolverhampton departs, we try to 'Block Back' to Watery Lane, so that we can get the parcels into the Up platform, but Mr. Parker already has an engine approaching - the 'Type 4' off the earlier Down London. The engine, displaying '0Z00' roars towards us, early (it might be a different story if there were passengers behind). As the 'Type 4' occupies the berth track circuit approaching the Up Home, the annunciator sounds and we let him towards the Starter. But, just as he's passing the box, Albion 'knocks out' for 1G37 so we're able to clear the starter and keep the engine moving towards Monument Lane.
(3) At last, the parcels can come out, handsignalled into the up platform.
(4) An engine is already offered on the Down, for a rather exciting move. The Up Parcels departs, three minutes early, and 'Section' is received for the engine. The road is already set off the Down Main into No. 2 Carriage Siding. The buzzer sounds [as berth track 9173 is occupied] and the engine is loosed down to the Number 2 Home, to be handsignalled into the siding. It is too dark to see the engine clearly but the driver's acknowledgment to the handsignal on a chime whistle gives a clue and elicits 'I rather like that!' from the occupants of the box. And, sure enough, it is a 'Brittania' 70033, travelling tender first, picking up the stock for the Fridays Only to Holyhead (which travels 'round the back' from Birmingham to Wolverhampton. The engine couples up and the lamps are changed round to show 'E.C.S.' code on the front. The guard checks his train, puts on the carriage lighting and attaches a tail lamp. At 9.13 p.m., the engine 'whistles up' to come out. A 'Block Back' is put on to Albion and, with Facing Point Locks 25 and 28 back in the frame [leaving the points unbolted because this move is in a trailing direction], the train is called out onto the Down Main. The engine has just hit the Home berth track circuit before the last coach is clear of junction points 26. Signal 3 now beckons the train towards the Down Starter and the engine backs the train clear of crossover 36/37, whistling when clear. Having sent a '2-2-1' to Albion, '3D81' leaves Dudleyport for Holyhead.
(5) The Down Local is taken on and a '1-4' freight on the Up is 'T80', hurrying past with a handful of wagons. Control reports the Up Liverpool 'Ten late at Stafford'.
(6) The Down Local arrives, pauses for a while and then departs.
(7) The Fridays Only to Glasgow (1S78) is signalled shortly afterwards and it roars through, all the distants for Watery Lane and Tipton showing 'green', a 'Jubilee' hauling a motley collection of coaching stock.
(8) The late-running Up Liverpool (1G41) arrives behind a Sulzer 'Type 2' and leaves only a few minutes late.
(9) At 10.20 p.m., the Crewe (1K45) roars past with clear distants, three T.P.Os [Travelling Post Office coaches] banging along at the front.
(10) Shortly afterwards, '3L06' follows, the engine laying a smoke-screen and the four-wheeled stock clattering over the junctions.
(11) One more local on the Up.
(12) '1S19' is 'taken on' on the Down and I 'book off' to travel back to Wolverhampton on this train.

Traffic Movements at Watery Lane, 1962 (Part 1)

There's an introduction to Watery Lane box (with a signalling diagram) here.

(A view of Watery Lane after conversion to a Shunting Frame and with the original concrete access steps replaced by steel stairs but still retaining the rather forbidding appearance of 'A.R.P.' boxes)

Watery Lane Friday 12th October 1962

An Autumn Evening at Watery Lane.

(1) The Light Engine on the Up is a hustling 'Class 8'. It works past every day, going to Albion to work a train.
(2) The Heysham, '1L40' is offered on the Down Main, followed by 'Is Line Clear?' and 'Section' for the Stoke Parcels on the Loop. Just after I pull off, Dudleyport cancels the express and immediately re-offers it. So we have to put the Down Home back, which now controls the block and cancel the train forward to Tipton. Tipton's pegs come off smartly after the 'Train Approach' and the Sulzer gets all the distants as it rushes Northwards.
(3) The Parcels is turned out, with a 'Black 5' on the front end.
(4) The Local rattles past on the Up in the gathering gloom, its lights casting yellow pools of brightness on the sleepers as it passes, heading to the City.
(5) The next Up express is '1G32' from Liverpool, triumphantly steam-hauled.
(6) Another Up Local follows hard on the heels of the Liverpool.
(7) The Engine and Brake on the Up is 'T76'. This train now starts from Tipton since Monument Lane was dieselised, I am informed. The little 2-6-0 backs its brake van onto the Back Road on the Down, where its train has already been made up by 'T23'. One some evenings, the engine runs round its train via the Down Main but, tonight, since there are only four vehicles, the engine runs round in the sidings and is soon departing at the Tipton end, tender first for Bushbury about 20 minutes behind the Down Local.
(8). '1G33' from Manchester storms up the Stour Valley to Birmingham.
(9). The Manchester is followed by 'T90' which stops for eight minutes to pick up 'two off four' [two wagons off four road, again positioned by 'T23'].
(10) As the freight departs, '3G02' is offered - a 'Black 5' hauling one Southern Region bogie parcels van. I'd spotted this van standing on the Middle Road at High Level, earlier in the evening.
(11) Soon afterwards, the Down Euston is offered and the train roars past in a cloud of steam, with 46240 in crimson livery.
(12) A local rattles past on the down.
(13) '1G37' from Manchester passes on the Up.
(14) Next, '1D75' approaches, hauled by a 'Type 4', en route for Chester and Holyhead.
(15) Dudleyport 'blocks back' on the Up Main as he runs the earlier parcels train off the branch and into the Up Platform.
(16) The Carnforth Parcels roars by in the darkness, with the rapid click-click of the 4-wheel vehicles playing a staccato beat on the crossings.
(17) 'T80' comes to a stand on the Up. The 'Shunt' arm on the Up Home is cleared but the whole train, with the brake van, draws forward and backs 'inside'. Of course, this necessitate a 'double shunt' to drop off the brake, pick up and back up. When the train does come out, he heads off for Dudley Port, without asking for any 'rightaway' from the box, since he was departing from the sidings. Fortunately, this move had been expected and a 'Line Clear' had already been obtained. All this to pick up one wagon!
(18) A Light Engine is immediately offered. 46240 roars past for a second time - turned since disposing of the stock from '1G70'.

By the way, the New-Style Train Registers have been in use in boxes in this area for about two months now. These are slightly smaller than the old ones and now have hard covers. But pages are no longer numbered. The 'UP' Line now appears on what used to be the 'DOWN' side and vice-versa. Very confusing! A column is now provided for 'TRAIN APPROACH' in the logical place, in between 'LINE CLEAR' and 'SECTION'. The column for 'LINE' (e.g. Branch, Loop) now appears halfway accross each page, in between 'REAR' and 'ADVANCE' sections. However, no columns are provided for blocking back, as serious an omission as not numbering pages.