This sign (in a factory washroom) neatly reminds workers to take responsibility for their own safety. Or, at least, it would if somebody hadn't broken the darn mirror!
Wednesday, 22 May 2013
'Elf and Safety
This sign (in a factory washroom) neatly reminds workers to take responsibility for their own safety. Or, at least, it would if somebody hadn't broken the darn mirror!
Old Locomotive Committee A.G.M. 2013
The Museum of Liverpool. I'm still not a fan of the building's architecture (it's sometimes called "the dented shoebox") but it is certainly attracting the public.
The 29th A.G.M. of the Old Locomotive Committee (OLCO) was held in the Museum of Liverpool on Saturday, 18th May 2013.
The museum was opened to the public on 19th July 2011, prior to the Official Opening by Her Majesty the Queen, accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, on Thursday 1st December 2011. There's a report on the Official Opening here. The new museum has been a spectacular success in terms of number of visitors and has become the country's most visited museum outside London. Star museum exhibit 'Lion' received an Engineering Heritage Award in 2012.
Through the courtesy of the Museum's Transport Curator Sharon Brown, this was the second time that the A.G.M. has been held at the Museum. There's a brief report on the A.G.M. in 2012 here.
Once again, we were accommodated in one of the Education Rooms on the first floor with a glazed wall offering a panoramic view of the River Mersey. Sharon had also arranged a supply of tea, coffee, biscuits and cakes for which members were very grateful.
Liverpool may no longer be the 'Great Port' celebrated by the museum gallery where 'Lion' is displayed but there was still considerable activity around Pierhead. The Celebrity 'Infinity' had docked just after 6.00 a.m. that morning from Dublin, giving its passengers a few hours to explore the city before leaving around 8.00 p.m. the same day for Belfast. The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company's futuristic-looking wave-piercing catamaran 'Manannan' has an interesting history outlined in a 'Wikipedia' article.
The Museum frequently provides talks to visitors about the history of the locomotive 'Lion' and at noon the OLCO Chairman, John Brandrick, delivered an interesting talk next to 'Lion'.
The OLCO Chairman talks about 'Lion'.
There are also audio-visual presentations about 'Lion' both on-demand and automatically every half-hour (see the article here for more information).
The Chairman of OLCO, John Brandrick, opened the formal A.G.M. at 1.30 p.m. and welcomed those attending. The Agenda items were dealt with enthusiastically and the Election of Officers resulted in no changes to those serving in the previous year. There was animated discussion, particularly when 'Any Other Business' was reached. The meeting was closed at 4.00 p.m. Members of the Old Locomotive Committee will receive details of the proceedings in due course.
My photographs taken around the museum on the day are here.
My (expanded) set of pictures around Liverpool are here.
My (expanded) set of pictures of the railways around Liverpool are here.
There are a number of articles in my blog about 'Lion' and her 'supporters club' OLCO - you can find them all here.
A Wolverhampton Butcher's Shop
Wolverhampton is the home of an award-winning butcher's shop, Michael Kirk, which was founded in 1934. There are usually a couple of chalkboards outside the shop with details of special offers. I couldn't resist taking a (rather fuzzy) picture below of the message I saw the other day.
All part of the frenzy surrounding the release of Star Trek Into Darkness, I suppose.
Monday, 20 May 2013
Clapham Junction Station, London
On 11th and 12th April 2013, I re-visited some of the lines around Clapham Junction, London, which has the distinction of being "Britain's Busiest Railway Station" (in terms of number of trains). Trains today are principally Electric Multiple Units of various classes.
Then and Now
In the 'Southern' era, 'Schools' 4-4-0 No. 927 hustles the Down 'Bournemouth Limited' express through Clapham Junction, passing a Down electric train. Clapham Junction 'A' signal box, built over the tracks, is visible on the left (Photo: British Railways).
A modern view taken from (more or less) the same location, looking towards the centre of London. Two multiple units are approaching and two heading away. Clapham Junction 'A' signal box has gone and the area is controlled from Victoria Area Signalling Control (which is actually situated at Clapham Junction).
Pre-Grouping History
Clapham Junction would be impressive if only for the number of trains using the station but looking the historical reasons for the tangle of lines in the area makes the location even more interesting. The London and South Western Railway were first on the scene, with their initial line from Nine Elms to Southampton. A branch to Richmond was opened next. As traffic grew, an extension from Nine Elms to Waterloo Station was brought into use.
Both the London Brighton and South Coast Railway and the London and Chatham Railway (which later became the South Eastern and Chatham Railway) had their initial terminal stations at London Bridge, which was fairly convenient for businessmen travelling to the City. But these railways had aspirations to create a new terminus in the West End, north of the Thames. A number of new lines fulfilled these ambitions.
The London Brighton and South Coast Railway constructed a new line from East Croydon to Clapham Junction which then ran parallel to the South Western lines before crossing under them to head north to the River Thames. The South Eastern and Chatham Railway extended its lines to similarly cross under the London and South Western route to Waterloo. The new route for the two railways crossed over the Thames on Grosvenor Bridge, to reach the two side-by-side stations at Victoria.
The success of Victoria brought congestion, neccessitating the widening of Grosvenor Bridge. The South Eastern and Chatham Railway paralleled their original line to Victoria with a new route between Battersea Pier Junction and Wandsworth Road which, in addition to crossing over the South Western lines to Waterloo, crossed the original route twice! The London Brighton and South Coast Railway built its own high-level parallel routes between Battersea Pier Junction and Clapham Junction with a new branch at Battersea Park to Wandsworth Road.
All the major stations in central London were termini, set in a 'ring' within which railways were prohibited until the advent of underground railways. This was inconvenient for those passengers whose destinations lay on the far side of London and railways desired the possibility of through working. The West London Railway connected major railways like the London and North Western Railway and the Great Western Railway with destinations on the north bank of the Thames in the west of London. The West London Extension Joint Railway (jointly owned by the London and North Western Railway, the Great Western Railway, the London and South Western Railway and the London Brighton and South Coast Railway) extended the West London Railway south across the Thames and then split into four branches which joined the London and South Western Railway (both eastbound and westbound) and the London Brighton and South Coast Railway (both eastbound and westbound). The diagram below shows the layout of the various lines at the time of the First World War.
Click for larger image.
Details of the junctions between various railways in the vicinity of Clapham Junction. This diagram is one of a series prepared by the Railway Clearing House in 1914 which appear in the reprint 'Pre-Grouping Railway Junction Diagrams 1914', published by Ian Allen (ISBN 0 7110 1256 3).
The following railways appear on the diagram:-
Great Western Railway.Three goods yards, whilst owned by one railway, were only rail-accessible by using "Running Powers" over another railway, making the situation even more complicated:-
London & North Western Railway.
London Brighton and South Coast Railway.
London and South Western Railway.
Midland Railway.
South Eastern and Chatham Railway.
West London Extension Joint Railway.
Clapham Goods and Coal Wharf (London and North Western Railway).Years ago, I remember being puzzled, looking down on South Lambeth Goods from an electric multiple unit, seeing a 'Pannier' tank locomotive and a Great Western 'Parachute' water tank in the shadow of the huge warehouse building. I didn't know then that the Great Western had once been part owners of the Eastern Section of Victoria (which was originally dual gauge!) and that the secret behind these incursions of other railways was the West London Extension Joint Railway.
Midland Coal Depot (Midland Railway).
South Lambeth Goods (Great Western Railway).
Signalling
Clapham Junction is now controlled from a rather grim-looking building on the south side of the lines, just to the east of Clapham Junction Station.
The sombre building in the background is the present Victoria Area Signalling Centre.
Victoria Area Signalling Centre replaced a number of signalboxes. I remember West London Junction, an elderly structure on a bridge spanning the London and South Western lines and Clapham Junction 'A', a similar structure nearer the station. These boxes controlled the former London and South Western Railway lines to Waterloo. I remember Clapham Junction 'B', a brick and concrete structure in the 'modernist' style beloved by the Southern Railway. The structure still overlooks the Brighton Lines to the east of the station. I'm afraid I don't remember Clapham Junction 'C', which stood at the west end of the station on the Richmond Lines. This originally had a pneumatic frame from the British Pneumatic Railway Signal Company (briefly mentioned in my post on A. F. Bound), although this was later modified for all-electric operation.
The Southern Railway had successfully used Westinghouse Style 'K' power frames (with mechanical interlocking between the miniature levers) at various locations. When the Style 'L' (with electrical interlocking between the miniature levers) was introduced, the Southern Railway adopted this design.
For more information about the Style 'L' frame, refer to Book Reference [8] 'The Style L Power Frame'.
In 1935, an order was placed for a 59-lever frame for West London Junction with 16 point levers, 32 signal levers and 11 spare levers. A larger 103-lever frame was ordered at the same time for Clapham Junction 'A' with 29 point levers, 66 signal levers and 8 spare levers. The 103-lever frame for Clapham Junction 'B' was not ordered until October 1949 with 25 point levers, 65 signal levers, 2 special levers and 11 spare levers.
More details of these boxes can be found on pages of the excellent 'Westinghouse Brake and Saxby Signal Co. Ltd miniature power lever frames' site, as below:-
West London Junction
Clapham Junction 'A'
Clapham Junction 'B'
Clapham Junction 'C'
An idea of the problems of working the area in the days of mechanical signalling with semaphore signals, see Book Reference [7] 'London Brighton & South Coast Railway: Signal Boxes in 1920-1922'.
Clapham Junction Station Architecture
A long, wide footbridge spans the station. The width of the bridge has allowed a long string of retail outlets (mainly food) to be set up. The earliest section of the bridge covering the original platforms on the London and South Western Railway side has a bit of 'ornamentation' but the additional footbridges covering the newer platform are of plainer design.
Clapham Junction: View from west end of the 'South Western' side looking east, showing the largely un-modernised covered footbridge with a new lift-tower on the left.
The 'Brighton' side footbridge is of plainer design and this connects with the main station building which offers vehicle access from St. John's Hill.
Clapham Junction: View from west end looking south, showing the less-ornate newer covered footbridge on the 'Brighton' side, with a new lift-tower. The main station building is in the background.
On the 'Brighton' side new stairs to access the platforms from the footbridge incorporating modernised accommodation have recently been provided. These are in the 'all steel and glass' style that modern architects seem to favour and visually jar with the rest of the station.
Modernised platform access on the 'Brighton' side, with lots of glass.
There is also pedestrian access further along St. John's Hill which leads, via an arcade of shops, to a subway spanning the station.
Passenger Information
There are now modern passenger information displays everywhere which are helpful (if a bit overwhelming). There appear to be two automated public address systems. As far as I could work out, a female voice announces trains on the 'Brighton' side and a male voice deals with 'South Western' trains. In many parts of the station, both systems are audible, often talking at once. I was reminded of the opening scene from the film 'Airplane' (where male and female voices describe the parking arrangements at the airport before descending into an argument).
London Overground
Clapham Junction is now a station on the London Overground network. Platforms 1 and 2 are now used by Class 378 electric multiple units which provide a regular service via the West London Extension line to Willesden Junction and beyond.
Clapham Junction: View from east end of platform 3 looking west with Overground train in platform 2 and Overground train (covered in 'official graffiti') in platform 1.
Environs of Clapham Junction
In between Clapham Junction and Waterloo, there are two stations - Queenstown Road and Vauxhall. Queenstown Road (originally called Queen's Road) is a typical, fairly modest L.S.W.R. affair.
Queenstown Road station showing the relatively undamaged road frontage. The original name (Queen's Road Station) and owner (L.S.W.R.) still appears.
On my recent brief visit to Vauxhall, its 8 platforms received a bewildering succession of stopping and through trains.
Vauxhall Station, looking towards Waterloo.
Click for larger imageAerial view of Vauxhall. Vauxhall Bridge over the Thames is in the top left corner, with Vauxhall station nearby. The lines to Waterloo Station are top right and the lines to Clapham Junction left middle. The Oval (which we are now supposed to call 'The Brit Insurance Oval), is bottom right.
In between Clapham Junction and Victoria, there is one station - Battersea Park.
Battersea Park station, seen from a train on the Down Brighton Fast (platform 5).
Book References
[1] 'The London & South Western Railway' O.S. Nock, published by Ian Allen.
[2] 'Locomotives of the London and South Western Railway Part 1' by D.L. Bradley, published 1965 by RCTS.
[3] 'The South Western Railway' by Hamilton Ellis, published 1956 by George Allen and Unwin.
[4] 'History of the Southern Railway' by C. F. Dendy Marshall, revised by R. W. Kidner reprinted 1982 by Ian Allen (ISBN 0 7110 0059 X).
[5] 'Great Locomotives of the Southern Railway' by O. S. Nock, Guild Publishing, 1987 edition by Book Club Associates.
[6] 'Southern Steam' by O. S. Nock, published by David & Charles (ISBN 0 7153 5235 0).
[7] 'London Brighton & South Coast Railway: Signal Boxes in 1920-1922' from the J.M.Wagstaff Collection Part 1 - London to Brighton', published by the Signalling Record Society (ISBN No. 1 873228 08 2).
[8] 'The Style L Power Frame' written and published by J. D. Francis 1989 (ISBN 0 9514636 0 8).
Maps
'Pre-Grouping Railway Junction Diagrams 1914', published by Ian Allen (ISBN 0 7110 1256 3).
Details of the modern railways around Clapham Junction are shown in one of the 'Quail Track Diagrams' books:-
'Railway Track Diagrams Book 5: Southern and TfL' Third Edition, published by TRACKmaps (ISBN 978-0-9549866-4-3).
External Links
London and South Western Railway (Wikipedia).
South Eastern and Chatham Railway (Wikipedia).
London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (Wikipedia).
Related articles in this Blog
Waterloo Station, London
Waterloo Station, London (Part 2).
Victoria Station, London.
The West London Line.
My Pictures
Clapham Junction.
London: former 'Southern' lines (includes Queenstown Road and Vauxhall).
London's Railways.
[Links to Waterloo pt 2 and WLE added 25-Mar-2020]
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Victoria Station, London
Brought up in the Midlands in the early days of the post-war Nationalised railway, the former Southern Railway was very much a 'foreign railway' to me. It was some time before I started to discover some of the history of the lines in the south of the country.
Then and Now
The tower of the building designed by Albert Lakeman in 1939 for Imperial Airways is visible in both pictures. After the Second World War, Imperial Airways was nationalised and became part of British Overseas Airways Corporation. The building is now occupied by the National Audit Office.
Victoria Station in a 2009 aerial view. The terminus is in the middle of the picture, with the approach tracks towards the lower left. The 'country end' of the station is virtually buried under modern developments. Hyde Park is top left, with Green Park and Buckingham Palace to the right. Centre right is Westminster Cathedral (Roman Catholic), designed in the late 19th century by John Francis Bentley in Early Christian Byzantine style.
Brief History
Whereas many of London's terminal stations served one railway company, Victoria ended up serving a number. The London Brighton and South Coast Railway, South Eastern Railway and the London and Chatham Railway initially terminated at London Bridge but co-operated in constructing a new route which crossed the Thames to terminate in what became Victoria Station. The London Brighton and South Coast Railway accomodated itself on the platforms on the western side. The eastern platforms were initially dual gauge and used by the Great Western Railway, the South Eastern Railway and the London and Chatham Railway. These last two railways worked together fairly closely, before amalgamating formally as the South Eastern and Chatham Railway. Traffic growth necessitated widening the Grosvenor Bridge over the River Thames to accommodate additional lines, producing a number of routes which criss-crossed one another south of the Thames, as shown in the 1914 map below.
Details of the junctions between various railways in the vicinity of Victoria. This diagram is one of a series prepared by the Railway Clearing House in 1914 which appear in the reprint 'Pre-Grouping Railway Junction Diagrams 1914', published by Ian Allen (ISBN 0 7110 1256 3).
The 1921 Railways Act created the 'Big Four' (L.M.S., G.W.R., L.N.E.R. and S.R.). The Southern Railway brought together the London Brighton and South Coast Railway, the South Eastern and Chatham Railway and the London and South Western Railway. Upon Nationalisation in 1948, the Southern Region of British Railways absorbed the assets of the Southern Railway. Even today, Victoria largely operates as two stations side-by-side - the Central Section dealing with the Brighton lines and the Eastern Section serving the Chatham lines.
Signalling
Before the Victoria Area Signalling Control was brought into use at Clapham Junction in 1980, Victoria was served by two power boxes. The Eastern Section had a separate signal box with a G.R.S. power frame. This lasted until 1979 when control passed for a short time to a temporary panel in the Victoria Central power box.
The Southern Railway had installed signalling power frames of Westinghouse Style 'K' at various locations. The Style 'K' retained mechanical interlocking between the miniature levers. The later Style 'L' 'All Electric' power frames introduced electrical interlocking between levers and the Southern Railway was an early adopter of the new design. In 1937, an order was placed for a 225-lever frame for Victoria Central with 51 point levers, 148 signal levers, 2 special levers and 24 spare levers. This was commissioned in June 1939 and continued in service until 1980. A temporary panel then took over until the new Victoria Area Signalling Control was brought into use at Clapham Junction.
For more information about the Style 'L' frame, refer to Book Reference [3] 'The Style L Power Frame'. For more information about the Eastern Section control, click here and for the about Victoria Central control, click here. These pages are part of the splendid site 'Westinghouse Brake and Saxby Signal Co. Ltd miniature power lever frames'.
The Golden Arrow
Ticket Barrier for the 'Golden Arrow' at Victoria in the 'Southern' era (Photo: VSOE).
I visited Victoria in the steam era and saw the famous 'Golden Arrow' Pullman train, headed by a gleaming rebuilt Bulleid 'Pacific'. The train might have been exotic, but the station surroundings seemed very ordinary and I remember it looking very like the black-and-white picture above.
The 'Golden Arrow' is no more, but Victoria still entertains Pullman trains (sometimes steam hauled) operated by VSOE as 'The British Pullman'. I never did get to travel on the 'Golden Arrow' and (so far) I've not travelled on the 'British Pullman' but I have had a conducted tour of the 'British Pullman' rolling stock which is described here.
External web sites
London Victoria Station (Wikipedia).
Victoria (Network Rail).
External Links
London and South Western Railway (Wikipedia).
South Eastern and Chatham Railway (Wikipedia).
London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (Wikipedia).
Book References
[1] 'London's Termini' by Alan A. Jackson, published by David & Charles (0 330 02746 6).
[2] 'Railway Track Diagrams Book 5: Southern and TfL' Third Edition, published by TRACKmaps (ISBN 978-0-9549866-4-3).
[3] 'The Style L Power Frame' written and published by J. D. Francis 1989 (ISBN 0 9514636 0 8).
[4] 'History of the Southern Railway' by C. F. Dendy Marshall, revised by R. W. Kidner reprinted 1982 by Ian Allen (ISBN 0 7110 0059 X).
[5] 'Great Locomotives of the Southern Railway' by O. S. Nock, Guild Publishing, 1987 edition by Book Club Associates.
[6] 'Southern Steam' by O. S. Nock, published by David & Charles (ISBN 0 7153 5235 0).
[7] 'London's Termini' by Alan A. Jackson, published by David & Charles (0 330 02746 6).
Maps
Details of the railways around Victoria today are shown in the 'Quail Track Diagrams':-
'Railway Track Diagrams Book 5: Southern and TfL' Third Edition, published by TRACKmaps (ISBN 978-0-9549866-4-3).
My Pictures
London: Victoria.
London: former 'Southern' lines.
London's Railways.
Monday, 13 May 2013
Railway Signalling in Britain: Part 4 - Semaphore Signal Aspects by Night
At night, the arm of a semaphore signal becomes invisible so the signal aspect is given by a signal lamp (usually paraffin) in front of which two coloured filter glasses connected to the signal arm are moved:-
'Stop' signals - Display either a RED or GREEN light. 'Distant' signals - Display either a YELLOW or GREEN light.The reliability of the lamp and its ability to continue burning in adverse weather conditions was paramount and considerable ingenuity was devoted to producing suitable designs. Care and cleanliness in the handling and maintenance of signal lamps was essential. 'Lamp Oil' was produced to a high and constant specification to ensure consistent performance. Reports of "Signal Lamp Out when should be lit" were treated with the utmost gravity.
Various designs of signal lamp, produced by different railway supply companies, were in use up to the 1960s and beyond but they had similar features, comprising a substantial sheet steel housing with a hinged lid which was permanently attached to the signal post into which a removable lamp (often called the 'vessel') could be fitted.
'ADLAKE' Lamp Housing, showing 'Bull's Eye' lens, hinging top and chimney (10p coin alongside for scale).
The front face of the housing mounted a large clear glass 'Bull's Eye' lens which focused the light through the coloured filter glasses of the signal arm.
'ADLAKE' Lamp Housing, viewed from above with hinging top opened and removable lamp assembly in position. The fillet in the back left corner of the housing ensures correct alignment of the lamp assembly.
A simple spring clip unlatched the top of the lamp housing, allowing it to hinge open for access to the removable lamp, which simply lifted out using the wire handle provided.
View of lamp removed from lamp housing. The wire carrying handle is in the 'stowed' position.
The large tank forming the base held lamp oil sufficient for 8 days continuous burning with a correctly-trimmed burner. On this pattern, all four sides of the hinging top section protecting the burner were provided with a clear glass.
'ADLAKE' Signal Lamp, opened to show burner and chimney. The locating lugs for the wick adjuster ensure correct alignment of the flame. Screw filler cap for the vessel (with retaining chain) is near front right. The sliding wire clip which latches the hinging top section closed is front right.
The burner has a metal body with a carefully-shaped porcelain insert which helps to produce a fairly broad, flat flame. A flat, woven wick is held in position in the centre of the porcelain insert, with a long 'tail' reaching down into the tank of lamp oil. The wick adjuster is turned to provide the correct length of wick projecting above the burner.
Rear view of this type of lamp housing fitted to an upper quadrant tubular post signal. The signal lamp has a clear lens at the back, the 'back light'. The cast arm at 'six o'clock' with the curved screen is the 'Back Blinder'.
At night, stop signals in advance of the box (that is, leading trains away from the box) could sometimes be seen by the controlling signalman who was able to verify the signal aspect by observation since the red or green indication was facing the signal box. But, in the case of stop signals in the rear of the box, the indication faced away from the signalman. To provide an indication of the aspect displayed at the rear of the signal, signal lamps and the lamp housing deliberately showed a white 'Backlight' at the rear. The lamp itself had a clear glass window and the lamp housing had a small clear glass 'Bull's Eye' lens which focused the light. The exact position of the 'Bull's Eye' left and right was adjustable to optimise the visibility to the signalman. The pivot for the signal arm was provided with a cast arm (at '6 o'clock in the view above) with a curved screen called the 'Back Blinder'. If the signal arm was 'On', the 'Back Blinder' did not obscure the 'Backlight' and the white light was visible to the signalman, confirming that the signal was 'On'. But, if the arm was off (or partially off) the movement of the 'Back Blinder' obscured the 'Backlight'.
Of course, not all signals could be visually checked by the signalman due to position or line curvature. Signal repeating (using electrical techniques) was developed to assist the signalman and I'll describe this in another article.
General view of a signal lamp used by the L.M.S. This was the "ADLAKE" No. 22, made by Lamp Manufacturing & Railway Supplies Ltd.
View from above showing this type of lamp housing fitted to an upper quadrant lattice post signal, with the lamp housing open to show the lighted signal lamp inside. At the top of the picture can be seen the filter glasses producing the appropriate signal aspect.
The picture above shows the red filter glass giving the 'Stop' indication. When the arm is raised to 'Proceed', the other filter glass is moved in front of the lamp. Note that the second filter glass is blue, not green. The signal oil burns with a yellow flame. When the yellow light passes through the blue filter glass, the result is a vivid green 'Proceed' indication.
High-intensity signal lighting
View other sizes.Brereton Sidings starting signal 'off' with fixed distant for Rugeley Trent Valley below. Both signals are electrically lit and have shaped spectacle glasses, rather than the flat filter spectacle glass used with paraffin-lit signals. The disc signal mounted on the right of the post controls movements into the Power Station and has the remains of a 'secret until lit' route indicator mounted above.
Electric illumination of semaphore signals was also used for some applications. The L.M.S. adopted what they called 'High-intensity signal lighting' in a number of places where clearance or sighting limitations made the use of full-size signal arms impractical. The brighter light indications provided compensation for the poorer visibility of the miniature signal arms. The installation shown in the picture above is in conjunction with full-size arms, but on the approach to the Trent Valley Line which has colour-light signals.
My Pictures
British Railway Signalling Equipment
Go to Part 5 - Signal Arm, Slot and Lamp Repeaters.
Wednesday, 8 May 2013
Waterloo Station, London
I was brought up in the West Midlands in the early days of the post-war Nationalised railway so, although I was familiar with both the former L.M.S. and G.W.R. lines where I lived, the former Southern Railway was very much a 'foreign railway' to me. Around 1951 my mother and I visited Waterloo and other London termini during an extended trip (which even took us to Boulogne, described here). The 'Southern' electrics were very unfamiliar but there was plenty of steam to look at - particularly the 'air-smoothed' Bulleid 'Pacifics'.
A Bulleid 'Pacific' leaving Waterloo (Photo: British Railways).
It was only many years later when I started to discover some of the history of the lines in the south of the country. Waterloo was the London terminus of the London and South Western Railway, which was well-regarded for its locomotives, less so for its passenger coaches and stations. In the 20th century, the London and South Western Railway rebuilt the nondescript Waterloo, producing a terminus which was much admired. The column-free concourse and the platforms were covered by an airy glazed roof and there was an impressive array of offices on the road side of the concourse.
View across the Concourse at Waterloo in the 'Southern' era (Photo: British Railways).
I'm afraid I don't think the station has been much improved in recent years. The modern ticket barriers and retail outlets now encroach onto the platform side of the concourse which is further narrowed by the new mezzanine floor on the road side. Overhead, a bewildering array of suspended signage, CCTV cameras and loudspeakers destroys the original sense of space without easing the traveller's route through the clutter very much. Of course, it's all aimed at increasing the 'retail opportunities' offered to 'customers'.
View across the Concourse from the mezzanine adjacent to platform 1 in 2013.
Post-War developments
Upon Nationalisation of the railways in 1948, the Southern Region of British Railways absorbed the assets of the Southern Railway. The Southern Railway had been created by the 1921 Railways Act which grouped railways into the 'Big Four' (L.M.S., G.W.R., L.N.E.R. and S.R.). The Southern Railway brought together the London Brighton and South Coast Railway, the South Eastern and Chatham Railway and the London and South Western Railway. Steam working was eliminated and third-rail electrification (started by the Southern Railway in the 1930s) was extended to more destinations. Perhaps the biggest change in recent years was the building of Waterloo International to handle the 'Eurostar' trains on the Channel Tunnel route. However, once our very-first High Speed Railway was completed to St. Pancras International (briefly described here), Waterloo International was abandoned and currently wears a forlorn air as Network Rail decide just how much money will be needed to convert the area for use by other trains.
A modern view of Waterloo Station (centre) with Hungerford Bridge leading to Charing Cross station towards the top. Although the station and rail approaches have been extended since first built, the way in which the line from Nine Elms was extended over arches is still apparent. The long platforms of Waterloo International (beyond the earlier train shed) served the 'Eurostar' trains until High Speed One diverted these trains to St. Pancras International.
Click for larger image
Another aerial view of Waterloo.
Origins of Waterloo Station
The London and Southampton Railway was promoted as early as 1831 and a limited service started on 21st May 1838 between a London terminus at Nine Elms and Woking Common. As construction of the line towards Southampton continued, the name of the railway was changed to the more impressive-sounding 'London and South Western Railway'. A branch to Richmond was opened in 1846 but the growing traffic showed up the inadequacy of Nine Elms as a terminus. An extension was authorised from Nine Elms to a new station near the south end of Waterloo Bridge called 'Waterloo'. In 1848, Nine Elms was closed to the public (although retained for Royal Trains and goods) when all passenger traffic was diverted to Waterloo. The initial Waterloo Station had four platforms with two 'middle lines'. The L.S.W.R. intended to extend the line beyond Waterloo to get nearer to the City of London, which was the ultimate destination for many of its regular passengers. As a stop-gap, one of the 'middle lines' was extended to form a through connection with the South Eastern Railway (later to become the S.E.C.R.) but today there's only a pedestrian connection between the terminal platforms at Waterloo and the through platforms at Waterloo East. As an alternative, the L.S.W.R. supported the initiative to build an underground electric railway from Waterloo to the City. Initially, it operated the railway on behalf of the Waterloo and City company, but it later acquired ownership. There's a little more on the Waterloo & City Line in the article here or, for a detailed history of the Waterloo and City Line, see Book [3] below.
A modern view of the imposing main entrance for foot passengers provided by the L.S.W.R. at Waterloo. After the 'Great War' of 1914-1918, this entrance became the Memorial to L.S.W.R. staff lost in World War I. The view is rather spoilt by the 'temporary' works in the foreground.
Related posts on this web site
Visiting former 'Southern' stations in London (describes Waterloo East).
Waterloo Station, London (Part 2).
External web sites
London Waterloo Station (Wikipedia).
Waterloo (Network Rail).
My Pictures
Waterloo Station.
Books
[1] 'London's Termini' by Alan A. Jackson, published by David & Charles (0 330 02746 6). (The L.S.W.R. Terminus at Waterloo is described in Chapter 11).
[2] 'Railway Track Diagrams Book 5: Southern and TfL' Third Edition, published by TRACKmaps (ISBN 978-0-9549866-4-3).
[3] 'The Waterloo & City Railway by John C. Gillham, published by the Oakwood Press (ISBN 0 85361 544 6).
[9-May 2013: Second aerial photo added, reference to Book [3] added. 18-Sep-2015: 'Related posts' added.]
Friday, 3 May 2013
Railway Signalling in Britain: Part 3 - Slotting
'Slotting' is a technique employed in semaphore signalling which gives two signal boxes control over one signal arm and was commonly used where signal boxes were close together.
Co-located Stop/Distant Signal Slotting
A frequent requirement for slotting occurred where a distant signal controlled by one signal box was mounted on the same post but below a stop signal controlled by the signal box in the rear. The 'slot' prevented the distant arm from coming 'off' until the stop signal arm above it was also 'off'.
The picture below shows the stop signal/distant signal slot on a Western Region pattern lower quadrant signal, with both signals 'on'. The weight bar nearest the camera (with two counterweights) is for the distant, the weight bar with the single counterweight is for the 'stop' signal. With no tension in the signal wires, the weightbars are held in the position shown by the counterweights. Two 'L' cranks at the bottom of the post transfer the horizontal 'pull' on the signal wires to a vertical 'pull' via two short signal wires to the ends of the two pivoted weightbars. A push-rod is attached to the stop signal weightbar, on the counterweight side of the pivot, so that, when the stop signal wire is pulled, the counterweight rises and the push rod is pushed upwards to move the signal arm to the 'off' position. A second push-rod is provided to operate the distant signal arm but this push rod is attached not to the distant weight bar, but to a third weight bar placed in between the other two. This third weight bar is provided with a smaller weight and it also has two projecting lugs which sit on top of the other two weight bars all on the other side of the pivot from the first two weightbars. With both signals 'on' the smaller weight on the third weightbar is lifted by the other two weightbars pushing up against the lugs. The weights are arranged so that if either the stop signal or distant signal wire is pulled, the remaining lug pushing up on the third weight bar keeps the smaller weight lifted.
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View from front of signal with neither signal wire 'pulled' - both Stop and Distant signal arms 'On'.
The picture below (taken from the other side of the signal) shows the situation if both signal wires are pulled. The tension in the stop signal wire holds the counterweight lifted and the pushrod lifted upwards to move the stop signal arm to the 'off' position. The tension in the distant signal wire holds the two distant counterweights lifted. With neither of the two weightbars pushing on the lugs of the third weightbar, the smaller weight falls under gravity, pivoting the third weightbar and lifting the distant pushrod to move the distant signal arm to the 'off' position.
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View from rear of signal with both signal wires 'pulled' - both Stop and Distant signal arms 'Off'.
Stop Signal Slotted by Two Signal Boxes
There were instances where it was considered unsafe for one signal box to have total control of a stop signal and co-operation between two adjacent boxes was enforced by clearing the signal only when both boxes had operated their 'slot' levers. The actual slotting mechanism at the signal was similar to that described above for Stop/Distant Signal Slotting.
Sedgeley Junction signal box had an example. If you look at the sketch signal box diagram in the post Sedgeley Junction (again) you can see that lever 35 'slotted' Dudley East's Down Starter. This was to provide protection for a train on the Down at Coneygree. This particular instance was a bit odd because the slot stood 'off' - you only pulled the lever when you wanted to ensure that Dudley East's Down Starter remained 'on' - the lever was 'normal' most of the time, giving Dudley East sole control of the signal.
The Up and Down Goods between Deepfields and Spring Vale was another example. My Deepfields signal box diagram in the post Railway signalling: Deepfields shows the slot on signal 38 (but omits the ones on 23, 28 and 29, although I did record the complexity of the stop/distant slotting on the down: to get Spring Vales's Distant signal mounted underneath the stop arm controlled by Deepfields lever 2 to show 'off', four weight bars had to be 'off' - one pulled by Spring Vale, one each pulled by Deepfields levers 2, 3 and 4). My signal box diagram of Spring Vale in the post Railway Signalling: Spring Vale Sidings Box does show the slots on Deepfields 23, 28 and 29.
Certainly in London and North Western Railway Signal Boxes, it was common to give the signalman an indication of whether the slot operated by the other box was 'off'. This was achieved by providing 'Face Disks' behind the frame, operated by signal wire. These normally sat horizontal but, when pulled vertical by the other box, displayed 'SLOT OFF'. The excellent book 'A Pictorial Record of L.N.W.R. Signalling' by Richard D. Foster, published by Oxford Publishing Company in 1982 (SBN: 86093 147 1) has more details.
Maintenance of this mechanical complexity must have been a problem and I think there was a policy of eliminating it where possible. I'm sure it's the sort of thing to appeal to A.F. Bound (the LMS Chief Signal and Telecommunications Engineer from 1929). Increasing provision of track circuits, Block Control and electric lever locks would provide justification in some instances for the elimination of mechanical slotting. Another technique was 'Distant Indicator Working' which is briefly described in section 8 of the post Railway Signalling: Tipton (Part 2) and I believe the signalmans' regulations applying where Distant Indicators were provided probably lessened the need for traditional slotting.
Go to Part 4 - Semaphore Signal Aspects by Night.
Railway Signalling in Britain: Part 2 - Semaphore Signals
Part 1 described the evolution of fixed signals. After a long period of development, the 'modern' form of 2-aspect semaphore signalling emerged (but is now being rapidly eliminated by Network Rail).
Types of Fixed Signals
There are two principal classes of fixed signal:-
'Stop' signals - these are mandatory and an approaching driver must stop if the signal displays a 'stop' aspect.Signals comprise a vertical post (of wood, steel tube, steel lattice or occasionally reinforced concrete) on which is mounted one or more 'stop' or 'distant' signal arms each comprising a rectangular 'blade' (of wood or steel) mounted on a pivot so as to extend to the left of the signal post (viewed from an approaching train to which the signal applies) at a height to facilitate observation by the driver of an approaching train.
'Distant' signals - these are warning and an approaching driver may pass the signal displaying a caution or restrictive aspect but be prepared to stop at the following 'stop' signal.
The two types of signal arm are distinguished by day as follows:-
'Stop' signals - Arm is square-ended. Front of arm is RED with a WHITE vertical band near the end, rear is WHITE with a BLACK vertical band near the end.The two types of signal are distinguished by night by providing a lamp (usually paraffin), in front of which two coloured filter glasses connected to the signal arm are moved:-
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Upper quadrant 'Stop' signal displaying 'STOP' indication (Shackerstone Outer Home).
'Distant' signals - Arm is 'V'-ended. Front of arm is YELLOW with a BLACK chevron near the end, rear is WHITE with a BLACK chevron near the end.
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Darley Dale Down (fixed) Distant Signal. The black and white painting of the post indicates an 'Independent' Distant - one not co-located with a 'Stop' Signal.
'Stop' signals - Display either a RED or GREEN light.Aspects
'Distant' signals - Display either a YELLOW or GREEN light.
Both types of signal have two valid aspects, according to the position of the signal arm (which controls the colour of the lamp shown at night):-
Arm is horizontal ('ON' Aspect): 'STOP' (if a stop signal), 'Proceed with Caution' (if a distant signal).If the arm is raised by 45 degrees to indicate 'PROCEED', signal is termed 'UPPER QUADRANT' or, if lowered by 45 degrees to indicate 'PROCEED', signal is termed 'LOWER QUADRANT'.
At night, the indications are Red light: 'STOP'(if a stop signal), Yellow light: 'Proceed with Caution' (if a distant signal).
Arm is raised or lowered by 45 degrees ('OFF' Aspect): 'PROCEED'.
At night, the indications are Green light: 'PROCEED'.
Subsidiary signals
For special purposes (such as shunting), there are various types of 'Subsidiary signal'. These are 'Stop' signals but provided with smaller arms than 'main' signals and often mounted on the same 'doll' as a main signal.
An elderly Great Western signal. The signal arms are wooden, as is the 'doll' (vertical post) mounting the arms. The lower arm is smaller and the 'S' indicates that it authorises a shunting movement past the signal.
Diverging routes
'Stop' signals are often situated in advance of turnouts (points) where two (or more) routes diverge. Railways in Britain provide 'Route Signalling' where, at diverging lines, there is a separate signal arm for each route. Originally, these arms were placed on a single post, one above the other, with the topmost arm referring to the leftmost route. Particularly where there were more than two routes, this was judged harder for an approaching driver to correctly interpret at speed so this arrangement persisted only on slower lines, such as Goods Lines.
On main lines, individual signal arms are placed on separate, secondary signal posts carried side-by-side on a bracket from a single main signal post. Where a large number of routes are to be signalled, a gantry (or 'signal bridge') carried by two or more posts or supports can be provided. On bracket signals or gantries, the secondary posts are called 'dolls'. The leftmost 'doll' applies to leftmost route and so on.
'Stepping' relates to the relative height above ground of the arms. The highest arm is the highest speed route and so on. Two routes with the same speed limit have the corresponding signal arms 'stepped' to the same height. Note that no absolute speed is implied, requiring the driver to have a detailed route knowledge. [Foreign railways (unless under British influence) developed a system of Speed Signalling where the driver didn't know what route he was to take, only a safe speed to run at. Different signal aspects implied different absolute permitted speeds. It can be argued that this means drivers do not need such detailed route knowledge].
View other sizes.Lower quadrant Two-doll bracket 'Stop' signal at Tyseley viewed from the rear. This is a standard Western Region pattern. Each 'doll' (post) carries a main arm and a subsidiary (calling-on) arm and is topped with a 'ball and spike' finial.
Positioning of Fixed Signals
Signals are provided to allow each signalman to control trains in his area. On normal double track lines, 'STOP' signals implement the 'Block System'. Each signalman became responsible for the line on which trains approach extending from the previous signalman to his own location. This was called the 'Block Section'. Only one train is allowed in each 'block section' at a time so as to avoid collisions. Each signalman communicated with the signalmen on either side using special electric telegraph instruments called 'Block Signalling Instruments'. There's a little more about 'Block Signalling Instruments' (particularly those produced by the London and North Western Railway) here.
The first 'STOP' signal at each signal box is called the 'Home Signal'. The last 'STOP' signal at each signal box is called the 'Starting Signal' (or 'Starter'). The term 'Section Signal' is increasingly used as an alternative (since the signal controls admission of trains to the Block Section for the next signal box).
Depending upon the location, a 'Starting' signal may not be provided and the 'Home' signal may also serve as the 'Section' signal. Conversely, a signal box may control additional stop signals and there may be more than one 'Home' signal on the approach to the signal box and there may be more than one 'Starting' signal.
To give an approaching driver advance warning of the aspect showing on the 'Home' and 'Starting' signals at the next signal box, a 'Distant' signal is placed in the rear of the 'Home' signal at a distance which, if the 'Distant' is 'On', will allow the driver to bring his train to a stand at the 'Home' signal bearing in mind the maximum permitted speed, the prevailing gradient and the braking characteristics of trains using the route. This distance may be a mile or more. Interlocking of the levers in the signal box is arranged so that the 'Distant' signal can only be cleared to 'Off' if the levers for all the 'Stop'signals on the signalled route have been operated.
Where signal boxes are fairly close together, the requirement to place the 'Distant' signal at a sufficient distance from the 'Home' may result in the 'Distant' signal arm being placed on the same post (and underneath) the last 'Stop' signal of the box in the rear, as shown in the picture below. In some cases, the position of the co-located 'Stop' and 'Distant' signal arms may still not offer sufficient braking distance, in which case a 'Distant' signal arm will also be fitted below a previous 'Stop' signal.
View other sizes.Darley Dale's Down Home Signal - a tubular post upper quadrant signal with fixed distant for the next signal box (Church Lane) mounted below. Note the Ground Disc signal and Signal Post Telephone mounted at the bottom of the post.
Signal Sighting
It's important that a driver will be able to see a signal at the earliest possible opportunity and great care is taken in the positioning of each signal. Signal posts may be short (where an overbridge before a signal limits the driver's view), tall (where it is desired to 'lift' the arm above a visually confusing background) or cantilevered left or right to improve the driver's ability to 'sight' the signal.
View other sizes.Church Lane Down Outer Home is a single doll mounted on a right-hand bracket. The 'White Diamond' sign mounted underneath the signal arm was introduced where track circuiting indicated the position of a train detained at the signal in the signal box, relieving the Fireman of the need to report to the signal box to carry out what was originally 'Rule 55'.
Mechanical Operation of Signals by Wire
Operation of the lever in the signal box (from the 'NORMAL' position to the 'REVERSE' position) pulls a stranded steel wire which is carried on a series of pulleys to the signal location where the 'pull' is used to change the signal aspect. A counterweight at the signal ensures that, if the signal wire breaks, the signal arm is returned to the 'On' aspect. The counterweight also assists in returning the arm to 'ON' if excessive friction along the signal wire route tends to prevent the signal wire moving back to the original position when the lever in the signal box is replaced to 'NORMAL'.
View other sizes.Single signal wire carried on a 2-way alloy signal pulley. The pulley is mounted on a vertical post driven into the ground (in this case a length of U-channel point rodding).
Where signal wires need to change direction (for instance, to cross to the other side of running lines), the change of direction is made on horizontal pulley wheels. A length of chain is interposed into the signal wire in the vicinity of the pulley to provide sufficient flexibility to accommodate 90 degree changes of direction. Depending upon the complexity of the layout, one or more pulley wheels may be fitted to a cast iron carrying frame which is fixed to a wood or concrete 'bed' set into the ground. These pulleys are normally referred to as 'Chain Wheels'.
View other sizes.Single chain wheel providing around 90 degree change of direction to the signal wire. The frame of the chain wheel is bolted to a concrete 'bed'.
View other sizes.A more complex run of signal wires (just to the left of the temporary fencing) at Tyseley. In this case, the pulleys are carried on flat steel spikes driven into the ground and a 4-way signal pulley is fitted back-to-back with a 3-way pulley.
There's an article on semaphore signalling on the London and North Western Railway here.
Go to Part 3 - Slotting.
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