Great Western Coffee Shop

Purely out of idle curiosity on my part, I noticed this afternoon that this new sign has appeared on Platform 2 at Nailsea & Backwell Station, just under the footbridge, and I wondered what it signifies?

(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/823/vn62.jpg)

It's a reminder to drivers to set the Driver Reminder Appliance. That's a bit of a tautology so the following from t'interweb might help:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driver_reminder_appliance

and

http://www.railsigns.co.uk/sect8page4/sect8page4.html [8.62]

Thanks for those links to the technical explanation, bignosemac.  ;)

I merely wondered, why has that new sign just appeared at Nailsea?  Has there been an incident where a train driver forgot to set / reset it?

I think they are appearing everywhere where a station is between signals and has no station starting signal or banner repeater. One has appeared at Shirehampton as well.

Indeed, if you arrived at Nailsea, the previous signal being a single yellow, the DRA will then assist with reminding the driver that the next signal must be treated as a red, rather than fully powering up towards it.

Interesting. Does the driver set it once he passes the preceding yellow in the knowledge that he is going to stop at the station, or does he only do it on arrival? 

At Nailsea the next signal is visible from the platform in winter but not in summer. I've often wondered whether a bit of tree lopping would improve visibility. It would also help generally improve sightlines, so that, as an example, if a passing service is running under a yellow, it would be able to power up several seconds earlier if the next signal has cleared. 

As has been said, the proliferation of DRA signs is a recent FGW initiative. Other TOCs such as South West Trains, Southern and Southeastern have used such signs for years. Is there any correlation between the DRA sign and reduction in SPADs? Not that I have heard of.

Setting the of the DRA is usually done when the train has come to a stand, but it can be done on the move if arriving in a platform, but this depends on the type of train. For example, setting the DRA on the move on a HST will cause an emergency brake application.

I believe it can now be done on the move approaching a station, with the exception of HSTs (and perhaps 180s), for the reason NSE stated.

The rules always did allow the DRA to be set on the move, but only when arriving in the platform. You are not, for example, allowed to set it the second you pass a yellow signal (and the next station is say, still another half mile away).

The RSSB point out the risks of inappropriate use of the DRA, using it inappropriately or when the rulebook does not require it because it is shown by their own research to reduce the effectiveness of the DRA.

On a side note, the DRA has been around for 20 years now.

I always thought it meant Driver Rat-Arsed.... :o ;D

Driver Rat-Arsed!  Ha! That one made me giggle!  Bet THAT's not in the list of acronyms and abrieviations!

No, Cynthia, it most certainly is NOT!  :o ::) ;D

However: very much 'on the lighter side', a similar suggestion was offered in response to a recent caption competition (http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=13261.0) on this forum:



 ::)

Ho hum.....! 

Well, that one made me giggle ...  :P

That's what I like about this forum; amidst all the railway references there's often also the opportunity to have a chuckle! :D

Although for several years FGW additional driving practices meant that it could not be used on the move despite the rule book saying it could, due to the fact that on HST's it does apply the brake.  Fortunately that silly situation was remedied to allow drivers of Turbos,180s etc. (some of which don't go anywhere near HST cabs!) to follow the allowances made in the rule book.  Allowing it to be set on the approach to a platform as you pass the signal before at yellow has obvious benefits as it is quite easy to become distracted or just plain forget in the interval between passing the signal and stopping in the platform.

Thanks, Chris. I must admit to being quite pleased with that one at the time. I am glad it didn't die!