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There's an exchange on Twitter at the moment exploring route knowledge, in part inspired as Virgin Trains at one time maintained driver route knowledge for the Settle and Carlisle, which lapsed when that line was closed by *that* landslip, and was then not reinstated (the route knowledge not the line) and there's now a contrast between the approach of LNER (who aren't averse to making use of diversionary routes if they can) and Avanti West Coast (where it's bustitution all the way).

The railway's a different place now, but I'm wondering how route knowledge worked say pre-1966 when there was a much greater chance of a diversionary route being available? Presumably more staff availability too - and more chance of laying hands on pilotmen / people at short notice.

And, further back, how the need for route knowledge came to be recognised...

Mark

I will write an epistle tomorrow - it's too late tonight!  ;D

Things were different back in the 60s and 70s, but whether they were better or worse I will leave for others to decide.

In those days of course everybody worked for BR and not individual TOCs, and any depots had both passenger and freight turns. There was also the link system in place, where particular links worked particular services.

To take Bath Road as an example, perhaps unusually or perhaps not there were no lodging turns, so the routes worked were restricted to those places where it was possible to work out and back in one day. The 8-hour day was sacrosanct in those days too, but men could be rostered up to 9 hours and be paid overtime. And yes in those days it was indeed; women couldn’t be railway drivers because they were women and that was the end of the matter. Times have changed somewhat!

The routes that Bath Road men signed were to Derby including the loop to Worcester and the diversionary route via Honeybourne; London, Salisbury Eastleigh Portsmouth, Weymouth, Plymouth, Cardiff and Hereford. Not every driver would sign every road because the work of their particular link would never take them to some of those places, but there was a good deal of overlap of route knowledge between links to allow for what was generally called “the exigencies of the service”

If a driver was called upon to work a route he did not sign, a Conductor would be provided ie another driver who did know that section of line.

I recall Easter weekend 1974 when the West of England main line was closed (I think at Whiteball) and both London-bound and 'Cross Country' services were diverted over The Mule to Yeovil Junction and on to Castle Cary ('Cross Country' services then to Westbury and Bath Spa). I am not sure about 'Cross Country' services bound for the North East, but both 1M91 (Plymouth to Manchester Piccadilly) (https://flickr.com/photos/pwakely/5570780366) and 1V72 (Manchester Piccadilly to Plymouth) (https://flickr.com/photos/pwakely/5570191221) were also diverted via Cheltenham Racecourse and Honeybourne. It would have been a long journey for anybody travelling to Birmingham and beyond on those services. I am not sure where the driver changes would have been.

Another matter that needed taking into account following dieselisation was traction knowledge. This was not an issue in steam days because a driver was expected to drive whatever he was given. As an example in the 60s nobody west of Bristol had traction knowledge of Peaks (Class 45 and 46 post-TOPS), so if one was rostered on a train to Plymouth it as imperative that the same driver brought it back, otherwise somebody would need to be sent on the cushions down to collect it.

In the scenario you mention the Honeybourne issue would have been covered by Bath Road and Saltley route knowledge but would need a conductor over the LSW. There may have been Laira men who had route knowledge of the LSW, but they would need a conductor from Pen Mill to at least Castle Cary