Four track for Filton Bank - ongoing discussion

[whole diary]

[SandTEngineer]

....and before somebody asks...the triangle on the signaI ID plate means that the signal is a repeater (distant) and cannot show a red aspect (in this case).  There are other sites where the signal would be fitted with a red aspect but cannot be approached in normal working up to that.  You usually find those on signals within reversible working areas or a signal ahead of a junction.  In those cases its done to prevent misreading of a signal.

Is the triangle now used instead of an 'R', a signal near my home has a 'R' underneath the signal number that it repeats. That signal is on the two-way worked up Charfield line between Westerleigh Junction and Yate South Junction.

Yes.

[JontyMort]

Metalrail can take a bow - as it was a desire to see his photos that made me sign up.

To be clear, I presume the latest ones are at the northern end - i.e. north of where the old two-track alignment was slewed over to the east side - so the old tracks here are the mains and the new ones are the reliefs?

I take it that "Up" in this context is to Paddington via Badminton. That had me foxed at first, as I was expecting it to be "Down" from Paddington via the rhubarb curve. Is zero here at Bristol East?

[martyjon]

....and before somebody asks...the triangle on the signaI ID plate means that the signal is a repeater (distant) and cannot show a red aspect (in this case).  There are other sites where the signal would be fitted with a red aspect but cannot be approached in normal working up to that.  You usually find those on signals within reversible working areas or a signal ahead of a junction.  In those cases its done to prevent misreading of a signal.

Is the triangle now used instead of an 'R', a signal near my home has a 'R' underneath the signal number that it repeats. That signal is on the two-way worked up Charfield line between Westerleigh Junction and Yate South Junction.

Yes.

Do they still display the signal ID they repeat ?

[Red Squirrel]

There was never a subway at Ashley Hill, it was a footbridge. The bridge shown in the piccy is over a lane from Muller Road to what was the forecourt of Ashley Hill station and only accessible by light motor vehicles and pedestrians.

OED^▸ (Oxford English Dictionary) defines a subway as 'A tunnel under a road for use by pedestrians'; the 'road' in this case being a rail road.

Actually I was going to check tomorrow whether there was any sign of a bricked-up entry to the island platform from the subway, but from what you say there clearly wasn't!

[grahame]

Metalrail can take a bow - as it was a desire to see his photos that made me sign up.

Welcome to the forum ... and a note to other guests / lurkers that you too could seen these fantastic pictures 

To be clear, I presume the latest ones are at the northern end - i.e. north of where the old two-track alignment was slewed over to the east side - so the old tracks here are the mains and the new ones are the reliefs?

I take it that "Up" in this context is to Paddington via Badminton. That had me foxed at first, as I was expecting it to be "Down" from Paddington via the rhubarb curve. Is zero here at Bristol East?

I will let others answer ... I know there will be someone who knows!

[metalrail]

There was never a subway at Ashley Hill, it was a footbridge. The bridge shown in the piccy is over a lane from Muller Road to what was the forecourt of Ashley Hill station and only accessible by light motor vehicles and pedestrians.

OED^▸ (Oxford English Dictionary) defines a subway as 'A tunnel under a road for use by pedestrians'; the 'road' in this case being a rail road.

Actually I was going to check tomorrow whether there was any sign of a bricked-up entry to the island platform from the subway, but from what you say there clearly wasn't!

You are indeed correct...  had always thought that was a subway for access to the platforms - as well as an access path from Muller Road to Station Road - seeing as there was an opening between the tracks too which made me think that was for access to the central island platform.  But checking out this awesome pic from the 1930's there was a footbridge at the north end!

http://bristol-rail.co.uk/wiki/File:Ashley_Hill7.jpg

[martyjon]

Metalrail can take a bow - as it was a desire to see his photos that made me sign up.

Welcome to the forum ... and a note to other guests / lurkers that you too could seen these fantastic pictures 

To be clear, I presume the latest ones are at the northern end - i.e. north of where the old two-track alignment was slewed over to the east side - so the old tracks here are the mains and the new ones are the reliefs?

I take it that "Up" in this context is to Paddington via Badminton. That had me foxed at first, as I was expecting it to be "Down" from Paddington via the rhubarb curve. Is zero here at Bristol East?

I will let others answer ... I know there will be someone who knows!

If I'm right the lines from Filton change from Down to Up on the Rhubarb Curve itself between Dr Days Junction and North Somerset Junction.

[metalrail]

Metalrail can take a bow - as it was a desire to see his photos that made me sign up.

Welcome to the forum ... and a note to other guests / lurkers that you too could seen these fantastic pictures 

To be clear, I presume the latest ones are at the northern end - i.e. north of where the old two-track alignment was slewed over to the east side - so the old tracks here are the mains and the new ones are the reliefs?

I take it that "Up" in this context is to Paddington via Badminton. That had me foxed at first, as I was expecting it to be "Down" from Paddington via the rhubarb curve. Is zero here at Bristol East?

I will let others answer ... I know there will be someone who knows!

Welcome indeed JontyMort!

No these pics were taken from south of Muller Road bridge.  I took some videos over the past 7 or 8 months (on this thread somewhere) showing where the new rails were being laid.  North of Muller Road the existing 2 lines were on the east side of the 4 track alignment, and then slewed over to the west just before Muller Road to go over the western side of the bridge.  That double track then followed the western alignment all the way down thru SRD and LWH onto Dr Days

The original double tracks have effectively been chopped off either end of the slew, so the new rails from Muller Road north form the relief lines (western side of the alignment) whilst the new rails on the eastern side on Muller Road bridge itself and then down to Dr Days form the main lines - hope that makes sense!

And yep Filton Bank wise Up is north towards the Badminton line, as it effectively forms the other route from BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) to PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains)

[SandTEngineer]

....and before somebody asks...the triangle on the signaI ID plate means that the signal is a repeater (distant) and cannot show a red aspect (in this case).  There are other sites where the signal would be fitted with a red aspect but cannot be approached in normal working up to that.  You usually find those on signals within reversible working areas or a signal ahead of a junction.  In those cases its done to prevent misreading of a signal.

Is the triangle now used instead of an 'R', a signal near my home has a 'R' underneath the signal number that it repeats. That signal is on the two-way worked up Charfield line between Westerleigh Junction and Yate South Junction.

Yes.

Do they still display the signal ID they repeat ?

No.

[SandTEngineer]

Metalrail can take a bow - as it was a desire to see his photos that made me sign up.

To be clear, I presume the latest ones are at the northern end - i.e. north of where the old two-track alignment was slewed over to the east side - so the old tracks here are the mains and the new ones are the reliefs?

I take it that "Up" in this context is to Paddington via Badminton. That had me foxed at first, as I was expecting it to be "Down" from Paddington via the rhubarb curve. Is zero here at Bristol East?

Having a look here might help: http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=13113.msg236581#msg236581 and here: http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=13113.msg248151#msg248151

[martyjon]

....and before somebody asks...the triangle on the signaI ID plate means that the signal is a repeater (distant) and cannot show a red aspect (in this case).  There are other sites where the signal would be fitted with a red aspect but cannot be approached in normal working up to that.  You usually find those on signals within reversible working areas or a signal ahead of a junction.  In those cases its done to prevent misreading of a signal.

Is the triangle now used instead of an 'R', a signal near my home has a 'R' underneath the signal number that it repeats. That signal is on the two-way worked up Charfield line between Westerleigh Junction and Yate South Junction.

Yes.

Do they still display the signal ID they repeat ?

No.

Are these new type repeater signals now replacing the 'banner repeaters', the white circular array of white LED's which has a 'black' horizontal line which changes to a diagonal "black' line when the signal it repeats is 'off'.

[martyjon]

One thing that intrigues me is, will train crew have to 'route learn' and sign the new four tracked line from Bristol East to Filton Abbey Wood before they can operate a passenger carrying service over this stretch of 'new' railway.

[metalrail]

One thing that intrigues me is, will train crew have to 'route learn' and sign the new four tracked line from Bristol East to Filton Abbey Wood before they can operate a passenger carrying service over this stretch of 'new' railway.

Yeah I wondered that yesterday when I was looking at all the new junction changes around Horfield cutting, and the new signals going in all up the bank.  Gonna be a fair bit to take in

[SandTEngineer]

....and before somebody asks...the triangle on the signaI ID plate means that the signal is a repeater (distant) and cannot show a red aspect (in this case).  There are other sites where the signal would be fitted with a red aspect but cannot be approached in normal working up to that.  You usually find those on signals within reversible working areas or a signal ahead of a junction.  In those cases its done to prevent misreading of a signal.

Is the triangle now used instead of an 'R', a signal near my home has a 'R' underneath the signal number that it repeats. That signal is on the two-way worked up Charfield line between Westerleigh Junction and Yate South Junction.

Yes.

Do they still display the signal ID they repeat ?

No.

Are these new type repeater signals now replacing the 'banner repeaters', the white circular array of white LED's which has a 'black' horizontal line which changes to a diagonal "black' line when the signal it repeats is 'off'.

No.  Banner Repeaters are used where the required sighting distance of a signal cannot be achieved (e.g. due to curve or obstruction such as an overbridge).

[grahame]

One thing that intrigues me is, will train crew have to 'route learn' and sign the new four tracked line from Bristol East to Filton Abbey Wood before they can operate a passenger carrying service over this stretch of 'new' railway.

Yeah I wondered that yesterday when I was looking at all the new junction changes around Horfield cutting, and the new signals going in all up the bank.  Gonna be a fair bit to take in

An interesting question ...

On lines like the Borders Railway, shadow services including route learning ran without passengers; Bristol resignalling seemed to be OK with just paperwork and instruction, although trains crept in. 10 m.p.h. up Filton Bank, even on 4 tracks, would perhaps be even slower than the buses?