Bristol Resignalling - from Bristol Panel Signal Box to Thames Valley Signal Centre (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[SandTEngineer]

Today I have seen a document that states that the Bristol Station area will be resignalled and controlled from TVSC^» (Thames Valley Signalling Centre - about) in April 2018 and the Corsham to Bristol area will be resignalled and controlled from TVSC in April 2019.  Watch this space......

[Noggin]

Today I have seen a document that states that the Bristol Station area will be resignalled and controlled from TVSC^» (Thames Valley Signalling Centre - about) in April 2018 and the Corsham to Bristol area will be resignalled and controlled from TVSC in April 2019.  Watch this space......

Interesting, thank you, they must be getting on OK with it all then.

Am I right in thinking that the PSB^▸ (Power Signal Box) will still remain for a while longer until Bristol South is done?

[SandTEngineer]

Am I right in thinking that the PSB^▸ (Power Signal Box) will still remain for a while longer until Bristol South is done?

Correct, but I'm not sure how long 'a while longer' actually will be........

[DaveHarries]

Am I right in thinking that the PSB^▸ (Power Signal Box) will still remain for a while longer until Bristol South is done?

Correct, but I'm not sure how long 'a while longer' actually will be........

I have, more than once, heard it suggested that TVSC^» (Thames Valley Signalling Centre - about) Didcot may not have the capacity to take over all of the areas controlled from Exeter and Plymouth along with the main line all the way to Penzance. To that end one idea being suggested is that all of Devon and Cornwall along with, possibly, the main line up as far as Nailsea / Bedminster could pass to an ROC^▸ (Rail Operating Centre - a centralised location for railway signalling and train control operations for a specific route or region) that could be opened at Exeter. The fact that no decision has yet been taken might explain why no date has yet been suggested as to when Bristol South might be done.

Dave

[ellendune]

Am I right in thinking that the PSB^▸ (Power Signal Box) will still remain for a while longer until Bristol South is done?

Correct, but I'm not sure how long 'a while longer' actually will be........

I have, more than once, heard it suggested that TVSC^» (Thames Valley Signalling Centre - about) Didcot may not have the capacity to take over all of the areas controlled from Exeter and Plymouth along with the main line all the way to Penzance. To that end one idea being suggested is that all of Devon and Cornwall along with, possibly, the main line up as far as Nailsea / Bedminster could pass to an ROC^▸ (Rail Operating Centre - a centralised location for railway signalling and train control operations for a specific route or region) that could be opened at Exeter. The fact that no decision has yet been taken might explain why no date has yet been suggested as to when Bristol South might be done.

Dave

I have read somewhere (sorry cannot remember where) that TVSC is not big enough and that they were planning to expand it.  Another ROC elsewhere is obviously an alternative. 

However if I was going to split it anywhere I would not choose Bristol with all its complexity.  I would choose somewhere between Weston and Taunton. 

[Chris from Nailsea]

In the view of at least one of our Coffee Shop members, Bridgwater would be a suitable place to split. 

[grahame]

I have read somewhere (sorry cannot remember where) that TVSC^» (Thames Valley Signalling Centre - about) is not big enough and that they were planning to expand it.  Another ROC^▸ (Rail Operating Centre - a centralised location for railway signalling and train control operations for a specific route or region) elsewhere is obviously an alternative. 

However if I was going to split it anywhere I would not choose Bristol with all its complexity.  I would choose somewhere between Weston and Taunton. 

In the view of at least one of our Coffee Shop members, Bridgwater would be a suitable place to split. 

You would then need a split at somewhere like Langport too.   Why not split at Wellington - reduces the number of interfaces and would allow Taunton to Bristol services to be under a single control (Minehead ones too if they were to start back there!)

[JayMac]

The present boundary for Bristol and Exeter Panels, at Fordgate between Bridgwater and Cogload Junction (154M 12Ch), would be the most obvious choice.

As for the line between Cogload Junction and Castle Cary, the present boundary between Exeter and Westbury Panels is at Somerton Tunnel (126M 59Ch).

[DaveHarries]

The present boundary for Bristol and Exeter Panels, at Fordgate between Bridgwater and Cogload Junction (154M 12Ch), would be the most obvious choice.

I believe the boundary point is where the M5 crosses over the line just north of Junction 24 (Bridgwater South)?

Meanwhile I have heard somewhere that Stage 1 of the resignalling of Devon & Cornwaill will see a new panel installed at Roskear Junction to control Truro to St. Erth but the semaphore signals and boxes at both ends will remain.

Back to Bristol however: I see that a new signal, which remains bagged over for the moment, has been installed just prior to the entrance to Clifton Down tunnel on the Sea Mills side. I guess that signal marks the point where the control of trains on that line will pass between St. Andrews PSB^▸ (Power Signal Box) and TVSC^» (Thames Valley Signalling Centre - about): a simulation I have of the Bristol PSB area has the boundary between Bristol PSB and St. Andrews PSB to be between Avonmouth and Shirehampton.

Dave

[DaveHarries]

Apologies for bumping this topic.

As part of the resignalling works through Bristol Temple Meads the St. Andrews Crosses which have hung from the platform canopies for as long as I can remember will be replaced with conventional signals. The good thing is that most of these signals have, as shown in the first picture, been hung from the canopies in question but I was not too happy recently to note the new bracket supporting the new signals erected on Platform 5. I have heard suggestions that the support will be painted green at some point but it rather stands out, in a negative way, in the meantime against the architecture of the station. Sooner the bracket gets painted the better IMO^▸ (in my opinion) but why the signals shown in the top attachment couldn't simply have been hung from the canopy where Platform 5 and Platform 6 join is beyond me: would look less unsightly.

Dave

[grahame]

Apologies for bumping this topic.

Totally happy to have the topic bumped.   Saves our admin team combining threads to keep a good archive later on.   Please ignore the bright "Are you sure - not been posted in for 120 days" warning.

Sooner the bracket gets painted the better IMO^▸ (in my opinion) but why the signals shown in the top attachment couldn't simply have been hung from the canopy where Platform 5 and Platform 6 join is beyond me: would look less unsightly.

Dave

Too heavy??

[SandTEngineer]

I will be (very) supprised if those signal structures get painted green.  They are usually silver or grey so that they stand out.  They do, however, look as though no design thought has gone into them (first cost and all that ).

[JayMac]

The main shed canopy is listed. Perhaps that's another reason why the new signals were not hung from it. The canopies on higher numbered platforms are not listed.

[Red Squirrel]

Are you sure? I'm struggling to find a definitive map, but I'm pretty confident that the whole shebang is Grade I...

[Chris from Nailsea]

Hmm.  I'm inclined to agree with bignosemac - my rather vague memory suggests that the outer / newer platform canopies are not so listed, as they're not part of the iconic I K Brunel / Francis Fox design.

But it is certain that the platform 14 canopy is not listed.  Anywhere.