Valley lines - a journey report from recent days

[whole diary]

[grahame]

A review of the Welsh Valley lines as they are and operate at the moment by Gareth David at railwayworld.net

Having previously travelled the Aberdare and Ebbw Vale lines, my challenge, using more bargain-priced GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) January promotional fares and an Explore Cardiff & Valleys day ranger ticket, was to complete my Welsh rail mileage by travelling the three principal Valleys Lines – to Treherbert, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney.

...

Worth a read

[eightf48544]

Very interesting. Wonder what he would have said if he'd done it summer with the lineside trees in leave and the views obscured?

[Worcester_Passenger]

And, in my exerience, a staggering quantity of Japanese knotweed.

Meanwhile, a technical question for the signalling experts. The article describes the Treherbert branch as being operated with the drivers extracting the single-line tokens at Porth. I go to Porth from time to time, and there's two little huts on the platforms which house the token machines. Does this mean that over a day all the tokens from the northbound platform hut end up in the southbound one? And who moves them all back again (and when)?

[MVR S&T]

With a magazine of tokens such as:

https://photos.signalling.org/picture?/19100/category/1904-ystrad_rhondda

[martyjon]

Having examined a token instrument in the past I would assume a little man wearing a HV uniform emblazoned with the words NETWORK RAIL on the rear would come along with his key, open up the token instrument, count out a number of the tokens, record the number removed, lock up the token instrument and then carry out the reverse of the preceding to replace the tokens in the other instrument making sure the number replaced is equal to the number removed. Have to check next time I'm in a signal box using this method of working. That will be the next time I visit Didcot Railway Centre.

[grahame]

With a magazine of tokens such as:

https://photos.signalling.org/picture?/19100/category/1904-ystrad_rhondda

Looks like (with the section closed) the magazine could be transferred from one instrument to the other, with mechanical locking to ensure tokens couldn't be taken out of either instrument or magazine when it was detached.  Then a simple swap of the magazines without any need to count / sign for, and no potential question of it happening anything but the right way.

Good question ... I learn something every day.

[MVR S&T]

The same system is in use between Maiden Newton and Yeovil Pen Mill, with two cabins at Maiden Newton. as well as a fixed magazine a single portable one can be provided, for the transport of token between cabins or even between Maiden Neweton and YeovilPen Mill sgnal box or vice versa. As long as only one can ever be taken by a driver/signalman, to provide security of the single line. And the sytem can interface with a panel, such as at Dorchester so could be linked to a ASC or IECC^▸ (Integrated Electronic Control Centre) at Basingstoke say.

[eightonedee]

(Is this thread an attempt to lure S&T^▸ (Signalling and Telegraph) Engineer back into print - hope it works!)

[grahame]

(Is this thread an attempt to lure S&T^▸ (Signalling and Telegraph) Engineer back into print - hope it works!)

I started the thread. No such intent, and how could there have been when I was starting a thread pointing you to a travelogue which only had little bit of signalling in it.  Having said which, I would clearly welcome back any poster who has lapsed their posting through their choice who would like to contribute again.

[Worcester_Passenger]

Thanks for those.

I think there's about 30 trains per day in each direction - which would make the moving of the tokens a daily task.

[grahame]

Thanks for those.

I think there's about 30 trains per day in each direction - which would make the moving of the tokens a daily task.

I'm sure it is ... probably cheaper that signalling both platforms bidirectional and crossing alternately left to right and right to left. And imagine the confusion that would cause passengers.

More sensibly with bidirectional loops, you could take the train to Cardiff from the main platform - with all the facilities - in the morning, then in the afternoon have the trains from Cardiff drop off at that main platform.  In fact I thing there are places where trains only use the loop when crossing, with that use being by the more secondary train.  Can anyone confirm that?

[SandTEngineer]

Its all explained here: http://www.railsigns.uk/info/nstr1/nstr1.html

[Worcester_Passenger]

Its all explained here: http://www.railsigns.uk/info/nstr1/nstr1.html

Thanks for that.

[WSW Frome]

An similar example of Grahame's query is Dorchester South, where the main (northside) platform is prioritised for bi-directional travel except when a crossing movement is required. Gillingham (Dorset) the same.

[rogerw]

Honiton is also the same