Morden 1990

[liverpoollou]

Enjoy a trip back in time.

[railtechnician]

Yep, reminds me of the last time I was near or by there circa 1990/1 during the pre-commissioning of the trial Victoria line train radio system. I ran the leaky feeders for the system between Tooting Bec and Colliers Wood stations and installed the 14 Texscan line amplifiers in the running tunnels. My last shift in the area was on passenger stock working in an engineers current area between Morden and Stockwell. It was so convenient being able to use passenger stock to setup/adjust the line amplifiers as we simply stopped the leading car double doors at each location and worked on the amplifiers through the open doorway with the advantage of the car lighting to see what we were doing. Far easier than the more traditional method of walking down the track and working by torchlight.
That was the only occasion in all my years on the combine that I entered Morden depot, the shift started and finished there Saterday night / Sunday morning overtime. It was also the second of the only two shifts that I ever worked there, my first being some 10 years earlier when I was detailed to run two asbestos braided cables, which had been run by a night gang, and left coiled on the roof outside the window into the SM office. AFAIR they were sump cables to be connected to a water level monitor to be located in that office and I left them neatly coiled under the SM desk IIRC. I have often wondered how long they sat there to be kicked and disturbed polluting the atmosphere before they were connected or indeed if they ever were connected. In those days many such minor works went uncompleted for months on end!
Happy days!

[Nortube]

Another view of Morden at that time - 38 stock ride to the depot.



During the weekend of the C&SLRly centenary, the 38 stock ran between platform 1  to a temporary platform over 5 Rd in the depot.
Note that roads 1 - 5 haven't been extended yet and can only hold one train each. I was one of the drivers working the train for the two days and I suspect that I may well have been the driver on that trip. I certainly recognise the voice of the member of staff at the end of the video.

The cab door was wedged open and we let people ride in the cab. We also took a couple of covers off things so that people could see the operation of the equipment. One of these was the DBVIC cover. It was only when I went to replace the cover after the last trip on Sunday that I realised the train had been running all weekend with the AWIC cut out! Mind you, at the speed the train was travelling, not knowing that the EP brake had possibly stopped working wouldn't have made much difference to stopping the train.

The depot open day was a great success and enjoyed by all. Such a pity that nothing like that could be arranged again since the rolling stock and depot privatisation.

One thing I noticed, looking at the beginning of the video is that the shunt signal is SPADded as the train goes to depot as the shunt signal remains on. I also notice that the fixed red light is not shown above the shunt signal. I can only assume that it's either on and not being picked up on the video, or the bulb has blown. I can't see any reason for deliberately removing the FRL as it is always on and always ignored when going to depot, so it wouldn't matter if it was on for the special working. It's about 24½ years ago now, so I can't remember the details, but I think that train effectively had possession between platform 1 and the south side of the depot (platform 1, 44 depot approach road and 1 - 17 depot roads) for the time it was running during the day and the train just departed to depot when it was decided it was time to go. Looking at the video, I see the route is secured.

The exception to this is 19 points, which are the catch points on the way to depot. These are spring trailing (Normal - to derail a train if it rolls back when going to depot) and power facing (Reverse - when going to the platform. The video clearly shows that 19 points are Normal when the train is going to depot. The points are shown reversed as the train approaches them and they don't appear to be scotched. I don't know how they managed that. I assume they just permanently reversed them. They did place a lot of faith in the 38 stock not rolling back!

[railtechnician]

I assume the shuttle operated within a possession and was the only train operating therein.

I'm not sure that shunt stick was SPADed, I suspect it remained at danger but that the trainstop was 'pegged'. Similarly the catch points were no doubt 'thrown on the ground' and 'pegged' reverse to ensure a simple otherwise unsignalled shuttle within the possession.

'Pegging' trainstops and points was/is standard procedure in a signal lineman's 'toolbox'.

[Nortube]

Yes, it was running in a possession.

Passing a passed a shunt signal that was remaining at danger would be a SPAD, whether tripped or not, as would passing a fixed red light or stop board without authority. As the movements within the possession were authorised, I assume that, technically they were authorised SPADs . I can't remember, but I assume that as the catch points (19) were permanently reversed, Y28, the shunt signal that allows movement over 19 points into the platform was also passed at danger.

[railtechnician]

Mar 13, 2015 10:28:18 GMT Nortube said:

Yes, it was running in a possession.

Passing a passed a shunt signal that was remaining at danger would be a SPAD, whether tripped or not, as would passing a fixed red light or stop board without authority. As the movements within the possession were authorised, I assume that, technically they were authorised SPADs . I can't remember, but I assume that as the catch points (19) were permanently reversed, Y28, the shunt signal that allows movement over 19 points into the platform was also passed at danger.

The possession form completed by the signal lineman would have shown the necessary securing of signal assets as per the EWSA (movements within possession and protection of staff) entry for the possession and such would also have appeared on the signal lineman Safety AWC. Thus the authority for irregular movements within the possession was planned, authorised by the signal report centre and implemented by the possession master.   

[Nortube]

As the train was running to / from platform 2 under possession and thus ignoring signals, I assume that the track at platform 2 would have been dropped for the duration of the possession in order to prevent Y2 (the inner home junction signal) being able to route a train into platform 2.

Y2 - route 1 plain green (normal points settings) = platform 2
- route 2 - diagonal route indicator = platform 3
- route 3 - horizontal route indicator = platform 5

Dropping the track (which would indicate the platform was occupied, whether it was or not, and thus not allow Y2 route 1 to clear) would seem to be the simplest way rather than collaring the Regulator's button and, I assume, it wouldn't be possible to collar Y2 lever in the IMR because it would still need to move for routes 2 and 3. 

[drico]

Mar 22, 2015 10:37:55 GMT Nortube said:

As the train was running to / from platform 2 under possession and thus ignoring signals, I assume that the track at platform 2 would have been dropped for the duration of the possession in order to prevent Y2 (the inner home junction signal) being able to route a train into platform 2.

Y2 - route 1 plain green (normal points settings) = platform 2
- route 2 - diagonal route indicator = platform 3
- route 3 - horizontal route indicator = platform 5

Dropping the track (which would indicate the platform was occupied, whether it was or not, and thus not allow Y2 route 1 to clear) would seem to be the simplest way rather than collaring the Regulator's button and, I assume, it wouldn't be possible to collar Y2 lever in the IMR because it would still need to move for routes 2 and 3. 

Levers in IMR's can not be collared.

[railtechnician]

Mar 22, 2015 10:37:55 GMT Nortube said:

As the train was running to / from platform 2 under possession and thus ignoring signals, I assume that the track at platform 2 would have been dropped for the duration of the possession in order to prevent Y2 (the inner home junction signal) being able to route a train into platform 2.

Y2 - route 1 plain green (normal points settings) = platform 2
- route 2 - diagonal route indicator = platform 3
- route 3 - horizontal route indicator = platform 5

Dropping the track (which would indicate the platform was occupied, whether it was or not, and thus not allow Y2 route 1 to clear) would seem to be the simplest way rather than collaring the Regulator's button and, I assume, it wouldn't be possible to collar Y2 lever in the IMR because it would still need to move for routes 2 and 3. 

Yep the lineman's possession form would show what track(s) was/were dropped (fuses removed) to maintain signals at danger thereby preventing the selection of routes as indicated in the EWSA. The EWSA would only mention which signals had to be maintained at danger, it was the lineman's job to determine how to achieve that and invariably included pulling track fuses but could also include other measures such as clipping and scotching points, removing valve stems to prevent the operation of trainstops, throwing of points etc but all such actions were recorded. As each site is unique there are guidelines as to how to effect the requirements but no specific rules other than the licensed level of competence of the lineman taking possession. Specific site familiarity was not a requirement back then! Indeed that was not an issue when I retired although I suspect it is nowadays.

Of course in those days competence was attained by passing the T2S training course and successfully completing several months 'glass enclosed' (gaining knowledge and experience in the grade while shadowed by existing linemen). These days linemen are trained via modular courses and moving through the grades as experience and competence in particular tasks is gained over a much longer period than the original 12 week training course and a few 'supervised' months in the field.

When I did the T2S course it was 19 weeks and there was no 'glass enclosed' period, however, we were thrown in the deep end immediately on PWay ops, track shunts, delta spreads, point and signal maintenance, failures, routine change, possessions etc and had to teach ourselves all those things that were left out of the training!