Training - Sheringham East Signal Box Part 1

My Cleaner-Passed Cleaner training involves visits to the signal boxes and a trip out with the guard and since the railway is now running again, I can schedule some of these activities in.

This week, I am with signalman Robert who is showing me around Sheringham West box. I arrived at 09:00, intending to see the Light Engine arrive from Weybourne and then see the first train out - in the end, I saw the first train back in again and was a bit more involved than I dared hope.

The track layout at Sheringham is almost wholly protected by track circuits, as shown in the signal box diagram by the coloured tracks and black ovals, which light up in the real box when there is a vehicle in the circuit. This means you can operate the box to permit a train into and out of the various circuits without being able to see it, and that the presence of vehicles in the circuits force you to operate the box to protect those vehicles.

To begin with, Robert showed me the log book, the lever frame, the indicators and the various signalling buttons & bells. Today, the line was working on the long section staff since the boxes t Weybourne and Holt were both closed - this meant that there would be no bell communication with the other signalmen. This was a bit awkward, though I didn't know it at the time since to get this part of the training signed off I needed Weybourne to be open.

No matter, I'd be able to see several movements and operate the box myself.

Since the initial movement was Light Engine, and that engine was coming to collect a train already in platform 2, we were prevented from clearing the home signal when the engine arrived in track circuit A - the train would be permitted into the station under the warning arrangement, using the subsidiary signal. this also meant that all the shunting signals on the way in to the platforms could only be cleared when the train was in circuit.

In order to pull off the subsidiary, I needed to simultaneously operate the button to show the driver which platform he would be coming into.

I rang the platform bell twice to alert the platform staff to the fact that a train would be arriving into platform 2, and set the road using the crossover 9 and it's facing point lock 10. I set point 18 to prevent any vehicle on the loop from venturing into platform 2. As the engine passed the various signals I'd cleared, I reset the signals to danger pausing to go onto the balcony to collect the section staff from the driver. Robert showed me how to put this into the machine for use later.

Some time later, we could see the platform staff despatching the train and eventually heard the driver respond the guard with a whistle. I'd already 'given them the road' setting the platform 2 starter signal to clear, used the staff to clear the section starter and put the staff back in it's pouch. I went out onto the balcony to pass the staff to the driver and watch the train out, checking the doors couplings and the tail lamp. I set all the signals back to danger.

An hour later, the train appeared back in circuit A and since there was no train in the station we could clear the home signal and all the ground shunting signals to clear to allow him to draw unhindered into the station, collecting the token as he drew past.

Since the loco would be running around the train, we would have to set the crossover to the normal positoon.

After a few minutes during which the crew would have been unhooking, we heard the bell from the PIC-SE (Person in charge - Sheringham East) to request permission to operate the ground frame. We gave permission using lever 1 in the signal box, and heard the driver toot as he pulled forward for the run around. As he passed the ground frame, the PIC-SE gave us the bell signal to confirm the movement was complete and as the loco pulled into the platform 1 track circuit we cleared the platform 1 starter signal and he pulled alongside the box.

We returned the crossover to the reverse position and cleared the ground signal to let him back onto the train. This time, the driver stopped at the water crane which is forward of the platform starter. 

And that was all I had time for! Back to the real world until Wednesday when I have a cleaning turn.