Training - Degraded Operations

 After a few weeks of high winds, rain and hail the gods were in our favour on Friday when we assembled on Weybourne Station for the first Operations Training session for this season. There was quite a number of people, ranging from Signalmen to Guards, Diesel & Steam loco crews and several inspectors.

Pilotman Working

After tea, we split into two groups and the DMU arrived at Platform 1. I was assigned to Group A and we climbed aboard and ran up to Holt, where the signalmen huddled into the signal box to play out a signal failure scenario which would require Pilotman working.

A Pilotman is essentially a 'human tablet' who authorises a train into section when the tablet system has failed, perhaps, as happened to a train I was on a couple of years ago, there has been a power outage at Weybourne which locked the tablet in the signal box.

This doesn't affect loco crew too much - essentially you take authority from the Pilotman to proceed into section, but you don't have to fill in the paperwork - that's the signalman's job.

Point Winding

Back in Weybourne, with the scenario complete, we swapped places with group B and went to do some manual point winding with Operations Supervisor Peter.

I've done an MIC on manual point winding, so I won't talk about it again here - except to say that Peter made the point that if possible, the point lever in the signal box or ground frame should always be set to the position the point is wound to, such that when the power comes back on the point does not try and make an unexpected move; secondly, if the point is clipped and scotched (which it should be) the motor will probably blow a fuse somewhere if the point is trying to move - which will be a call to S&T to get it fixed.

While we were there, I took this picture of one of the crossover points at Weybourne - showing you quite why there is a 5 mph temporary speed restriction (TSR) over that point: it's very worn and is due for replacement soon.

Peter demonstrated clipping a point. Before you clip a point, you should put a wooden scotch in the gap between the stock rail and the other switch blade, to stop it moving unexpectedly. You can then clip it safely.

An unexpected stop

After lunch, Group A returned to the DMU for the next scenario. This time, we took a trip up the line and came to an unexpected halt on the bank - conversations between the guard and the driver revealed nothing mechanically amiss and no obstruction on the line, but the brakes had come on - through no action of the guard or the driver. A walk through the train revealed the emergency chain had been operated in the toilet compartment, operating the Pas-Com valve in the trailer car and allowing air into the brake pipe, bring the brakes smoothly on.

This chain has been operated...

Triggered Pas-Com valve

With the Pas-Com valve reset and the brakes operational again, the train resumed it's journey to Holt where the guard reported our late arrival to the Signalman.

Failed Train

Departing Holt to return to Sheringham, we came to a second unexpected stop. This time, the driver reported that both engines were dead and couldn't be restarted - we were going to have to fail the train.

Making a call to the Signalman revealed that we would be rescued from Weybourne, so we made arrangements to secure the train, left the guard in charge of the passengers and as observers accompanied the Driver to Weybourne signal box, protecting the train in that direction at the prescribed 300 yards with two red flags and a man left to look after them:

It was a nice day for a walk!

We arrived at Weybourne signal box where the Driver introduced himself and described his situation, the Signalman repeating the information to confirm his understanding. We then met Driver Nick, with the Class 08 D3940; DMU Driver Steve briefed Nick on what was required, where we had failed and how our train was protected and we crammed ourselves into the small cab of the Class 08 and proceeded up the line.

Driver Steve had disconnected the driveshafts to both the bogies on our power car, so since we were 'dead' the token was taken by Driver Nick who hauled us back to Weybourne for a tea break.

A bit of Shunting

Disconnecting himself from the DMU, Driver Nick's next job was to re-join Group A in the yard to do a bit of shunting. 

Now, let's get this straight. This is a Class 08 shunting locomotive, or Station Pilot:

The man that drives it is called a Driver or a Pilot Driver - and a 'Shunter' is a man on the ground with a radio, a lamp, or very active hands controlling the whole show.

Safety is always the most important thing on the railway, and one of the most important things to do to be able to carry out a shunting movement safely is to plan the movement thoroughly and then to communicate the plan, and the specific instructions for the movement accurately and clearly.

The plan was to move the restaurant car from the bay road to the carriage & wagon shed road. The first job was to make sure the vehicle was fit to move, so we walked around it checking that the buffers were ready to be used with a screw coupling (i.e. the collars were fitted and they were in their 'long' position), that there were no NTBM boards fitted and that there were scotches in the wheels or that the brakes were on. Actually, the brake cylinders had been bled down and there were two scotches fitted to the sea-side Sheringham end bogie.

Satisfied that the vehicle was safe to buffer up to, we hooked-on and connected the vacuum bag from the Class 08. With the exhauster running, you can hear the brake cylinders charging - there is a little ball valve that buzzes.

With the brakes under the control of the loco, we could remove one of the scotches; the Shunter asked the Driver, using the radio, to 'move away' one foot such that we could remove the other scotch. That done, we instructed the driver to 'move away' into the headshunt, switched the manual point and then asked him to 'come towards' until the vehicle was in it's final resting place in the carriage & wagon road.

And that, pretty much, was the end of a useful day - I learned a lot, particularly through seeing events first hand that I had only read about in the Rule Book.