As some of you may have been aware, the signaller at Liskeard became seriously ill and required an ambulance earlier today. This resulted in all trains through Liskeard’s area being brought to a stand and the box temporarily closed until a relief signaller became available. It has now been confirmed that unfortunately the signaller at Liskeard passed away whilst on duty. Greatest condolences to their friends and family.
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Liskeard signaller update
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Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
Awful news. Condolences to all their family and friends.
323235
Established Member
How awful and a reminder of how fragile life is.
Bungle158
Member
RIP I used to work on that line.
Signal_Box
Member
Sending our deepest condolences from Wales route.
Deafdoggie
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My uncle worked as a signaller on the WCML and was taken ill on duty once*. Although he survived, he never worked again.
But his box was simply "switched out" till the next shift signaller came on. Can't all boxes be switched out? Or are some required to be permanently on?
Thoughts with the family of the signaller in Liskeard.
*For those interested, my uncle had an epileptic fit (never had one before) whilst on night shift. A train came to a stand at a red light & couldn't get an answer on the phone, so the driver walked to the box & found my uncle in a confused & dazed state and had bit his tongue so was bleeding from his mouth. It caused worry when the early shift signaller reported for duty, found the box abandoned and blood on the floor! Fortunately the book was signed by the BR area manager "signaller relieved from duty-sick" They were never able to control my uncles fits and he continued having them around once a month for the rest of his life.
But his box was simply "switched out" till the next shift signaller came on. Can't all boxes be switched out? Or are some required to be permanently on?
Thoughts with the family of the signaller in Liskeard.
*For those interested, my uncle had an epileptic fit (never had one before) whilst on night shift. A train came to a stand at a red light & couldn't get an answer on the phone, so the driver walked to the box & found my uncle in a confused & dazed state and had bit his tongue so was bleeding from his mouth. It caused worry when the early shift signaller reported for duty, found the box abandoned and blood on the floor! Fortunately the book was signed by the BR area manager "signaller relieved from duty-sick" They were never able to control my uncles fits and he continued having them around once a month for the rest of his life.
Brissle Girl
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I would expect you need a competent signaller in the box to switch it out? So until such a person arrived it wouldn’t be possible.
And clearly, the immediate and paramount priority would be attending to the medical emergency.
My thoughts are with the family of the deceased.
Not all boxes could be switched out and it is fewer and fewer as control areas get larger. Depends what method of working is used either side and how complex the control area is. One or more level crossings being controlled or supervised inevitably rules it out. Liskeard can't switch out. It is a TCB fringe to Plymouth panel.
norbitonflyer
Established Member
Even if switching out were possible, it needs someone there to do it - probably outside the competence of an ambulance crew. Looks from RTT as if trains were delayed by about 80 minutes. (Trains stopped at St Germans and Bodmin Parkway about 1030, on their way before noon) From the time the signaller became incapacitated, to alerting Control, to getting someone to the box to either switch it out or take over, seems reasonably prompt in the circumstances. (Plymouth is 20 miles away, albeit the A38 is a pretty fast road)
Gloster
Established Member
As said, Liskeard is now the fringe box to Plymouth panel and fringe boxes cannot switch out because they are the interface, for want of a better word, between two different types of signalling, in this case Track Circuit and Absolute Blocks. Many years ago, on the few occasions I worked Liskeard, it did switch out and the Absolute Block section became St Germans-Largin, both now being closed.
Llanigraham
On Moderation
My condolences to his family and colleagues.
Fortunately a rare occurrence although Onlbury Box had to close mid shift a couple of years ago when the resident got taken ill, closing the Marches Line for a short period.
Very few Boxes can now be switched out, and certainly can't if they control any type of level crossings. Between Shrewsbury and Hereford only Dorrington can be.
Fortunately a rare occurrence although Onlbury Box had to close mid shift a couple of years ago when the resident got taken ill, closing the Marches Line for a short period.
Very few Boxes can now be switched out, and certainly can't if they control any type of level crossings. Between Shrewsbury and Hereford only Dorrington can be.
Y Ddraig Coch
Established Member
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Very sad indeed. Condolences to anyone who knew them.
Question...... There are spare turn drivers etc, that sit and wait to see if they are needed, is there any such thing with signalers or is it a matter of ringing around and finding someone prepared to come in at short notice?
Question...... There are spare turn drivers etc, that sit and wait to see if they are needed, is there any such thing with signalers or is it a matter of ringing around and finding someone prepared to come in at short notice?
Signal_Box
Member
No, relief signallers may be spare at large locations but generally single manned locations will have to wait for a competent MOM to arrive or someone from another location.
Deafdoggie
Established Member
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Good point, I hadn't thought of that!
I hadn't realised boxes had to be compatible as it were.
Liskeard works Track Circuit Block in both direction, it is the change in means of train description. Liskeard to Lostwithiel trains are described by block bell, however to Plymouth it is by Train Describer.
Gloster
Established Member
Ah, I thought that Lostwithiel’s panel only went to the east end of Largin and the section beyond was still Absolute Block. Though that is logical, as on the Down you would have wait until the train arrived at Lostwithiel before you could give Train Out of Section, unless there was a Train Arrived button at Bodmin Road. Of course, the Up could still be Absolute Block east of Largin as there wouldn’t be much of a time penalty. (In my day I think it was Absolute all the way beyond St Germans, although with idiosyncrasies.)
DaventryRabbit
Member
So So Sad
My Condolences to all involved
My Condolences to all involved
Very sad indeed.
There was a very close call at one of the rural boxes on the Lincoln - Barnetby line in the last year or two where the signaller had a cardiac arrest and was basically saved by the driver of a passenger train which stopped at his home signal who walked up to investigate when they couldn't get in contact and was joined ASAP by the MOM and the signaller from the next box who came to help.
godfreycomplex
Established Member
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Very sad news and deepest condolences to their loved ones.
MadMac
Member
Same happened at Cowlairs many years ago. Single manned overnight, driver was stopped at a signal and got no answer on the phone, went up and found out that the signalman had suffered a heart attack. He subsequently recovered.
The Puddock
Member
I remember a few years ago that happened the other way round, a driver shunting units at a station alone at night told the signaller he felt a bit off and would be taking a break before the next move. The signaller became worried after not hearing anything more for a while and left the signalbox to investigate - he found the driver had collapsed with a heart attack in the cab and managed to get medical help for him just in time.
Deaths in service are always very sad. I’ve known quite a few signallers over the years who have died either after suddenly becoming unwell in the box or away from work following short illnesses. It seems to me that it is becoming more frequent in the last ten or so years, which may be a result of the age profile of the signalling workforce.
MadMac
Member
That’s a good point re the age profile. Older men in what can be a physically demanding job with unsocial hours isn’t a good mix.
High Dyke
Established Member
Saddened to hear this.
There was a report into an accident some years ago, which went into the health of two signalling staff. One suffered from digestive issues from bolting meals in between trains and a hernia from pulling over stiff levers. Another was a member of staff who had been the operator of a box that had closed. He was given the job, which was usually given to a youth of noting down the train movements. His health had gone into decline caused by the change of duties and he died shortly after the accident enquiry concluded.
Sadly I think it’s pretty well known that shift work, and especially extreme railway shift work, is incredibly bad for you. In this industry it’s all too easy to adopt bad habits and neglect one’s health - hence the need to try to maintain fitness from a youngish age.
DaveHarries
Established Member
A work colleague of mine was on an errand to St. Austell yesterday and had to get back by train but was one of those delayed. While waiting for that train he queried the reason for the delay and was told by a member of staff how the signaller's passing had come about. I won't mention the cause of death that my colleague was told of (he and I are both non-railway workers) on this forum although it has been posted elsewhere.
Very sad news though and my condolences to her (or so I heard) friends and family at this time.
Dave
Llanigraham
On Moderation
Hernias due to "heavy pulls" were quite common. We had 2 signallers at my Box who suffered due to this. It got to the stage at one stage that we threatened not to pull one lever unless the problem was solved; the cable run went through 2 bramble bushes and two quadrants where it crossed the line. The bramble bushes are still there now!
I certainly put on weight during my 10 years in the Box, because you ended up eating snacks and things as even with only 4 trains an hour there wasn't enough time to have a proper meal. You could manage it on a night shift but only if you waited until the last passenger train had cleared, but that wasn't until 2330.
I damaged my hand on a night shift, rupturing a tendon in my right hand sqeezing the lever release. Managed to finish the night shift (just) but never went back to work and still have a weak right hand 12 years later. Found out that NR had never included that action in the Risk Assessment so ended up sueing them for an Industrial Injury that they paid out on the day before the Hearing.