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Loughborough Central Signalling

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ryan125hst

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I have a couple of questions about the signalling at Loughborough Central on the Great Central Railway.

Firstly, the signal box is located at the locomotive shed end of the station and therefore the signalman can't see the rear of trains entering the platforms or the down loop. Therefore, he can't confirm that the train has arrived complete by checking the tail lamp. Is a train arrived complete plunger provided on these platforms and in the down loop, or does the guard have to ring the signalman once the train has arrived?

My other question is regarding shunting. Looking at the signal box diagram (photos attached from when I went in the box during an IET visit back in 2015), the down main has a signalled route into platforms 1 and 2 and into the down loop (signals 47, 48 and 46 respectively) as well as a subsidiary signal allowing access into the down loop (signal 31). However, it appears that the only subsidiary route into the platforms is from the subsidary signals on the up main. Am I correct in saying that all locos that need to be dropped onto a set of coaches will have to move out to this signal to shunt back into the platform? It also appears that permissive working in the platforms isn't possible from the down main as a result?
 

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Flying Phil

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I'm not an expert but, re the first question, I believe either the guard from the train, or authorised station staff, ring the signal box to confirm the arrival of a complete train.
I'm sure an S & T person will be along soon....
 

John Webb

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I have a couple of questions about the signalling at Loughborough Central on the Great Central Railway.

Firstly, the signal box is located at the locomotive shed end of the station and therefore the signalman can't see the rear of trains entering the platforms or the down loop. Therefore, he can't confirm that the train has arrived complete by checking the tail lamp. Is a train arrived complete plunger provided on these platforms and in the down loop, or does the guard have to ring the signalman once the train has arrived?

My other question is regarding shunting. Looking at the signal box diagram (photos attached from when I went in the box during an IET visit back in 2015), the down main has a signalled route into platforms 1 and 2 and into the down loop (signals 47, 48 and 46 respectively) as well as a subsidiary signal allowing access into the down loop (signal 31). However, it appears that the only subsidiary route into the platforms is from the subsidary signals on the up main. Am I correct in saying that all locos that need to be dropped onto a set of coaches will have to move out to this signal to shunt back into the platform? It also appears that permissive working in the platforms isn't possible from the down main as a result?
Your photo of the diagram shows a 'Guards' telephone on platform 1 which would communicate with the box.

I've not been on this railway so haven't seen how they run locos round, but it seems logical that they go out onto the up main and are signalled back onto a train by the appropriate subsidiary signal.
 

Tomnick

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This would be an ideal application for a 'train arrived complete' plunger, but unfortunately one isn't provided! It's for the Guard (or Fireman of a light engine) to advise that the train has arrived complete, and a telephone ("Guard's", on the diagram) is provided for that purpose.

There is indeed no signalled move from the Down Main into an occupied platform, and there is rarely any need for one. There's no signalled move out onto the Down Main in any case (such a move would be rather restrictive in practice anyway, as it would infringe the clearing point from Quorn), so anything running round or otherwise shunting has to use the Up Main.
 

edwin_m

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There's no signalled move out onto the Down Main in any case (such a move would be rather restrictive in practice anyway, as it would infringe the clearing point from Quorn), so anything running round or otherwise shunting has to use the Up Main.
Being unable to signal departures from it would appear to make the Down platform fairly useless, at least until the northward extension is complete.
 

Tomnick

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Being unable to signal departures from it would appear to make the Down platform fairly useless, at least until the northward extension is complete.
You can depart south from the Down platform (and indeed the Down Loop), with a main signal, but only towards the Up Main - there’s no shunt move out ‘bang road’.
 

Gostav

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I also want to know how they plan resignalling in the future when the gap is reunified.
 

ryan125hst

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This would be an ideal application for a 'train arrived complete' plunger, but unfortunately one isn't provided! It's for the Guard (or Fireman of a light engine) to advise that the train has arrived complete, and a telephone ("Guard's", on the diagram) is provided for that purpose.
Thanks for confirming. I suppose a quick call on the phone doesn't take too much longer. That being said, is there just the one phone provided for both platforms and the down loop? That might cause a bit of a delay if the guard has to check for the tail lamp and then walk from the down loop to platform 1.

There is indeed no signalled move from the Down Main into an occupied platform, and there is rarely any need for one. There's no signalled move out onto the Down Main in any case (such a move would be rather restrictive in practice anyway, as it would infringe the clearing point from Quorn), so anything running round or otherwise shunting has to use the Up Main.
Wouldn't having calling on arms on the signals into the platforms allow platform sharing of shorter trains (Railcar and DMU for example)? The other thing it prevents is having a loco arrive from Quorn and couple to the front of a train. I guess it never happens with the loco shed being at Loughborough so it's never been deemed as necessary. Where is the clearing point from Quorn exactly?

I also want to know how they plan resignalling in the future when the gap is reunified.
There are already fixed signals at the loco shed end of the platform that they'll presumably use to allow trains to head in the Nottingham direction.
 

Tomnick

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Thanks for confirming. I suppose a quick call on the phone doesn't take too much longer. That being said, is there just the one phone provided for both platforms and the down loop? That might cause a bit of a delay if the guard has to check for the tail lamp and then walk from the down loop to platform 1.
There isn't a dedicated phone in the Down Loop, but there are reasonably convenient SPTs that can be used, or on busy weekends (which is usually when you need the confirmation quickly!) there'll often be a shunter or movements inspector waiting to hook a loco on the rear, in radio communication with the Signalman, who can do the honours.
Wouldn't having calling on arms on the signals into the platforms allow platform sharing of shorter trains (Railcar and DMU for example)? The other thing it prevents is having a loco arrive from Quorn and couple to the front of a train. I guess it never happens with the loco shed being at Loughborough so it's never been deemed as necessary. Where is the clearing point from Quorn exactly?
It would help on the odd occasion, but I doubt it'd be justified on that basis alone. The clearing point is the Down Inner Home.
 

73128

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You can depart south from the Down platform (and indeed the Down Loop), with a main signal, but only towards the Up Main - there’s no shunt move out ‘bang road’.
and trains frequently do that, in my (limited) experience
 
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