The variety of Station Buffers

[32475]

I’ve never really given much thought to the design or variety of station buffers until I was passing time at Glasgow Central yesterday and this mighty pair caught my eye on platforms 10 and 11. I presume they are hydraulic and certainly look fit for purpose, but it makes me wonder how much variety of buffer designs there must be around the UK rail network.
Any thoughts or observations anyone?

 

[Pseudonym]

They certainly look well engineered.
Some seem to be nothing more than a hefty lump of wood painted red.
Interesting to know what decides which type of buffer - presumably some regional variation - but anything else?

 

[Gloster]

I would think that over the years buffers have got more sophisticated and powerful: the types you see now have been installed over many years and were sometimes the latest design, while at other locations they would have been whatever was available. They probably remain in place for many years, so there are many variants of gradually evolving and improving designs. When they are replaced there would be a risk assessment, although in days of yore this would probably often consist of someone looking at it and saying, “I reckon we need a type X.” The decision would be made after taking into account the gradient, whether trains run into the line or are just shunted there, whether it is a passenger line, how often it is used, etc.: large hydraulic buffers are excessive for a siding normally used for just the odd van, while a platform line that sees terminating trains would need more than just a simple rail-built one. And of course hydraulic buffers have the advantage of bringing a train to a halt less suddenly than simpler ones, but they are too expensive to fit everywhere.

 

[GLC]

Those buffers you saw are indeed hydraulic. You can see a video of them being tested here Network Rail Scotland on Twitter: " It's buffer stop testing time at Glasgow Central... Here's how we test the hydraulic buffers on P1, 6 and 7 once a year. Full marks all round. ✅✅✅ @DBCargoUK https://t.co/H7865h7eU7" / Twitter

 

[Ken H]

The ones at St Pancras when new provided hydraulic power to the lifts. urban myth?

 

[swt_passenger]

The ones at St Pancras when new provided hydraulic power to the lifts. urban myth?

Greater London Industrial Archeology Society say myth:

The 'urban myth' of the lifts at St Pancras Station being powered by trains hitting the buffers is, of course, complete nonsense. The bizarre notion that drivers would deliberately speed up as they approached the buffers beggars belief. Even in Victorian times the Railway Inspectorate would never allow such a dangerous practice. This whole idea does not stand up to chronological or technical scrutiny.

Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society

The Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society is a registered charity founded in 1968 dedicated to exploring, recording and explaining the industrial sites of London

www.glias.org.uk

 

[Railsigns]

I remember when those hydraulic buffer stops at Glasgow Central were all left with broken castings after one cold night during their second winter in the 'care' of Railtrack, for lack of antifreeze.

 

[32475]

Thanks for your observations all. I think from now on I’ll pay buffers much more attention than I have in the past.

 

[edwin_m]

I would think that over the years buffers have got more sophisticated and powerful: the types you see now have been installed over many years and were sometimes the latest design, while at other locations they would have been whatever was available. They probably remain in place for many years, so there are many variants of gradually evolving and improving designs. When they are replaced there would be a risk assessment, although in days of yore this would probably often consist of someone looking at it and saying, “I reckon we need a type X.” The decision would be made after taking into account the gradient, whether trains run into the line or are just shunted there, whether it is a passenger line, how often it is used, etc.: large hydraulic buffers are excessive for a siding normally used for just the odd van, while a platform line that sees terminating trains would need more than just a simple rail-built one. And of course hydraulic buffers have the advantage of bringing a train to a halt less suddenly than simpler ones, but they are too expensive to fit everywhere.

First choice these days is often sliding friction buffers. These can have extra sliders attached to the rail behind them so if the stops move by more than a certain distance they start moving those too, which increases the friction progressively as they slide further. However they do need a lot of length behind them, which may not always be available. Occasionally buffers are able to slide under the platform behind them, lifting sections of it - presumably it's expected anyone standing there will have seen the train coming and got out of the way! Manchester Piccadilly and St Pancras are examples of this, and I think Glasgow Queen Street may have it too.

 

[swt_passenger]

Occasionally buffers are able to slide under the platform behind them, lifting sections of it - presumably it's expected anyone standing there will have seen the train coming and got out of the way! Manchester Piccadilly and St Pancras are examples of this, and I think Glasgow Queen Street may have it too.

They call this a “frangible deck”. There’s also some good photos of the setup in the thread about the new platforms at Edinburgh Waverley:

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/possible-plans-for-edinburgh-waverley-station.123351/page-28#post-3845102

The last photo in that post shows the area behind the buffers visible with the friction clamps in place, subsequent posts further in the thread, eg #870, show the area with its movable floor in place.

 

[pdeaves]

They call this a “frangible deck”. There’s some good photos of the setup in the thread about the new platforms at Edinburgh Waverley. (Will add a link.’

For interest's sake, there's one at St Erth behind the rebuilt bay platform, too.

 

[swt_passenger]

For interest's sake, there's one at St Erth behind the rebuilt bay platform, too.

I bet there’s quite a significant number if we had a good search!

 

[Ken H]

Who else didnt read the title of this thread properly and was ready to talk of coffee, sandwiches and pork pies?
Just me then......

 

[themiller]

The ones at platforms 7&8 at Carlisle appear to be pneumatic. They may be out of action at the moment as there are wooden sleepers chained across each track a way short of the permanent ones.

 

[Ploughman]

Not Station Buffers but normal yard varieties.
Subject to testing back in 1945.

Watch Buffer Stop Tests at Bradford - BFI Player

What with all the loose shunting, it isn’t surprising that buffer stops were given a gruelling examination, although both the buffers and the tests are rather unconvincing.

player.bfi.org.uk

 

[Gloster]

Not Station Buffers but normal yard varieties.
Subject to testing back in 1945.

Watch Buffer Stop Tests at Bradford - BFI Player

What with all the loose shunting, it isn’t surprising that buffer stops were given a gruelling examination, although both the buffers and the tests are rather unconvincing.

player.bfi.org.uk

A fascinating bit of film, although I doubt if the experiment added a great deal to what PW engineers had learned over the years by experience. Very much of the time is the way that the wagons have an inscription neatly painted on in italic script saying they were Derailment Wagons. One wonders if whoever loaned them to the Civil Engineer was happy about the condition they ended up in.

 

[james73]

Those buffers you saw are indeed hydraulic. You can see a video of them being tested here Network Rail Scotland on Twitter: " It's buffer stop testing time at Glasgow Central... Here's how we test the hydraulic buffers on P1, 6 and 7 once a year. Full marks all round. ✅✅✅ @DBCargoUK https://t.co/H7865h7eU7" / Twitter

All original 13 high level platforms as Glasgow Central used to have those hydraulic buffers. Platforms 2 & 3 and 4 & 5 lost theirs when the platforms were shortended around 1985 to accommodate the new dot matrix departure baord. Platforms 12 & 13 lost theirs after that, possibly when they added the exit on platform 13 for the adjacent car park to increase access space. Only platforms 1, 6 & 7, 8 & 9, and 10 & 11 still have them.

Years ago, the set on platform 9(?) were being tested and one of the pistons stayed in the fully retracted position. No one wanted to go near it in case it shot out suddenly! Turns out the fluid had leaked out and no one had noticed.