Oh What A Night
Set of photos of pages from an old Special Traffic Notice detailing the arrangements in connection with the introduction of colour light signalling through East Croydon and Purley on the Brighton Main Line some 60 years ago in May 1955.
Fascinating stuff for me to see in the 18 page document including (in no particular order):-
Twelve hour clock.
Blackboards to be exhibited in prominent positions (page 2).
Yeovil Town to Gravesend Central milk train (page 2).
Coulsdon North station being open at weekends.
Victoria to provide brake van for Redhill portion of diverted 9.30pm Parcels from Victoria to Brighton (page 4).
Light engine movements to Bricklayers Arms Shed.
'Road motor' replacement for staff between various locations.
4.45am & 4.50am (Pass & News) from London Bridge being diverted via the Mid Kent line, Selsdon and Oxted as well as running south of East Grinstead to Horsted Keynes and then via Ardingly to Haywards Heath. (page 9).
5.15am (Pass & News) from East Croydon to Bognor Regis starting from London Bridge and running via the Mid Kent line, Oxted, Crowhurst Spur to Edenbridge, where a Turnover Engine (TE) took the train to Redhill where another 'TE' took the train on towards the Sussex coast '8 minutes later thence' (page 9).
9.28pm (Pass & Postal) from Margate to Cannon Street running via Edenbridge, Crowhurst Spur, Oxted, Selsdon and the Mid Kent line (page 10).
The interesting freight movements on pages 14 & 15 (including empty wooden mineral wagons to Merstham) with trains either being worked by Electric Locos (EL) or Steam Hauled (SH). Some of the freights were revised to run via Horsham and Shorehan by Sea via Steyning.
District Inspector Anscombe had a busy couple of nights being in attendance at Horsham Yard from 11.0pm Saturday and Three bridges Yard from 10.0pm Sunday.
For me I think the best part is the simplicity of it all, just an 18 page traffic notice for introduction of colour light signalling over one Saturday night. 60 years on of course and there would now be Project Managers and the like and the line would be shut all weekend. Still at least things are more efficient now aren't they!................
Oh What A Night
Set of photos of pages from an old Special Traffic Notice detailing the arrangements in connection with the introduction of colour light signalling through East Croydon and Purley on the Brighton Main Line some 60 years ago in May 1955.
Fascinating stuff for me to see in the 18 page document including (in no particular order):-
Twelve hour clock.
Blackboards to be exhibited in prominent positions (page 2).
Yeovil Town to Gravesend Central milk train (page 2).
Coulsdon North station being open at weekends.
Victoria to provide brake van for Redhill portion of diverted 9.30pm Parcels from Victoria to Brighton (page 4).
Light engine movements to Bricklayers Arms Shed.
'Road motor' replacement for staff between various locations.
4.45am & 4.50am (Pass & News) from London Bridge being diverted via the Mid Kent line, Selsdon and Oxted as well as running south of East Grinstead to Horsted Keynes and then via Ardingly to Haywards Heath. (page 9).
5.15am (Pass & News) from East Croydon to Bognor Regis starting from London Bridge and running via the Mid Kent line, Oxted, Crowhurst Spur to Edenbridge, where a Turnover Engine (TE) took the train to Redhill where another 'TE' took the train on towards the Sussex coast '8 minutes later thence' (page 9).
9.28pm (Pass & Postal) from Margate to Cannon Street running via Edenbridge, Crowhurst Spur, Oxted, Selsdon and the Mid Kent line (page 10).
The interesting freight movements on pages 14 & 15 (including empty wooden mineral wagons to Merstham) with trains either being worked by Electric Locos (EL) or Steam Hauled (SH). Some of the freights were revised to run via Horsham and Shorehan by Sea via Steyning.
District Inspector Anscombe had a busy couple of nights being in attendance at Horsham Yard from 11.0pm Saturday and Three bridges Yard from 10.0pm Sunday.
For me I think the best part is the simplicity of it all, just an 18 page traffic notice for introduction of colour light signalling over one Saturday night. 60 years on of course and there would now be Project Managers and the like and the line would be shut all weekend. Still at least things are more efficient now aren't they!................