Level Crossings

[dodger]

Yes thats absolutly correct, they are operated manualy

[AlanL]

Yes the gates are operated manually, as they were at Cayton since the gatewheels were removed in the late 60s. BR and it's successors are always reluctant to part with gatewheels as they are useful for spares, the majority of those used on the NER being made by McKenzie & Holland.
As far as I remember the gates are locked by Annetts' Keys, which may mean there is an Annetts' Lock on the lever frame.Did you take any photos dodger? Annetts' Locks are hard to get.I used to have one (complete with a Key) but I gave it to the Wensleydale Railway for use on the groundframe at Leeming Bar. The Key is now being used as the single line staff on the Wensleydale.

[dodger]

Unfortunatly i didnt have my camera on me alan, but will try to get some this week as i am in that area all the time, will post them as soon as.

[AlanL]

Nice one dodger! BTW I think (Mike Elliot would know more about this) that the reason why the gatewheels were taken away is that 30 foot span gates cannot be worked by a wheel - the force necessary tove such a long span with a wheel is impossible?

[AlanL]

Ricgough said "The Box and Gates on the Brid line would be a real loss, but I have to question whether we wouldn't just be doing the same as many other HRP's and coming up with a pastiche of railway infrastructure which gives a false sense of the historical characteristics of the line."
I must have been overdoing the falling down water lately because I missed that post.
I couldn't agree more - many RPSes have what I would call the "train set mentality". For instance when I first visited Grosmont station in 1975 it was a relatively unspoilt NER country junction - a nice station building, one signal towards Pickering and a tiny wooden crossing box.
Now it has 3 platforms (2 of which are hardly ever used) several wooden buildings, a large signalbox and massed signal gantries.But the worst thing has to be the huge clock from Northallerton station which has been grafted onto the front of the beautiful station building - what were they thinking and how did they get planning permission? It is totally out of scale with the building.
The important thing to do is get the track down.If Station X needs 30 foot gates we can use those from Gristhorpe immediately.The signals can be used as fixed distants until they can be replaced by NER pattern slotted posts such as the Finghall Lane Up Distant which survives (though not used) on the Wensleydale railway.
The only reason you need actual working signals is if you need to pass trains, and that will be some years away!

[Will]

The only reason you need actual working signals is if you need to pass trains, and that will be some years away!

The signals at Gristhorpe aren't much use if you need to pass trains - neither are the ones at Lebberston for that matter!

[AlanL]

I mean if you want to "pass" trains in the sense of having 2 trains pass each other in a "passing loop" on a single line, as they do on the York - Harrogate line. If you work the line as "One Engine In Steam" you don't need "working" signals but you can have "fixed" Distant signals to give the driver advanced warning when he is approaching a level crossing for example.

[Ricgough]

Hmm, explains the Tanfield setup. Essentially, 3 miles of single track with run-around loop at either end protected by fixed distants. Passing loop / 2 platformsat the centre-point with yard access all controlled by a box.

They could run 1 train without manning the box or 2 with a signalman - but they rarely operated passenger services without the box being staffed. Filming/p-way/stock test-runs/maintenance/private hire were usually all done 1 engine in steam and the crew operating gates and groundframes. Just needed the Key/staff.

[AlanL]

A run round loop doesn't need "home" signals because only one traction unit/engine can use it.The line is divided into 2 Staff Sections - "Sunniside to Andrews House" and "Andrews House to East Tanfield".Since only one train can be in each Staff Section at a time there is no need for any other signals at the terminii other than Fixed Distants to warn the Drivers that they are approaching the end of the line.
The Wensleydale have no working signals on their 22 mile line but they have a "runround loop" at Constable Burton - not the same as a "passing loop" and cannot be used to pass 2 trains.

[AlanL]

BTW in a case where they wanted to run the line as "One Engine In Steam" (OEIS) it would simply be a matter of attaching the 2 Staffs to each other and leaving the signals at "Clear" in each direction.In this pic at Tyndrum Upper the train is running past a clear signal in the wrong direction because the signalbox is "switched out".