1363

ical, hopefully the keeper won't drop one outside on a dark night!

BELOW: The Ups and Downs of working in Denton

n Village Gate Box: the traditional block indicators.

BELOW: The pedestrian walkway - those with good eyesight wil

ll spot the furry feline perhaps wondering where the catwalk is?

Traditional standard Absolute Block 'Train in Section/Train Approaching Section' indicators are fixed to
an inside wall of the cabin. A TRUST (Train Running System on TOPS - British Rail's Total Operations
Processing System) screen is on the crossing keeper's desk and a modern key lock instrument is
provided with 'Train Approaching' lights. It is suspected, but unconfirmed, that the last are lit when the
Absolute Block indicators show either 'Train Approaching Section' or 'Train in Section'; it is possible
also that they are operated independently by treadles or track circuits. The key lock instrument also
has an emergency replacement switch which turns signals LR7413 and LR7416 to red if it is operated.

The keeper monitors rail traffic on the TRUST screen and is able to take the keys out (if there are no
trains approaching) to open the gates to road traffic at will. Before the Low Row signaller can clear
signals for a train, they must check that the 'F' (Free) indication is showing above the Denton Village
'Key Lock Release' switch on the panel and turn the switch from 'R' to 'N' (presumably 'Released' and
'Normal' respectively) to lock the instrument at Denton Village and prevent the keys being removed.

If the keys are out of Denton Village instrument, the 'F' indication is extinguished on the Low Row
panel. In this situation the Low Row signaller would not be able to revert the control to 'N'. (The switch
itself could presumably physically be moved from 'R' to 'N' but the indication would remain at 'R').
This then means that the signaller would be unable to clear the signals for a train in either direction.

Denton Village, along with the other locations on the line, is staffed 24 hours Monday to Friday and
normally closes Saturday and Sunday nights. When it is to close, following the late shift on Saturday or
Sunday, there is a procedure to go through: the gates are left opened to road traffic, and padlocked
open to wooden posts. The crossing keeper then confirms to Low Row that the gates are open to road
traffic, and the gate box can then close; this cannot happen if the keys are still in the instrument.
With the gates padlocked open to the road, the keys are, of course, trapped in the key locks on the
gate posts and can't be removed until the gates are closed again to road traffic which releases them.

When a train is approaching the crossing, the route is approach-locked and again the 'F' light on Low
Row panel will extinguish so the signaller cannot release the keys by turning the switch back to 'R'.

After the train has passed over the crossing, the 'F' light illuminates again and the Low Row signaller

will normally turn the switch back to 'R' immediately (they do not wait for a request from Denton

Village). This is implemented with the normal signalling track circuits; there are no 'Moreton-on-Lugg'

style treadles at the crossing. The crossing also has wicket gates on both sides which are not controlled

in any way. Pedestrians may use these and cross at any time (following the usual 'Stop, Look, Listen'

procedure) without involving the crossing keeper and a section of the road bed on the Carlisle side of

the road is segregated off for pedestrians by means of a painted white line. (...to be continued.)

X.201] BELOW: An incredibly rare crossover! Guess the Location - answer in BLN 1364. (Sam Dixon.)

1363 CONNECTIONS (Paul Stewart)
[email protected]

X.202] Railway Benefit Fund: The online Christmas
store is now open including the usual wide
selection of Christmas cards, calendars e-cards etc
https://www.railwaybenefitfund.org.uk/shop/

3080] Down-storing: Modern Railways for 40 years,
(just 5 missing) in need of a new home. Also 30 UK
railway timetables, assorted dates, 1987-2012. All in
cardboard boxes. Items used and free to collect, the lot,
or just specific batches, from near Waterloo. David
Thomas [email protected] or any postal
enquiries via the Editor. Re: BLN 1360.2658 (5 Sep 2020)
our member Ronald Jackson still has the railway
periodical available as described but will split. Collect
Southgate, London N14; [email protected] or
postal enquires via your BLN Editor.

X.203] Twelveheads Press: Despite Covid, they are
still open for business and able to supply their full
range of books promptly by post with several on
branch lines, narrow gauge and railway features.
See: www.twelveheads.com for details or write for
list to: 2 Cae Newydd, St Nicholas, Cardiff, CF5 6FF.

BELOW: Roy Turner (centre) with other Society members Charles Moseley (left) and Chris Tennant
(right) at Ronse SNCB (the National railway company of Belgium) in 1994. (Thanks to Charles Mosley.)

3081] Roy B Turner 'Tubby': Roy passed away suddenly at home in mid-September just before his
67th birthday. He had been an active and keen member (No1551) of the Society since joining in
May 1983. In his earlier days he was a Midland Rail Fan member. His grandfather was an engine
driver at Walsall (Ryecroft) shed in steam days and his late father (a BLS member) a clerk at Long
Eaton. Roy joined our Committee as Sales Officer from Nov 1985 until Nov 1997, a duty which he
discharged faithfully and productively with great interest and attention to detail. During his time
in this office, he was master of the heavy sales suitcase which was usually supported by a couple
of equally heavy book filled holdalls, always requiring assistance from unsuspecting travellers to
move them between the boot of his car and the tour train office, often without the use of station
lifts. His sales efforts were much appreciated by the Treasurer and as a service by our members.

Roy was a mild-mannered gentle man and offered good company in the confines of the tour train,
with much discussion as to which crossover may have just been traversed. His seating bay was
often notable, in the days before real ales were available from the buffet, for a display of bottled
beers ready to share with his travelling companions once the sun had climbed over the yardarm!

Roy's first 'foreign' tour was our 1993 'Tour de Luxe' (in Luxembourg). When the train stopped
near Wasserbillig on the German border, he promptly walked to the back of the train to avoid
reaching DB metals only to find on return that his seat was adjacent to a catenary post with 'DB'
clearly stamped on it! This set him on the slippery path and he soon became an inveterate cross
channel traveller, covering many obscure bits of Benelux track by service trains and tours, as well
as amassing lots of haulage, especially in the Brussels rush hour. His restraint at Wasserbillig was
to little avail as he later started on a quest to complete all the German track. Unfortunately, this
was never achieved, as his father's later ill health precluded long trips away from home.

He was a man of modest words, though he could speak forthrightly if the need arose, and his
brief but concise reports of sales activity to the Society AGMs certainly didn't require the
Chairman's guillotine. More recently, Roy had taken to booking First Class when available and
could be found on most Society tours and visits, and invariably at the 'right' end of every train.
The size of the systems he did visit depended on the size of stock he would have to travel in/on.

For many the last time they saw Roy was before Lockdown when he donned a high-viz vest for a
trial of stewarding on our 13-15 March railtours (the 'Power of Aire' and associated tours from/to
Carnforth). He also wrote the BLN report for the Friday 13th tour (BLN 1353.1652) and, even after
that weekend, said that he was looking forward to volunteering for future stewarding duties.

On 29 Aug a member who had just done the Wembley bidirectional move and Watford Junction
P10 was on his way to do Kent House and Hounslow crossovers. He briefly 'bumped into' Roy
(you couldn't miss him) at Clapham Junction who was doing these same moves but the other way
round and he seemed to be his usual jovial self. (Roy keenly embraced the art of Microgricing.)

From a small family, Roy was a bachelor. Since his father died some years ago, he had lived alone
in the family house in the Rushall area of Walsall where he was found in early September.

He had expected to retire in January next, after 50 years working with the same Company (now
part of Siemens) in the electrical component industry. Roy Turner was a wonderful character with
a great sense of humour who will be very much missed by his travelling companions and Society
members who deem it a privilege and pleasure to have known him. [Thanks to various members.]

CONTACT DETAILS: See BLN 1350 centre pages, e-BLN 1350 2nd & 3rd pages, website PDF or via the Editor.

●Editor: Paul Stewart, 4 Clarence Close, MALVERN, WR14 3HX. 01684562862 07790652351. [email protected]
●Fixtures Secretary: Kev Adlam [email protected] @BLSGeneralSec (Any post via BLN Editor above please.)

●BLS Sales: Graeme Jolley [email protected] Dolbryn, Penegoes, Machynlleth, Powys, SY20 8NN. 07484646542.
● MAPS: By permission of the National Library of Scotland http://maps.nls.uk/index.html ●Printed by Willow Printing & Design Ltd,

75/79 Back Cross Lane, NEWTON-LE-WILLOWS, WA12 9YE [email protected] 01925222449 https://goo.gl/X6aQBA
●Published by the Branch Line Society, 10 Sandringham Rd, Stoke Gifford, BS34 8NP. ISSN 1354-0947.