Flashing Yellow Lights on S&C

[HMS Ark Royal]

On a whim last night, I decided to view the webcams for the S&C and noticed several flashing lights at both Ribblehead and Kirkby Stephen. At first I thought it was a lineside fire, but closer examination revealed the lights were coming from inside the track area. I was wondering for what purpose would lights have been placed on the ground between the track work?

 

[DarloRich]

possession markers?

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

That was my first thought, but I could not see any work being carried out. Indeed, Ribblehead station had flashing yellow lights at both ends of the platforms and nobody near

 

[scott118]

daleks? (ESR marker boards)

If they are possession marker boards, the work site could be miles away.....

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

daleks? (ESR marker boards)

That was also a thought of mine, but they appeared to have gone prior to 05:34 when I next checked... Seems odd to have the flashing lights when no trains were running

 

[GB]

If it was between the rails then it's almost certainly a worksite marker board as suggested above. The actual worksite may have been miles away.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

But wouldn't they have been put at one side of Ribblehead and not both ends?

I don't suppose anyone can check and see if there was a possession in place there last night?

 

[Grumpy]

On a whim last night, I decided to view the webcams for the S&C and noticed several flashing lights at both Ribblehead and Kirkby Stephen. At first I thought it was a lineside fire, but closer examination revealed the lights were coming from inside the track area. I was wondering for what purpose would lights have been placed on the ground between the track work?

Approach lights for the landing site. Cross Fell not Roswell.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

approach lights for the landing site. Cross fell not roswell.

Love it

 

[Llanigraham]

Possession Markers are red and in the 4ft.

Could they have been flashing because of the refresh rates of the camera, like some LED's can appear to be "black" at times?

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Possession Markers are red and in the 4ft.

Could they have been flashing because of the refresh rates of the camera, like some LED's can appear to be "black" at times?

No because the view that shows the village/settlement at Ribblehead could be clearly seen and the lights there were steady

Can somebody check and see if there was a possession or TSR in that area last night?

 

[A-driver]

Possession Markers are red and in the 4ft.

Could they have been flashing because of the refresh rates of the camera, like some LED's can appear to be "black" at times?

They are red on one side and yellow on the other-red going in, yellow coming out. Depends which angle the camera was facing.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

It was on both of the Ribblehead cameras, the one facing Carlisle and the other facing Leeds. There were also ones at Kirkby Stephen doing the same thing

 

[A-driver]

How clear was the image/have you a screenshot? Is it possible it was lights from engineering machinery actually carrying out work on both lines?

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

How clear was the image/have you a screenshot? Is it possible it was lights from engineering machinery actually carrying out work on both lines?

No, I honestly didn't think to get one... I shall, of course, see if there is the same thing this evening.

I do not think it could have been machinery at Kirkby Stephen as the lights there were inside the station area below the level of the platforms

 

[MarkRedon]

Pure speculation. Could this have anything to do with the new sidings at Helwith Bridge for use with the newly reconnected Ribblehead quarry?

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Pure speculation. Could this have anything to do with the new sidings at Helwith Bridge for use with the newly reconnected Ribblehead quarry?

Perhaps, but that would not explain the lights at Kirkby Stephen

 

[Asriel]

They must worksite markerboards? The actual works are probably miles away

They look like this:

That was also a thought of mine, but they appeared to have gone prior to 05:34 when I next checked... Seems odd to have the flashing lights when no trains were running

You are far more likely to see them when trains aren't running... There is no point taking possession of a line if you would need to give it up for a train to pass every 5min!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

That was my first thought, but I could not see any work being carried out. Indeed, Ribblehead station had flashing yellow lights at both ends of the platforms and nobody near

Probably back-to-back worksites. No works taking place within the station but there are some somewhere on either side. The station would be a good place to split the worksites as its a good access on what is quite a remote line. No one wants to be walking miles down track in the middle of nowhere to put boards out

 

[DarloRich]

Sounds about right

 

[NI 271]

Definitely worksite marker boards, there were two possessions Sunday night / Monday morning, one Settle Jn to Garsdale, one Kirkby Stephen to Howe & Co Sidings.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Definitely worksite marker boards, there were two possessions Sunday night / Monday morning, one Settle Jn to Garsdale, one Kirkby Stephen to Howe & Co Sidings.

Well that answers it for certain...

Any idea what they were doing?

 

[Condor7]

I saw some near Langwathby yesterday morning.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Well that answers it for certain...

Any idea what they were doing?

Well Settle Junction to Garsdale must surely have something to do with the new sidings at Helwith Bridge although why the blockade doesn't simply end at Blea Moor is rather surprising.

 

[NI 271]

There's nothing ongoing which affects the mainline there, the new junction was laid several weeks ago (and the track has been laid right round to the entrance), they're working on the yard and infrastructure inside the quarry now.

 

[crehld]

No because the view that shows the village/settlement at Ribblehead could be clearly seen and the lights there were steady

I'd hardly call the solitary public house at Ribblehead a settlement/village!

 

[D Foster]

PLBs (Possession Limit Boards) flash red both ways and have a reflective "Stop" sign - one red "aspect". ES (Engineering Supervisor - ie worksite) boards have yellow one side and red the other - 2 "aspects" vertically.

A single red, flashing lamp (showing both ways) is also supposed to be in the middle of the 4foot on each track in each direction at any level crossing within a Possession - including when the crossing is under local control. (PLBs with the body covered are not supposed to be used!) (I realise that there's no level crossing involved in this case).

These days a lot of trolleys have a red flashing "back light" very similar to the tail lights on push bikes - I suspect that they are all meant to have them. These give off a lot of red light. Trolleys can be anywhere in a possession - and, obviously, move around. I know that the S&T are still doing some work in the area - and that they sometimes use trolleys to shift bits along the line.

There is also some varied use of blue flashing lights... I have yet to see any official definition of these. I have seen both PLB style boards with all black bodies and blue instead of red aspects (both ways) and, also, two-way lamps the same as the level crossing lamps - again with blue instead of red aspects. I have heard that one use has been to mark the end(s) of electrification isolations. I have also heard that they have been used to mark S&C that there is a particularly strong desire for OTMs not to run through - the Machine Controller is supposed to stop all movement at the "protecting" blue light and go forward to check that the points are set correctly. I don't know of any other application (yet).
I have also seen a green-both-ways lamp like the level crossing lamps. This was for putting down at Clipped and Locked points in Single Line Working over Double Lines.

As far as I know - that's all the current options.



OOPS!!! Didn't see page 2 before scribbling... My notes might be useful though.
Who says that IWAs and ES assistants don't want to walk miles down the track? I wish someone had told the people that organised blocks that when I was doing it!!!