Orange headcode blinds meaning?

[frankmoh]

Source: https://units-library.weebly.com/class-423-vep.html, Nathan Williamson, 2005

I've seen many pictures of slamdoor stock and often they have neon orange headcode blinds instead of a route number, especially in the later years of use . Why?

 

[Bald Rick]

Source: https://units-library.weebly.com/class-423-vep.html, Nathan Williamson, 2005

I've seen many pictures of slamdoor stock and often they have neon orange headcode blinds instead of a route number, especially in the later years of use . Why?

They are the “tail lights” ie the back of the train.

 

[Gloster]

And they are red, not orange. Red is the universal colour for taillights.

 

[contrex]

And they aren't 'neon', each is a red plastic oblong on a blind that also contains the white digits used for the headcode, lit from behind by several light bulbs.

 

[Rescars]

Which were the last Southern emus to carry separate tail lamps? 4SUBs? From my childhood I recall oil lamps being trimmed and filled at a bench behind the stops on platform 9 at Victoria.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Which were the last Southern emus to carry separate tail lamps? 4SUBs? From my childhood I recall oil lamps being trimmed and filled at a bench behind the stops on platform 9 at Victoria.

Yes, it was the SUBs... and they could carry them on either side.

 

[Rescars]

Yes, it was the SUBs... and they could carry them on either side.

Presumably to make for easy access from the platform.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Presumably to make for easy access from the platform.

Yes, though one wonders what happened to that theory if the train terminated somewhere on the opposite side from where it started...

 

[StephenHunter]

And they are red, not orange. Red is the universal colour for taillights.

Aren't they mauve on other planets?

 

[contrex]

Yes, though one wonders what happened to that theory if the train terminated somewhere on the opposite side from where it started...

Some SUBS with non-opening secondman-side front windows, had handy grab rails that, in the days of green livery. were picked out in yellow. They were to hang on to for changing the headcode stencil. I don;t know if they could be used for getting at such a tail light, or whether descent to the four-foot would be needed.

 

[izvor]

I recall the Bromley North - Grove Park shuttle often used to run with one red and one white blank at each end. Understandable on such a short run, to save the driver's wrist muscles, but surely a breach of railway regulations?

 

[frankmoh]

I recall the Bromley North - Grove Park shuttle often used to run with one red and one white blank at each end. Understandable on such a short run, to save the driver's wrist muscles, but surely a breach of railway regulations?

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/36034969@N08/6727375535/ 2-EPB at Bromley North

Here's a photo of what you said.

I wonder if the driver and guard didn't swap round at the end of the journey but just operatedtheir respective cabs?

I recall seeing something similar on a Youtube comment from a driver on the former Woodside & South Croydon line. He said that him and the guard wouldn't swap round at Elmers End or Sanderstead, they would just stay on their respective side and carry on driving. This commenter also said that he would run late on purpose so that him and the guard would only have to do 4 runs up and down the line instead of 5.

Both blatant rule breaks but the line was already dying at this point.

 

[Belperpete]

I can recall being told of a rail tour being run with one of the Hastings line DEMUs that got stopped off region because the signalman refused to accept the headcode blinds as a valid taillamp.

 

[Gloster]

I can recall being told of a rail tour being run with one of the Hastings line DEMUs that got stopped off region because the signalman refused to accept the headcode blinds as a valid taillamp.

They had the same problem when the Hastings DEMUs first worked the Brighton-Exeter. I don’t know if the situation was the same when 3-car DEMUs worked through to Bristol, but it is possible that the Westbury area was familiar with blinds and beyond Bradford Junctions it was all PSB, which couldn’t see.

 

[The exile]

They had the same problem when the Hastings DEMUs first worked the Brighton-Exeter. I don’t know if the situation was the same when 3-car DEMUs worked through to Bristol, but it is possible that the Westbury area was familiar with blinds and beyond Bradford Junctions it was all PSB, which couldn’t see.

When they last re-emerged on a regular working to Bristol it was PSB everywhere!

 

[Ashley Hill]

I can recall being told of a rail tour being run with one of the Hastings line DEMUs that got stopped off region because the signalman refused to accept the headcode blinds as a valid taillamp.

The railway I volunteer on insists that the class 33 carries a proper tail lamp when running light engine.

 

[The exile]

The railway I volunteer on insists that the class 33 carries a proper tail lamp when running light engine.

Quite right too - with a loco there’s no other way of proving it hasn’t lost its train. A multiple unit can’t lose its rear coach(es) without it being obvious - and, as long as the intermediate rear cabs aren’t showing red blinds - those at the rear of a train formed of more than one unit do the job. The risk was presumably with non-corridor units an intermediate rear cab could be displaying red and then it wouldn’t be obvious that they rain had accidentally divided - but with through braking etc, we’re in the realms of multiple “one in a million”s stacking up!

 

[Gloster]

Having started my career on the Southern, it is my opinion that all involved fully understood the need for discipline with the use of blinds. Red blinds should only be used as an end of train indication and should be turned to something different when not acting as such. The WR, and probably the other regions, didn’t really have the ingrained practice and habits with blinds that the SR had.

When they last re-emerged on a regular working to Bristol it was PSB everywhere!

I was thinking of their appearance on these turns in the 1970s, by which time, I think, it was Bristol PSB beyond Bradford Junctions (*), so only Absolute Block from Warminster (then SR) to Bradford. Westbury area signalman would have been used to blinds already due to various appearances there.

* - Getting the taillight of trains running Bath-Westbury and v.v. was a stinker due to the position of the box. Luckily for me I was only there after it became Track Circuit Block to Westbury.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I recall the Bromley North - Grove Park shuttle often used to run with one red and one white blank at each end. Understandable on such a short run, to save the driver's wrist muscles, but surely a breach of railway regulations?

Isn't that line operated on the "one engine in steam" principle, so there might have been a rule amendment permitting the blinds as such?

That does not of course excuse the other rule breaches mentioned in the thread, such as deliberate late running and guards driving.

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

Quite right too - with a loco there’s no other way of proving it hasn’t lost its train. A multiple unit can’t lose its rear coach(es) without it being obvious - and, as long as the intermediate rear cabs aren’t showing red blinds - those at the rear of a train formed of more than one unit do the job. The risk was presumably with non-corridor units an intermediate rear cab could be displaying red and then it wouldn’t be obvious that they rain had accidentally divided - but with through braking etc, we’re in the realms of multiple “one in a million”s stacking up!

When I trained as a guard the rule book referred to "tail light or red blinds" throughout, so there should have been no misunderstanding of what it meant or where on the train they should (or shouldn't) be displayed.
And despite the fact that we were over a hundred miles north of anywhere you would ever see a red blind in action we were taught what they meant.

 

[Ashley Hill]

that all involved fully understood the need for discipline with the use of blinds. Red blinds should only be used as an end of train indication and should be turned to something different when not acting as such.

When we had 33s this was observed at my (WR) depot.
I think on my heritage line they are not fully understood and red blinds are not catered for in our rule book.

 

[Deepgreen]

I never thought I would see the day when someone felt the need to ask this question on this forum!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Aug 2025 ==

When we had 33s this was observed at my (WR) depot.
I think on my heritage line they are not fully understood and red blinds are not catered for in our rule book.

Wow! It just seems so basic.

 

[Ashley Hill]

I never thought I would see the day when someone felt the need to ask this question on this forum!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Aug 2025 ==


Wow! It just seems so basic.

Don’t forget, many volunteers are not ex-railway. Volunteers such as signalmen are told to look for a tail LAMP and that’s what they look for. I think on my line a signalman had sent 4 - 5 (train passed without tail lamp) thinking the 33 had lost its train despite being belled as a light loco. As I said red blinds are not in our rule book and lamps are now insisted on. It’s daft, but then so is crisis management.

 

[frankmoh]

Isn't that line operated on the "one engine in steam" principle, so there might have been a rule amendment permitting the blinds as such?

The picture is from 1985 though so "through" services to Charing Cross were still up and running. Not sure if that meant there could be more than one train on the line during peak hours.

A 2-EPB at Addiscombe. Source: http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/a/addiscombe/index57.shtml

What's more shocking is this shot from Addiscombe in 1993. No white blind as the train has a front lamp (I assume it would be red and white on the rear carriage though). The problem is that this is before the signal box burnt down, so more than 1 train on the line was still allowed.

That does not of course excuse the other rule breaches mentioned in the thread, such as deliberate late running and guards driving.

I have a feeling British Rail didn't give a proverbial about what happened on that line in its last years, given how less than 200 people used it each day. Was the Woodside & South Croydon Line also "one train working"?

The capacity of one 2-EPB was 186 passengers. The line in 1980 saw 19 trains per day, for simplicity lets say they were all 2-EPBs. That meant there was capacity for 3534 people per day but only 190 ("less than 200") were using the line. On average that's 10 people per train.

 

[Deepgreen]

Don’t forget, many volunteers are not ex-railway. Volunteers such as signalmen are told to look for a tail LAMP and that’s what they look for. I think on my line a signalman had sent 4 - 5 (train passed without tail lamp) thinking the 33 had lost its train despite being belled as a light loco. As I said red blinds are not in our rule book and lamps are now insisted on. It’s daft, but then so is crisis management.

Hmm - it's amazing what humans have to put in place to make up for a common sense vacuum!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Aug 2025 ==

Then we have the issue of headlights being left on at the rear...! The class 20 tail lights are so feeble that I am surprised they pass muster these days - red blinds were far clearer than these dedicated lights!

 

[172007]

Quite right too - with a loco there’s no other way of proving it hasn’t lost its train. A multiple unit can’t lose its rear coach(es) without it being obvious - and, as long as the intermediate rear cabs aren’t showing red blinds - those at the rear of a train formed of more than one unit do the job. The risk was presumably with non-corridor units an intermediate rear cab could be displaying red and then it wouldn’t be obvious that they rain had accidentally divided - but with through braking etc, we’re in the realms of multiple “one in a million”s stacking up!

A multiple unit definitely can divide (lpae its rear coaches) and the driver be not aware.

A class 150 left a 153 behind when the pins on the coupler were wired wrong. The guard pushed the PA button and the unit uncoupled with the front unit carrying on its merry way with the driver oblivious.

Simular thing happened with a pair of 165's when the trip cock was activated in the Banbury to Leamington area. Driver reset the trip cock by pressing the uncouple button in the inside cab and then went to the front and left the rear portion in section.

 

[Deepgreen]

A multiple unit definitely can divide (lpae its rear coaches) and the driver be not aware.

A class 150 left a 153 behind when the pins on the coupler were wired wrong. The guard pushed the PA button and the unit uncoupled with the front unit carrying on its merry way with the driver oblivious.

Simular thing happened with a pair of 165's when the trip cock was activated in the Banbury to Leamington area. Driver reset the trip cock by pressing the uncouple button in the inside cab and then went to the front and left the rear portion in section.

Presumably in both those cases both the units left behind and the ones that continued displayed reds?

 

[172007]

Presumably in both those cases both the units left behind and the ones that continued displayed reds?

Yes

 

[75A]

I never thought I would see the day when someone felt the need to ask this question on this forum!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Aug 2025 ==


Wow! It just seems so basic.

My thoughts entirely, at Brighton we would laugh when the 6/12 car Demu came back from Exeter on a Saturday evening with a white Tail Lamp stamped W.R on the back below the red blinds/

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Aug 2025 ==

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/36034969@N08/6727375535/ 2-EPB at Bromley North

Here's a photo of what you said.

I wonder if the driver and guard didn't swap round at the end of the journey but just operatedtheir respective cabs?

I recall seeing something similar on a Youtube comment from a driver on the former Woodside & South Croydon line. He said that him and the guard wouldn't swap round at Elmers End or Sanderstead, they would just stay on their respective side and carry on driving. This commenter also said that he would run late on purpose so that him and the guard would only have to do 4 runs up and down the line instead of 5.

Both blatant rule breaks but the line was already dying at this point.

One white, one red blind was used for shunting movements on the Southern. ECS from Lovers Walk into the Brighton platforms always displayed this.

 

[ls2270]

My thoughts entirely, at Brighton we would laugh when the 6/12 car Demu came back from Exeter on a Saturday evening with a white Tail Lamp stamped W.R on the back below the red blinds/

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Aug 2025 ==


One white, one red blind was used for shunting movements on the Southern. ECS from Lovers Walk into the Brighton platforms always displayed this.

And I remember the Lymington and Addiscombe branch units doing so too.