-
Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
'Bang road'
- Thread starter najaB
- Start date
- Status
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Especially this week!Bang Road in Belfast, where the OP is posting from, is the Falls Road.
Common use of the term BANG ROAD throughout the North.
Used it myself for 25 - 30 years now.
Maybe the poster from Penzance is ex GWR as they were always different to the rest of the country.
Nope. I've only lived here since January this year although I've been a visitor since the latter part of 1977.
theironroad
Established Member
- Joined
- 21 Nov 2014
- Messages
- 3,717
Another +1 from the Wessex area for use of the term, even though not the official ' wrong direction movement' language.
Doesn't happen a whole load but once in a while.
Doesn't happen a whole load but once in a while.
G136GREYHOUND
Member
- Joined
- 29 Mar 2014
- Messages
- 239
common term for a wrong direction move
Spamcan81
Established Member
I've heard some of my steam era driver friends refer to "wrong line" as "bang road."
It was used by my father, footplateman 1947-1977 - North Wales & Crewe.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
It originated in Carlisle.
A Glaswegian told a Cumbrian that the move was "wrong road", but - being Glaswegian - he said "wrang road".
Which the Cumbrian heard as "bang road".
The rest, as they say, is history.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
It originated in Carlisle.
A Glaswegian told a Cumbrian that the move was "wrong road", but - being Glaswegian - he said "wrang road".
Which the Cumbrian heard as "bang road".
The rest, as they say, is history.
Heartland
Member
Bang Road, I have heard that term used in the Midlands. Staff on the operation side would mention it referring to the use of the wrong line. When a train was disabled the guard would set detonators on the tracks and as suggested the term "bang" may originate from this long term practice.
Perhaps somebody can state when this practice ceased, or if it still carries on on some routes. Detonators were colour coded and had a specific life period before returning to the issuing point for disposal and replacement with in date detonators.
Their disposal was, it is said, done with the shunt engine running over them. For Birmingham we sent our out of date detonators to Crewe. If I recall correctly we purchased the supply from IMI
Perhaps somebody can state when this practice ceased, or if it still carries on on some routes. Detonators were colour coded and had a specific life period before returning to the issuing point for disposal and replacement with in date detonators.
Their disposal was, it is said, done with the shunt engine running over them. For Birmingham we sent our out of date detonators to Crewe. If I recall correctly we purchased the supply from IMI
Kneedown
Established Member
It's certainly a commonly used term in the East Midlands and has been during my 31 years on the job. No one has ever been able to explain the origin of the term to me though, and I have always assumed it to be, as posted earlier, that there will be a big bang if someone gets it wrong.
I agree with this. I've never heard it used for a proper signalled move; although am familiar with the term "wrong road" to indicate a normal signalled move in a direction that is not the normal.
That makes sense, I was just curious about the origin of the term.
If you're going on the up line in the down direction, then to us drivers its bang road. The old bi-di that was in place between Nuneaton and Rugby, if you were travelling in the down direction to Nuneaton, it was called going bang road. The signalling whether existing or not is irrelevant. Even used by signallers for a belled move using absolute block in the wrong direction.
edwin_m
Veteran Member
Like many railway jargon terms there is no official definition and it is probably used by different people to mean different things - as with the distinction above of whether the move is signalled or not.
Indeed, it's an informal term so there'll be no single definition - I've heard it used to describe signalled moves against the normal flow of traffic on a reversible line, for signalled moves onto the branch at a single lead junction (where there was a little over half a mile between the facing crossover and the junction itself) and even for moves on sidings in depots (where most movements are in the opposite direction).
185
On Moderation
- Joined
- 29 Aug 2010
- Messages
- 5,709
Few years back at 3am I've been bang road on 1K03 mostly from Leeds to the east end of Huddersfield (with pilotman). Kinda frightning at 30mph coming up on the wrong side of the points 
Deepgreen
Established Member
This is how I've always understood it, but it would be interesting to know the origin. Causing a 'bang' doesn't sit right to my mind, but it could possibly be the origin. The expression 'bang to rights' also springs to mind, effectively meaning 'caught without an escape' - any connection I wonder?
the sniper
Established Member
- Joined
- 4 Sep 2007
- Messages
- 3,498
I think that is the origin. That's the interpretation that many around here seem to take. The term originated in an age where collisions were far more common than now. The risk of a 'bang' or collision under this system of work would be higher than normal working, so it'd make sense for its nickname to highlight the risks involved in this degraded working!
Having now seen that every person making reference to "bang road" quotes areas in the midlands and on the old midland region leads me to the inescapable fact that it's a Midland/L.M.S./Midland Region term. I never worked on the Midland Region so that explains why I never came across the term. In all of my years on Eastern, Western and Southern it was always, "wrong road".
Common use of the term BANG ROAD throughout the North.
Used it myself for 25 - 30 years now.
Maybe the poster from Penzance is ex GWR as they were always different to the rest of the country.
Bang road is used by old hands on the western too, and not just by staff that have moved down from "up country"!
Last edited:
Sunset route
Established Member
- Joined
- 27 Oct 2015
- Messages
- 1,223
I've been a signalman/ler since the late 80s on Southern and It's always been the term "bang road" for a wrong line movement and swingers for an ECS with an unbreaked unit on the back. Always took it to be broad railway slang and not region specific.
- Status