Class 455's on Brighton/Coastway services?

[swt class 450]

As I've never worked with Eurostar stock I do find that very interesting, though it has to be pointed out that many Turbostars (ie. recent-ish British DMUs) don't have door interlock lights for conductors either, and the BIL lights cannot solely be used for checking interlock is achieved. As they have brake and buzzer interlock it is rarely a problem, except if the buzzer fails...

As for 455s, which are rather more relevant, at the time you mention I believe you could have dispatched all of those with the local door open, which would have been familiar had E* TMs actually dispatched them. It's not normally permitted now, and I'm not sure if the SWT ones still allow dispatch with a local door open anyway. Southern ones do but it's not officially allowed for conductors any more. Panel interlock lights are a bit dodgy and have been for a good few years but at least they do exist!

I have quite often seen Guards on 455s (especially at Holmwood / Ockley / Warnham stations) open their local door as the train is pulling in to the platform and close their local door after the train has pulled out of the platform.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I have quite often seen Guards on 455s (especially at Holmwood / Ockley / Warnham stations) open their local door as the train is pulling in to the platform and close their local door after the train has pulled out of the platform.

I think we need to clarify whether "local door" in the context of the rule means the one in the cab vestibule or when operating from a passenger door that has been keyed in.

 

[tsr]

I think we need to clarify whether "local door" in the context of the rule means the one in the cab vestibule or when operating from a passenger door that has been keyed in.

There is only one set of local doors possible for conductors working each of the two formations of Southern 455s which are permitted in passenger service (4 or 8 coach formations).

These positions are as follows: the rear coach on a single 455 or the 5th coach on an 8 coach 455 formation. There are no door panels in the passenger areas of the train, and dispatch from the other cab vestibule panels is not permitted (and, in the case of the driver's vestibule, only possible during degraded working, such that it is the only panel in use).

The only potential local doors available are therefore the cab doors located either side of the secure cab vestibules, and two of these (one each side of the cab vestibule) simultaneously become the local doors when the relevant key is inserted in the adjacent Modified DKS and it is turned on. At this point, the vestibule panel switches on either side of the vestibule in question will then allow the relevant local door to open at any speed, whilst interlock is still maintained. If the Modified DKS is turned off, the switches will no longer function, and the cab doors will once again need to be closed for the train to gain interlock. This occurs automatically if they had been open under local control.

In order to reduce the risk of passengers attempting to board a train through an open local door whilst the train is coming to a stand, or starting to move, instructions have been issued to Southern conductors who sign Class 455s that the local door must be fully closed until the train comes to a complete stop, and that it must once again be fully closed before the train is deemed ready to start. Needless to say, there are some instances when the local door is beginning to show signs of requiring maintenance and is extremely slow, or conductors may have "forgotten" this requirement, in which case they have been known to start to open or close the door at very slow speeds. This is still technically possible as the physical systems involved have not been modified.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Thank you; I was wondering because I am used to the SWT version of the 455 where the guards can, and often do, operate from any door position along the train.

 

[TEW]

455s must have felt really rather primitive compared with a 373! Few bigger contrasts exist in SE England now, possibly excluding the odd 313 here and there. As for the PA system, I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that you can now use the PA and Cab-to-Cab regardless of what the DKS is doing... at least on the Southern ones.

Same on the SWT ones, in the cabs anyway. If using the retrofitted PA/Cab-to-Cab equipment in the saloons the DKS does need to be turned on.

As for 455s, which are rather more relevant, at the time you mention I believe you could have dispatched all of those with the local door open, which would have been familiar had E* TMs actually dispatched them. It's not normally permitted now, and I'm not sure if the SWT ones still allow dispatch with a local door open anyway. Southern ones do but it's not officially allowed for conductors any more. Panel interlock lights are a bit dodgy and have been for a good few years but at least they do exist!

SWT ones are the same still when dispatching from the staff vestibule next to the cab. Interlock is obtained even with the local door open, but like Southern the instruction is the local door must remain closed until the train has come to a complete stand, and the ready to start signal must not be given until the door has closed.