Little Blue Things?

[ChrisEJ1993]

Over the past month or so, I have noticed these little blue squares appearing all over the places. Along my local line, the East Coastway, and also on the Hastings line for starters, but also in other places.

They're small square pieces of concreat, with a light blue coplouring to the top making them stand out very well. I've seen some in the cess at the side of the tracks, and also some in between the 2 3rd rails between the 2 running tracks.

Does anybody know what these are for?

 

[westcoaster]

they are the grates on top of inspection drains/holes. no idea wht they have been painted blue though.

 

[ChrisEJ1993]

Ok thanks. Was just wondering because there are SO many of them now! Lol.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

Don't know if this applies to your question, but . . . . . .
there is a standard colour coding used in indentifying the use and/or content of buried ducts:-
Blue = Water
Red = Electricity (different voltages have different colours *)
Yellow = Gas
Grey = BT/telecomms
Green = Cable TV/Fibre Optics
Orange = Railtrack - signalling
Purple = Motorway - usually lighting cables

* electrial ciruits use colours to identify the voltage and number of phases, yellow = 110v 1-phase, red = 450v 3-phase, purple = 50v 1-phase, and, wait for it, Blue = 240V 1-phase. The same as the colour for water - and we never confuse water with domestic electricity, do we?

 

[ChrisEJ1993]

Thanks for the key

I'll try and get a photo next time I'm out and about as that will be a better way of deciding what it is for defenate

 

[ChrisEJ1993]

You can clearly see the blue things in question in the following video, taken in Paddock Wood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtVOC2MMcDw

Hope that helps, even if it is just to clarify what we have found out already!

 

[Sir_Clagalot]

Catchpit lids. Find them on top of drains. I think they are now some GRP type material as the silver metal grids kept (keep on) getting pinched...

 

[ChrisEJ1993]

Thanks for the added info

 

[boing_uk]

Don't know if this applies to your question, but . . . . . .
there is a standard colour coding used in indentifying the use and/or content of buried ducts:-
Blue = Water
Red = Electricity (different voltages have different colours *)
Yellow = Gas
Grey = BT/telecomms
Green = Cable TV/Fibre Optics
Orange = Railtrack - signalling
Purple = Motorway - usually lighting cables

* electrial ciruits use colours to identify the voltage and number of phases, yellow = 110v 1-phase, red = 450v 3-phase, purple = 50v 1-phase, and, wait for it, Blue = 240V 1-phase. The same as the colour for water - and we never confuse water with domestic electricity, do we?

Orange is infrastructure electrical cabling; i.e for street lighting and traffic signals. Purple is mulipurpose ducting generally carrying data but which may be carrying LV supplies. The purple duct you see strapped to motorway bridge parapets for example are the national motorway communications network... either fibre, composite or copper and may also be carrying power cables for UPS, for phones and transmission stations.

The electrical circuits will be in a red duct ... it will be the individual conductors within that cable which will be identified by other colours. A three phase local network distribution cable (well the ones ive seen) have blue sheaths on each phase conductor, within a red cable.