Nearly every train cautioned through Spalding (21-9-15)

[railnerd]

Hi.

There were problems on the EC on Mon 21 Sep. Something to do with with a rail defect in the Newark area. Not a problem tho! Certain trains can be diverted onto the GN/GE, well... the usual suspects being Hull Trains, Maybe some Grand Central services and the occasional freight.

However, being the GN/GE, it wasnt gonna be plain sailing... sorry... training!

For some reason, EVERY local and diverted train was being cautioned and doing SPADS (with permission) on both the up and down just north of Spalding station.

Just north of Spalding station are the notorious Park Road and Mill Green CCTV level crossings, where theres been a LOT of problems with axle counters and barriers etc.

Just wondered if anyone knows why theres been fun with signals WS7049 and WS7052.

Ta!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

That sounds like it was a result of the broken rail at Grantham ( see http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=120963 ).

It does sound as if there was a signal failure at Spalding as well from what you say, but being authorised by the signaller to pass a red signal doesn't really make it a SPAD; a SPAD is if it was done without authority or intention.

Having said that, they now have categories which do include being authorised to pass...

 

[Skoodle]

For some reason, EVERY local and diverted train was being cautioned and doing SPADS (with permission) on both the up and down just north of Spalding station.

Don't mean to be pedantic but you mean passing signals at danger. A SPAD is never with permission.

 

[ComUtoR]

Don't mean to be pedantic but you mean passing signals at danger. A SPAD is never with permission.

If your being pedantic then Signal Passed at Danger would involve any passing of a signal that is held in the On position. Red/Stop/Danger is the aspect. "Danger" is simply the name of the aspect it doesn't mean it is "dangerous"

It was also changed to SPAR to define it clearer because "danger" isn't correct as the red aspect is conditional.

You can still pass a signal at danger on your own authority. Permission isn't always required.

Also to be more pedantic you need to consider the category.

 

[LowLevel]

There's an ongoing problem with the axle counters at Spalding station.

 

[railnerd]

Hi.
Im gonna be pedantic now...
I was stood on the platform and the train went through a red signal, after stopping first.
Now regardless of what the rule book says, in my eyes, it was red, it was a signal, and it was passed at danger!

So 'nurrgh'!

 

[Tomnick]

I'm not sure where this "SPAR" acronym appeared from, but I'm not convinced that it's an official term in any way. A 'Cat A' SPAD is still a SPAD (and referred to as such on the relevant operating form). The other categories are now mere 'operating incidents', and it's these which now seem to be informally referred to as SPARs. None of that applies in this case, but it's immediately obvious that the OP is referring to talking past one with authority!

 

[tsr]

I'm not sure where this "SPAR" acronym appeared from, but I'm not convinced that it's an official term in any way. A 'Cat A' SPAD is still a SPAD (and referred to as such on the relevant operating form). The other categories are now mere 'operating incidents', and it's these which now seem to be informally referred to as SPARs. None of that applies in this case, but it's immediately obvious that the OP is referring to talking past one with authority!

Both the terms "SPAR" and "Cat. A/B/C/D" SPADs both now appear on the control and performance log summaries which I see pretty much every day at work, which can be a little irritating at 3am...

 

[Yabbadabba]

The memo I got when SPADs got reclassified.

 

[Shinkansenfan]

I was on the 0948 Hull Trains from Kings X intending to travel to Grantham, and can confirm that trains were slow moving through Spalding that morning. Very slow running with lots of stops and starts.

It would have been nice if the train could stop at Lincoln to serve Grantham-bound passengers, but was told that the train would operate non stop through Lincoln. Of course we were stopped on the platform at Lincoln due to a restricting signal. To bad that open-at-will slam door coaching stock no longer operates.

 

[driver9000]

You can still pass a signal at danger on your own authority. Permission isn't always required.

You can only pass an Intermediate block with no means of communicating with the signaller or a controlled signal where the signal box is closed and you have confirmed it as closed on your own authority.