New rule on lights in m1

[blue_castle1]

So i just have a question on to clarify something new in the rule book. Specifically m1 section 5 dealing with accidental train division.

If you are to leave your portion of train that has divided, the new rule is to leave red lights on the rear and white lights on the front. That seems very straight forward on uni directional lines but when it comes to bi-directional and single lines would it still apply to that ? I’ve asked a couple managers at my toc and they say to just stick to reds both sides, but that’s not the rule and the rule doesn’t clarify. I know you need to tell the signaller information for the assisting train of what lights will be displayed so to me as I see it on single and bidi lines is to keep your red tails as was and use a white light for the portion that’s separated.


Any signaller / rssb / more experienced driver care to put in their sixpence?

Cheers

 

[Efini92]

So i just have a question on to clarify something new in the rule book. Specifically m1 section 5 dealing with accidental train division.

If you are to leave your portion of train that has divided, the new rule is to leave red lights on the rear and white lights on the front. That seems very straight forward on uni directional lines but when it comes to bi-directional and single lines would it still apply to that ? I’ve asked a couple managers at my toc and they say to just stick to reds both sides, but that’s not the rule and the rule doesn’t clarify. I know you need to tell the signaller information for the assisting train of what lights will be displayed so to me as I see it on single and bidi lines is to keep your red tails as was and use a white light for the portion that’s separated.


Any signaller / rssb / more experienced driver care to put in their sixpence?

Cheers

The rule book doesn’t differ, as usual it’s been put in without much thought.
Just follow what the rule book says.

 

[blue_castle1]

My thoughts exactly. Thanks

 

[Belperpete]

I assume that applying white lights to the front of the train is so that on a unidirectional line, the driver of a train travelling normally on the parallel line doesn't see unexpected red lights ahead and think he is about to run into the back of a train on his line. The same would apply on bidirectional lines where there are parallel running lines. No need to do this on single lines, but probably best to have consistency, rather than a rule that lays down various situations where you display whites and other situations where you display reds.

For a similar reason, buffer stops facing the direction of travel on a parallel line should have white lights, not red.

 

[Scotty Dog]

On Bi Directional lines the direction normally used the most is defined as the 'normal' direction of travel.

Table A of the Sectional Appendix also clarifies this.

What i want to know is, where are all these white lights suddenly coming from as I have yet to see any cabs carrying them to comply with the rule?

 

[Numbskull100]

On Bi Directional lines the direction normally used the most is defined as the 'normal' direction of travel.

Table A of the Sectional Appendix also clarifies this.

What i want to know is, where are all these white lights suddenly coming from as I have yet to see any cabs carrying them to comply with the rule?

Expectation would be a MOM brings one out. They'd have to attend to brake test anyway.

Edit - Intermodal point of view

 

[Efini92]

On Bi Directional lines the direction normally used the most is defined as the 'normal' direction of travel.

Table A of the Sectional Appendix also clarifies this.

What i want to know is, where are all these white lights suddenly coming from as I have yet to see any cabs carrying them to comply with the rule?

Depending on the traction, a lot can just switch their lights to white and be left.