Platform staff using torches as signals

[northwichcat]

The other night at Stockport I noticed a member of platform staff was signalling to the conductor using a torch. I hadn't seen this happen before. Is it a common occurrence at night/ in poor visibility?

 

[- Cal -]

Yes quite normal, it's a Bardic Lamp, it can show White, red, yellow and green.

 

[Urban Gateline]

The other night at Stockport I noticed a member of platform staff was signalling to the conductor using a torch. I hadn't seen this happen before. Is it a common occurrence at night/ in poor visibility?

Yes, during the hours of darkness, any platform staff are supposed to do the dispatch procedure using a handheld torch that can either give a white light or a red or green one.

 

[es373]

Also if it's a category A (I think it's A) station where driver has viewing restrictions due to a curving platform etc
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The other night at Stockport I noticed a member of platform staff was signalling to the conductor using a torch. I hadn't seen this happen before. Is it a common occurrence at night/ in poor visibility?

Yes, during the hours of darkness, any platform staff are supposed to do the dispatch procedure using a handheld torch that can either give a clear light or a red or green one.

A clear light? Show me a light that illuminates a clear colour and I'll give you my months wages.

 

[Urban Gateline]

Also if it's a category A (I think it's A) station where driver has viewing restrictions due to a curving platform etc

Such as Platform 17 at CLJ?

 

[Mojo]

Staff at Birmingham New Street use lamps (capable of showing white, red and green) at all times due to the darkness of the station.

 

[Urban Gateline]

A clear light? Show me a light that illuminates a clear colour and I'll give you my months wages.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

You can either use a classic bardic, modern torch type bardic or a Halo. Personally I prefer the halo.


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- Sent from my iPhone 4 using Tapatalk

 

[TEW]

Such lamps will also be carried by guards and drivers. The guard may well use a white light when dispatching at night, and if he needs to signal the right away a green light will be used.

 

[Aictos]

You can either use a classic bardic, modern torch type bardic or a Halo. Personally I prefer the halo.


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- Sent from my iPhone 4 using Tapatalk

Same here I prefer the Halo although I can use LED Dispatch bats if I wanted to.

 

[185]

It's all a ploy. Many a despatcher has fought off angry train-missing lunatics with the ageing cast steel weapon of choice. Oww!

 

[Gathursty]

I think this thread might answer a question I've had for a few weeks.

At Salford Crescent one late evening, the platform dispatcher asked me to turn off my pushbike back red light but I don't really know why it would be a problem to have left it on. It's a very small LED light which would hardly attract anyone's attention, especially on a well lit platform.

 

[TEW]

Any red light, or any light waved at a train is a stop signal to a driver. They obviously want to avoid trains being stopped for no reason.

 

[es373]

Okay so go and stand in the 4 foot while a HST screams towards you at 125mph while you wave a green light about.....

Enough said really.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

You were never afraid with a Bardic .......

 

[scotsman]

Okay so go and stand in the 4 foot while a HST screams towards you at 125mph while you wave a green light about.....

Enough said really.

They will stop. Just after they've hit you.

 

[RPM]

I prefer the Halo. What it lacks in usefullness as a weapon is more than made up for by the reduction of weight in my bag!

 

[es373]

Until the batteries die!

 

[marks87]

I think this thread might answer a question I've had for a few weeks.

At Salford Crescent one late evening, the platform dispatcher asked me to turn off my pushbike back red light but I don't really know why it would be a problem to have left it on. It's a very small LED light which would hardly attract anyone's attention, especially on a well lit platform.

And if it was blinking, someone might have thought a train had mounted the platform

 

[matchmaker]

It's all a ploy. Many a despatcher has fought off angry train-missing lunatics with the ageing cast steel weapon of choice. Oww!

Battered with a Bardic!

 

[142094]

Not entirely sure why torches have replaced the Bardic, unless it is for ease of use. At least a Bardic could be used as a tail light in case of a breakdown.

 

[es373]

Drivers still have emergency tail and markers In the emergency equipment cupboard.
Station staff probably moaned that the bardic was hurting their wrist so they came up with the aspect showing torches.

 

[driver9000]

Drivers still have emergency tail and markers In the emergency equipment cupboard.

Not on our trains we don't. We still have to use our bardics hung over the lamp iron for emergency head/tail lamps until we can get one of the portable lamps.

I won't be giving up my big metal bardic for some time yet, I've grown fond of it

 

[Smudger105e]

Bardic Lamps are far from cheap, when I last looked (a number of years ago) they were in the Buck & Hickman catalogue at £60+

*scuttles off to try and price them up*

 

[es373]

Drivers still have emergency tail and markers In the emergency equipment cupboard.

Not on our trains we don't. We still have to use our bardics hung over the lamp iron for emergency head/tail lamps until we can get one of the portable lamps.

I won't be giving up my big metal bardic for some time yet, I've grown fond of it

Really?! Christ! You should see all of our emergency equipment. Loads of it!

 

[Harlesden]

Sorry to drift underground, but what do they call those things that platform staff on deep level underground stations hold up high (so the driver can allegedly see) when the train is supposedly ready to depart.

 

[district]

Sorry to drift underground, but what do they call those things that platform staff on deep level underground stations hold up high (so the driver can allegedly see) when the train is supposedly ready to depart.

I've always wanted a platform dispatch bat but apparently they are protected assets

 

[ralphchadkirk]

I've always wanted a platform dispatch bat but apparently they are protected assets

Why would you want one if you don't have to dispatch anything? And anyway - of course they're protected assets - they don't want every Tom, Dick or Harry having one!


Sent from my iPhone 4 using Tapatalk

 

[Mojo]

Sorry to drift underground, but what do they call those things that platform staff on deep level underground stations hold up high (so the driver can allegedly see) when the train is supposedly ready to depart.

They are Sats bats (Sats being an acronym for Station Assistant Train Services).

The overall responsibility for closing the doors and departing remains with the Train Operator, but this role is very important as it helps to reduce dwell time at key platforms where Sats are located.

 

[whhistle]

A clear light? Show me a light that illuminates a clear colour and I'll give you my months wages.

Although to be fair, white is an absence of colour.
Absence could also be described as clear.
Therefore the colour of the light, could be said as clear.

:P