Pointless GPL @ Cardiff Central

[BestWestern]

Noticed something that struck me as mildly bizarre at Cardiff today, suprised I've never spotted it before I've but obviously just never been looking!

Just beyond the the country end of platform 0 are the remnants of a spur which seemingly led into the area adjacent to the old water tower, which is now a car park. The pointwork is still in place, along with just a few short feet of 'dead' leading from it. Nothing particularly unusual in that, but what struck me is that there is a shunting signal still in situ which would have protected the exit from this spur, and oddly it is still lit. Despite there most certainly being no chance of any trains emerging! I caught only a relatively brief glimpse, but it looked very much like an LED signal, which if so would make it fairly recent. I'm curious, does anybody have any thoughts on when this spur was pulled up, and why the signal not only remained in place but has never been deisconnected?!

 

[westcoaster]

You see this quiet alot around the network it's all due the cost off removing it, it's cheaper to just leave it in situ and lit, than the associated costs to remove it.

 

[BestWestern]

You see this quiet alot around the network it's all due the cost off removing it, it's cheaper to just leave it in situ and lit, than the associated costs to remove it.

Indeed, it wasn't so much the presence of the signal that suprised me, but simply the fact that it remains lit!

 

[Tomnick]

It's the change to the interlocking (which will inevitably require that signal proved alight before other routes can be set, to protect those movements from anything that might start out from the non-existant siding against an unlit signal) that pushes the cost of removal up, rather than the physical removal of the signal.

 

[craigwilson]

You see this quiet alot around the network it's all due the cost off removing it, it's cheaper to just leave it in situ and lit, than the associated costs to remove it.

I think Skelton Junction inbetween Timperley and Stockport is another example. I believe the no-longer-used alternative route is protected by a permanent red signal?

 

[BestWestern]

It's the change to the interlocking (which will inevitably require that signal proved alight before other routes can be set, to protect those movements from anything that might start out from the non-existant siding against an unlit signal) that pushes the cost of removal up, rather than the physical removal of the signal.

Good answer!