Exchange Sidings SF.

[GarthTilt]

By the Spring of 1986 Exchange Sidings SF just worked a connection off the Up & Down Through Siding between Grand Junction and Adderley Park worked by Birmingham New Street PSB and the Up and Down Camp Hill lines to St. Andrews Junction worked by Saltley PSB. Opened for just a morning shift Mon-Sat chiefly for two Parcels trains 3M12 & 3M14 from the south terminating in Curzon Street PCD. Empty DMU's to Tyseley and occasional light engine movements and on track machines were the only sporadic regular traffic. Just occasionally if the Up and Down Stour lines were blocked between Grand Junction and Adderley Park at a weekend all passenger or parcels trains were diverted over the through siding which was electrified. The only set of points were scotched clipped and padlocked and a designated Traffic Man (usually an Inspector or Relief Signal man) in addition to the signal man on duty was there to supervise and authorise the running of passenger trains. No grounds men were stationed at either Grand Junction or Adderley Park for tail lamp purposes. Between Exchange Sidings and Adderley Park there were two siding connections spiked out of use leading into Adderley Park Sidings. This section was devoid of track circuits except for an approach track at each end to (NS88 & ES27) signals. There was no Pilotman. Just an interlocking lever in Exchange Sidings for the section to Adderley Park and slots on New Street signals at Grand Junction. I don't remember if the working was prohibited during fog or falling snow or whether Pilot working had to be introduced in those circumstances. I don't think this working would be authorised today! Can anyone shed any further comments or quote other similar workings over untracked lines?

[JRB]

"....slots on New Street signals......". shown as such on drawings, but actually controls on routes setting. It was intended that setting the route would operate the train describer step, which would constitute a request to clear the slot. I forget how it was eventually settled but that sloppy documentation caused a lot of hassle.

[RDNA]

"....slots on New Street signals......". shown as such on drawings, but actually controls on routes setting. It was intended that setting the route would operate the train describer step, which would constitute a request to clear the slot. I forget how it was eventually settled but that sloppy documentation caused a lot of hassle.

I think you are referring to the situation after Stage 2 of New Street (4th-6th June 1966) when Exchange Sidings was the fringe box on the Camp Hill (and Derby) lines and needed to 'slot' NS133's route to the Up Camp Hill.

After Saltley PSB was commissioned in 1969 Exchange became purely a Shunt Frame and lost any Train Describers that it had.

The 'slot' referred to by Garth was on NS133 and 135 sub routes to the sidings and such moves were always asked for by telephone.

DB

[RDNA]

Garth,

I worked less than a handful of shifts at Exchange Sidings, they were all short turns at the time when it was only open for a few hours at a time.

My diary shows "0800-1600 Exchange Sdgs" for Sunday 12th March 1989, one of the 'Engineering' AMIs was 'In Charge of Passenger Working'. I think we only passed the first couple of up trains and had closed and gone home before dinner time.

The following Sunday (19th March) the cryptic entry in my diary reads "0800-1000 Stechford - Exchange M.I." ? but I can't remember what I did!

Regards,

Dave