Railroad Stories

Distribution Of Stock

The movement of all coaching stock is controlled by the Superintendent of Operation, but to facilitate distribution, sub-control depots are situated at Eastleigh and Exeter, the areas thus controlled being as shown below:
Communications from the following stations to be sent to the Stock Inspector, Eastleigh: Farnborough to Southampton Terminus and Docks ; Alton to Wickham; Medstead to Itchen Abbas; Botley to Havant and Portsmouth Harbour; Bishops Waltham and Gosport Branches ; Hayling Island Branch ; Bitterne to Swanwick ; Southampton West and stations west thereof to Easton ; Oakley to Salisbury ; Andover Town to Nursling ; Milford Goods to Chandlers Ford ; Downton to Verwood ; Bulford Branch.
Communications from the following stations to be sent to the Divisional Superintendent, Exeter Central:— Wilton and all stations west thereof ; Bath to Bailey Gate (S. & D. Joint Line).
Local arrangements exist whereby vans are supplied to stations on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Line upon application to Templecombe and Wimborne, those stations passing on the request to their respective sub-control depots as may be necessary.
Communications from stations other than those mentioned above should be made to the Superintendent of Operation " S ", Waterloo.
A return on the form provided must be sent from each station, unless otherwise agreed, to the Superintendent of Operation, or sub-control depot, each day, Sundays excepted, giving particulars of every passenger train vehicle standing at that station at the time specified, also particulars of stock sent away since the previous report. Requests for additional stock required should also be included upon the return.

Set Trains

In the event of a coach or Guard's van being removed from a set train or the whole train being taken out of service for any purpose, an advice giving necessary details must be sent at once to the Superintendent of Operation or Sub-Stock Controller, in order that proper arrangements may be made to provide a substitute.
Full particulars of a vehicle taken from a set to be recorded on the Daily Passenger Stock Return.
LABELLING   OF   EMPTY   COACHING   STOCK.
All empty coaching stock, whether conveyed by passenger or goods train, must be labelled on both sides with a label.
No. 746N. for use on horse boxes, carriage trucks, and other vehicles provided with proper label holders ; or No. 1113, with gummed edges, which should be affixed inside the windows of carriages, saloons, etc.

Chalk Marks On Coaching Stock

Chalk markings, when necessary, should be made only on slate panels or footboards of coaches and vans, and under no circumstances should chalk markings be made on painted panels.
In the case of naval and military movements the attention of the officers in charge must be drawn to the need for care in this matter.
Guards must report any cases of infringement of this instruction to the Divisional Superintendent concerned, giving full particulars upon their train journals.
Protectiopn Of Exposed Gangways In TrainsForned Of Corridor Stock. On certain railways where engines pick up water in speed, water in volume is likely to penetrate through an exposed gangway. It is important, therefore, that all unconnected gangways of corridor vehicles formed at the extreme ends of trains working to the G.W.R., L. & N.E.R. and L.M. & S.R. be protected by a gangway shield.

Tor local working on the Southern Eailway the following instructions apply:

The end gangway doors on all new steam train corridor coaches will, dating from July, 1933, be
faced, on the exterior with metal and fitted with a special fastening on the outside. Certain corridor
coaches built prior to July, 1933, will be similarly fitted as they pass through the shops.
When these doors are brought into use, and providing they are securely fastened on the outside, no other gangway shield is necessary.
Rubbing off when vehicles pass over a curve, and gangway shields must not be provided:
(a)Adjacent Pullman type gangways when automatic coupling is not in use. When the automatic coupling is in use the gangways come together and thus preclude the possible use of shields.
(b)Pullman type gangway adjacent to British Standard gangway with or without adaptor clips.
(c)Adjacent British Standard gangways extended and fitted with adaptor clips.
(d)British Standard gangways extended and fitted with adaptor clips adjacent to British Standard gangways not extended.
In the foregoing cases gangway doors must be securely fastened by means of the carriage lock or exterior fastening where provided.
The effect of this instruction is that gangway shields may and should be fixed on two adjacent unconnected British Standard gangways which are not fitted with adaptor clips.
All unconnected gangways, other than as provided for in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3, must be protected by a portable gangway shield.
Shields from all Central and Eastern Section stations except as shown below to be sent to Victoria.
Shields from all stations Portsmouth to Brighton, and Ham Street to Brighton and Crowhurst, to be sent to Brighton.
Shields from all stations Faversham to Bamsgate, and Ashford (Kent) to Eamsgate via Canterbury West and Folkestone, to be sent to Dover Marine.
Shields from all Western Section stations East of Bournemouth Central and Exeter Central to be sent to Clapham Junction.
Shields from all stations Bournemouth Central to Weymouth and branches to be sent to Bournemouth West.
Shields from all stations West of Exeter Central to be sent to Exeter Central.
In the event of any station requiring gangway shields they must communicate with their depot station ; and any shortage of gangway shields which is hkely to result in difficulty in meeting the requirements of the traffic must be immediately reported to the Divisional Superintendent concerned.

Invalid Saloons And Bedsteads And Bedding

The four invalid saloons in service will, generally speaking, be berthed at Clapham Junction (2) and Stewart's Lane (2).     The movement of these vehicles will be controlled by the Superintendent of Operation.
The bedsteads and bedding will be held at Waterloo and the London West Divisional Superintendent will, on receiving instructions from the Superintendent of Operation, arrange conveyance to the point required for use.
When invalid saloons and/or bedsteads and bedding are requisitioned the following particulars should be furnished to the Divisional Superintendent:—
(a) Date and particulars of journey ;  (6) Number of bedsteads required ;  (c) Number of passengers travelling with invalid.
The Divisional Superintendent to forward these particulars to the Superintendent of Operation.
The saloons with bedsteads and bedding must be returned without delay to either Clapham Junction or Stewart's Lane, and on arrival the bedsteads and all equipment must be removed and returned at once to the Station Master, Waterloo, by the quickest available means.
On receipt at Waterloo the bedsteads and bedding must be examined and the Station Master will arrange for any necessary laundry attention to be given to the bedding. Particulars of any damaged or missing articles to be reported to the Superintendent of Operation.
Bedding must not be lent, unless in extreme emergency, to the public for use off the Company's premises ; when this is done the station concerned should take steps to see that the articles are returned without delay.
The minimum payment required for the provision of an invalid saloon is an amount equivalent to four first class fares and four third class fares. When a bed and bedding are supplied for the accommodation of a person travelling in such saloon, a charge of 15s. must be made in addition to the minimum payment for the saloon.
The usual saloon ticket must be issued to the user of an invalid saloon, the ticket to be endorsed Saloon fee not chargeable.

Destination Boards.

Koof boards.—The platform staff at starting stations will be responsible for seeing that the boards are properly fixed on the coaches, and that the wording shown on them corresponds with the service in which. the train is running.
Empty trains leaving a berthing depot must be correctly boarded before despatch to the starting point.
Guards to record on their train journals all cases of coaches not carrying the proper complement of boards.
When stock provided with roof boards is sent to works for renovation the boards must be removed.
Side boards.—Set trains must be boarded on each side of the front and rear brake vehicles. If two or more sets are working together the method of boarding will apply to each set.
All loose coaches must be boarded on both sides, except in cases where the whole train is comprised of loose stock when boards should be allotted as for set trains.
Two-coach motor units must carry one route indication board on each side.
Three- and four-coach motor units must carry four route indication boards (two on each side). The equipping to be carried out by the starting station.
After arrival at a terminus, trains which will not be utilised for further trips between the stations for which they are boarded must be stripped of boards, which must be placed in the racks provided for the purpose or otherwise suitably stored.    Boards must not be placed in brake vans unless authority is given.
Stations must not send destination boards to works for renovation without first obtaining the sanc­tion of the Divisional Superintendent.
General instructions.—Supplies of paper destination labels and blank boards will be kept on hand at Charing Cross, London Bridge, Victoria and Waterloo.
Stations requiring a supply to cover a service for which painted boards are not provided, or in the case of a shortage of painted boards, must make application to the Station Master at one of the points mentioned.
Roof and side boards to be cleaned at least once a week. This duty to be performed by carriage cleaning staff, where provided, and at other stations the work must be done by station staff.
All questions relating to the boarding of trains and applications for new boards to be referred to the Superintendent of Operation.
Destination boards must not be allowed to accumulate at stations to which the lettering on the board does not apply or in cases where the service is unbalanced and any which are not wanted must be sent to their proper stations.
Boards should be carefully placed in the brackets provided on the coaches for the purpose, as neglect in this respect may result in their being dislodged on the journey.
Destination boards must not be used for purposes other than those for which they are provided.
Paper destination labels must not be pasted on painted boards.

Running Of Four-Whelled Vehicles In Passenger Trains

With the exception of vehicles marked " Not to work in passenger trains ", all four-wheeled braked or pipe fitted vehicles may work in passenger trains provided the following conditions and the continuous brake regulations are adhered to.
(a)Vehicles with a wheel-base of 15 feet or over may be marshalled without restriction.
(b)Vehicles with a wheel-base of less than 15 feet must not be conveyed between bogie stock except in the following circumstances, when they may, if absolutely necessary, be marshalled in the positions indicated

(c)Between bogie fish or other non-passenger carrying vehicles when such are marshalled behind the last vehicle conveying passengers on the train.
(d)Between empty bogie passenger vehicles and the rear brake.
(e)Vehicles conveying theatrical, naval, military or air force traffic may be marshalled according to destination.
(d)Vehicles with a wheel-base of less than 9 feet must not be run in express passenger trains.
For special instructions as to milk tanks see below.
RUNNING    OF    MILK   TANKS    (FIXED   OR    MOBILE)    IN    TRAINS.
(a) Six-wheeled milk tanks may be marshalled in trains without restriction.
(6) Four-wheeled milk tanks, and mobile milk tanks loaded on four-wheeled trucks, must only be formed
in trains specified by the Superintendent of Operation and subject to the following special restrictions:—
(i) If run in passenger trains they must not be formed between vehicles conveying passengers.
(ii) If formed in trains which exceed a speed of 40 miles per hour at any point they must not be
attached to the rear without a six- or eight-wheeled vehicle, or a four-wheeled vehicle having
a wheel-base of not less than 15 feet, being attached immediately behind.
(iii)   Four-wheeled milk tanks and mobile milk tanks loaded on four-wheeled trucks may be formed in any position in non-passenger trains which do not exceed a speed of 40 miles per hour.

Other Companies Empty Coaching Stock

Other Companies' empty coaching stock should be worked back by horse box train or goods train, but, if necessary, to avoid demurrage charges, such vehicles may be returned to point of transfer by suitable passenger train services as arranged by the Divisional Superintendents.
Vehicles received direct from the G.W., L.M. & S. or L. & N.E. Companies may be returned at the nearest or most convenient direct junction with the owning Company. Vehicles received loaded via an intermediate Company must travel over the same route on the homeward journey and the routing should be as shown on the inward label, or, if more convenient, they may be returned at a direct junction with the owning Company.    Vehicles received direct must not be returned over the line of an intermediate Company.
Applications for return empty services to be made to Divisional Superintendent in all cases.

Coaching Stock Vehicles Working To Other Companies Lines

It is now only necessary to provide dual-braked coaching stock for horse-box, etc., traffic loaded to stations which, prior to the grouping of railways, were situate on the Caledonian Railway (now L.M. & S.R.) and the Great North of Scotland Railway (now L. & N.E.R.).
The Westinghouse brake equipment has been stripped from all Southern Railway dual-braked coaching stock, except 10 bogie scenery trucks Nos. 4577 to 4586 inclusive, and special arrangements must be made for dealing with traffic to the above-mentioned sections of fine where the Westinghouse brake is in operation.
When a journey is contemplated stations must get into touch with their respective Divisional Superin­tendents, who will in turn communicate with the L.M. & S.R. or the L. & N.E.R. in order to ascertain—
(f)Whether dual-fitted stock is necessary, or
(g)Whether the traffic can be transferred from a vacuum-braked vehicle to a Westinghouse-braked vehicle at a point en route, or
(h)Whether the destination line can loan suitably braked stock.