Re: Splitting distants: more than you wanted to know

bill johnston (wajohns@tpgi.com.au)
12 Feb 1998 09:26:26 GMT

In article <34d9a68a.1485616@news2.pegasus.com.au>,
jdennis@acslink.net.au says...
>
>On Thu, 05 Feb 1998 02:16:36 GMT, G.Lambert@unsw.edu.au (Geoff
>Lambert) wrote:
>
>>A follow up from J.D.McLean
>>
>>Referring to your question about splitting distants, (a question
>>brought to my attention in a sort of way by my correspondent in
>>Vancouver BC) I looked up my copies of the 1908 and 1913 VR Book of
>>Signals and found the following
>>
>[useful information snipped]
>>
>>Stawell doesn't qualify but should get a mention with a distant on one
>>dolly and a home arm on the other
>>
>[more snipped]
>
>Pass on our thanks to Jack for this comprehensive answer. However, I
>am intrigued by the reference to Stawell above. Can you please
>explain how we can have this arrangement?
>
>Cheers...JD
>==========================================================
>John Dennis jdennis@acslink.net.au
>Melbourne denjo02@cai.com
>Australia http://www.acslink.net.au/~jdennis
> Dutton Bay Tramway pages updated 1 January
>DBT URL: http://www.acslink.net.au/~jdennis/dbt.html

Jack McLean has provided the following in response to this and
another question posted earlier.

ECHUCA A new yard was built on the down side of the Bendigo line on
14/12/1926. Cross overs provided access to the new yard from the
Toolamba Line. The cross overs were protected by homes with distance
arms under them for the station proper. The connections and the home
arms were removed on 17/12/58 leaving the distance arms only.

STAWELL Freyne's siding was opened on 16/12/1895. It faced to up trains
on the Grampians line and crossed the main line (to Horsham) with a
diamond crossing. The points were Annett locked the key, when removed
from the frame, locked the up home (post 12) for the main line and
probably the up home for the Grampians line. To allow shunting of the
siding with a train on the branch the up home for the Grampians line was
placed on post 13, the up distance signal for the main line, which was
now a bracket signal with a distance arm on the left hand doll and a
home arm on the right hand doll. The siding facilities were removed in
1977 with the introduction of CTC on the main line. The siding was
probably out of use long before this.

Bill Johnston