Site Updated
27 July 2010

Signalling Record Society

Calendar of Meetings and Events

Places on visits to Network Rail and London Underground are strictly limited and these places are only available to members. Registering in advance with the organiser is essential! If the number of members wishing to attend exceeds the available number of places the organiser will 'draw names from the hat' to determine who may attend.

Some visits to London Underground and Network Rail are arranged at short notice and may not get advertised here. If you would like to register an interest in advance, register here indicating which areas of the country interest you. You will then be sent detail of each visit by email so that you are certain to be notified in time.

By prior arrangement with the organiser concerned, members attending a visit to a Heritage Railway may take a friend with them.

If you are not yet a member, take the opportunity to join here.

All visit dates should be treated as provisional until specific arrangements for the visit are advised through the Newsletter.

Times quoted in the calendar are in 24 hour notation.

Visit safety - Visits to Network Rail and Heritage Railway premises often involve lineside access. Specific conditions normally apply to these visits. Please ensure you have read the conditions before applying to join the visit.

DateEvent
2010
Saturday
21 August		 Committee Meeting, Birmingham & Midland Institute, Margaret Street, Birmingham.
Saturday &
Sunday
4 & 5 September		 The Gauge O Guild Guildex Exhibition at International Centre, St. Quentin Gate, Telford, Shropshire, TF3 4JH.

Nearest railway station is Telford Central. MyMaps puts this at 1.2 miles, about 23 minutes walk. But I suspect that time and distance could be saved by using the footbridge over the railway and bypass.

The Society will have a stand at the show. Please come along and support. More information here.

National Rail Enquiries for train times or Transport Direct for other transport modes.
Saturday
11 September		 Visit to North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
Agreement has been given in principle for an organised visit to the signal boxes on the NYMR on Saturday 11 September 2010: the visit is subject to final confirmation, is dependent on numbers showing interest and will be subject to a minimum age of 16.

Normal trackside rules will apply and all attending will be required to provide their own Group Standard High Visibility clothing. Participants will be required to purchase a NYMR Day Rover ticket.

It is proposed to catch the 10.00 DMU departure from Pickering (for those travelling via York) to travel to Grosmont where arrival is scheduled for 11.05; anyone travelling from the north will be able to join the party there.

Travelling back towards Pickering, visits will then be made to Grosmont SB (there will be no access to Network Rail), Goathland SB, Levisham SB, and New Bridge SB.

The visits are planned to be completed in adequate time for participants returning north to catch the 17.00 departure from Pickering, arriving back at Grosmont at 18.05.

Please contact Richard Pulleyn here as soon as possible if you wish to attend.

The same visit conditions as applicable to NR/LUL visits will apply.
Autumn Visit to Rochester and Faversham PSBs.
Advance notice is given that a Society visit has been agreed by NR to these locations and will take place later this year. Both boxes are significant installations as representing the last examples of early route setting panels. Rochester contains a SGE NX turn-push panel and only one other example (with detail differences) exists in service; Faversham contains the last example of a MV-GRS NX turn-push panel, employing electro-mechanical point indications which rotate on the panel surface. Both were commissioned in 1959.

A date will be finalised closer to the time and places will be limited and restricted to Society members. If you are interested in attending you are strongly recommended to pre-register with the visit organiser Andy Overton here to receive details by email when they become available, or to check the Society website regularly.

Those members already registered to receive visit programmes by email will be automatically sent details.
Visit conditions apply.
Saturday
16 October		 York Meeting
"Thumb Switches to Mice". Andy Overton presents an illustrated history of 80 years development of power signalling.
Saturday
20 November		 North West area Meeting, The Railway Age, Vernon Way, Crewe.
Saturday &
Sunday
20 & 21 November		 Warley Model Railway Club Warley National Model Railway Exhibition in Hall 5 at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham.

Nearest Railway Station is Birmingham International (with airport close by) with under cover walkway into the NEC.

The Society will have a stand at the show. Please come along and support. More information here.

National Rail Enquiries for train times or Transport Direct for other transport modes.
Saturday
4 December		 Committee Meeting, Birmingham & Midland Institute, Margaret Street, Birmingham.

Conditions for Participation in Visits Involving Lineside Access

The operational railway is a potentially dangerous environment. Whilst every reasonable care will be taken during the visit to ensure your safety, you must understand that the Society does not carry any insurance and your participation is undertaken at your own risk. This is in accordance with Society Bylaws.

In the case of visits to Network Rail locations, unless specifically advised to you by the Visit Co-ordinator, it is a mandatory requirement that you provide yourself with a hi-visibility waistcoat or coat meeting the specifications of GO/RT3279.

In layman's terms this means:

  • The garment covers the whole torso
  • It is orange
  • It has reflective strips
    • PLEASE NOTE - Old-style mini-vests which only come half-way down towards the waist, and yellow or fluorescent green garments (you will be a walking handsignal and will possibly cause a SPAD) ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE. This condition is imposed by NR on everyone coming onto the lineside. Please do not attend without suitable clothing; you will be unable to participate in the visit as the Visit Co-ordinator will have undertaken with NR that the party will be compliant.

    If you do not already have suitable hi-vis clothing this can be easily and cheaply obtained from workwear shops and on-line. Do ensure that you obtain rail-industry compliant garments, as detailed above. The Visit Co-ordinator has two spare waistcoats available - if you wish to borrow one of these on the day you must make arrangements before the date of the visit to check one is available and reserve it for your use. They will not be brought along unless requested.

    Do give some consideration to your choice of clothing on the day. Garments which consist of large amounts of red, yellow or green are not acceptable when on the operational railway, either lineside or near a signalbox, as they are 'signalling colours' and can cause confusion to train drivers, signallers and others. Any disruption to the railway caused by the wearing of such garments will cause embarrassment to the Society's reputation and could result in Network Rail refusing such visits in the future.

    The hosting Manager (Network Rail or London Underground as appropriate) will give a safety brief at the commencement of the visit. Please ensure you listen carefully to the brief and comply in full with any and all instructions given during the brief.

    Photography is normally permitted unless you are advised otherwise but you must comply with any restrictions advised to you on the day. In order to avoid NR/LUL imposing bans on photography you are requested to be mindful that operational signalboxes are security-critical locations and if you make photographs available for public viewing following your visit you should not display those which feature:
    a) identifiable images of railway staff, unless you have their specific permission,
    b) BT or mobile telephone numbers on paperwork or equipment,
    c) operational notices, instructions, memoranda, passwords, etc.,
    d) anything which could cause public embarrassment to the staff or company.


    If you find you are unable to attend the visit please let the Organiser know immediately to allow your place to be offered to someone else, or if on the day to avoid the visit being delayed awaiting your arrival.

    Participation in the visit will be taken as acceptance of these conditions. Members who do not follow the requirements detailed above will not be considered for future visits as, if they are refused participation by NR, their place could have been taken by another member.