Can anyone answer the following two questions for me with respect to British railway practice?:
1. What are the whistle signals used by British steam locomotive drivers ?
2. What does "brake" signify in "brake composit coach" or "full brake coach"?
Thanks
The British don't use whistles/horns to signal with the way we do in the US and Canada. Generally a short series of toots means "clear the tracks" if someone or thing (like animals) are in the way. Most all UK mainlines are fenced in, with gated grade crossings, so they don't blow signals for grade crossings. FWIW UK engines generally don't have headlights or bells either!!
"Brake" means it has a brake. Unlike the US, relatively few UK cars had brakes. That's also why they call a caboose a "Brake Van", because it had a guard who could set the brake in his car. Often the engine and brake van (or brake coaches) were the only part of the train equipped with brakes that could be activated while in motion...although some cars had a hand brake that could be operated from the side, so you could kick a car into a siding and someone running alongside could put on the brake (hopefully) before the car went too far and hit something.
As some one who lives in the Britain let me try and answer your two questions.
1) Whistle signals ; this is one of those "urban myths" British drivers(engineers) did not use their whistles except when approaching stations, normally close to the mainline stations of our cities,there was an extensive suburban network round these stations. You must realise that Britain is considerably smaller than the US and round our cities mainline, suburban and freight all shared the same tracks.
2) Brake. The best way of trying to explain this is :the term brake van referred to a coach that had a portion designed for the the use of the "guard" in the US "conductor they were placed at the end of a rake of passenger cars. They had side lookouts so that the guard could observe the length of the train. One of the reasons that they formed part of a coach was that there was a great deal of small parcel traffic on British railways. A brake composite was a a coach that was probably 1/3 guard compartment, 1/6 first class compartments and 1/2 second class compartments. a full brake was, the best equivalent I can give is an RPO.
I hope this has been helpful to you , but if you want further info please don't hesitate to ask. My email is bmirner@aol.com
Further to my original post and seeing the first reply to your enquiry I have to clear up a few mistakes.
First all British passenger trains had complete braking systems, either vacuum or westinghouse(an air system). The guard in the brake was there to observe the train and to apply a manual brake if there was a problem. The majority of British freight wagons only had brakes that could be operated when stopped.So a "brake van""at the end of a train had a wind down system were the guard winding down a brake wheel would apply the brakes on the brake therebty assissting the train engine.you have to remember that Britains railways are no as extensive as yours. All British freight stock is now air braked and we no longer have brake vans.
I do not garuantee that this is 100% but...
"Whistle" signals.
We must start withthe fact that there is a split between locos and Multiple units having whistles OR air horns. (I don't know of anything with both). OTMs (On Track Machines usually have both regular airhorns for when travelling and sirens for use while working.
I believe that the first use in this country of two-tone air horns was on the GWR's single unit diesel passenger cars (known as "flying bananas). This came about because they were express service cars and the PWay and others working on the track had trouble seeing and hearing them approach. They were, of course, used to steam engines making some noise at least... especially when getting a move on.
Whistles...
London Underground (Tube) trains have little whistles that go "pooop". The 1st time you hear one you wonder what it is. They are run off compressed air.
I'm pretty sure that all the surface earlly electrics had whistles. I don't know when they were changed. The original diesel locos probably did as well.
Steam locos have one or two different toned whistles. When there are two they either work together only or seperately only. They are not used like a two-tone horn. The larger/louder/deeper whistle would be used on the move and the little one for shunting and station "signalling".
Use of the whistle (and horns) comes under three headings.
1. Emergency warning.
When anyone or anything is or looks like it will get in the path of a train then the driver will give an emergency warning... this is long and loud. Failure to acknowledge an audible warning (below) should bring on an emergency warning. A blocked opposite line will cause the Driver to display a red to opposing traffic and draw their attention to it with an emergency warning.
When as a signalman I put back against a train the driver would hit the horn (previously it would have been the whistle whenever I say "horn" out of habit). If he was going to be able to pull up he would leave it at a long blast. If he was going to slide by he would keep blowing. If he was going to really travel by he would either keep blowing long bursts on the deep tone or (horn only) alternate rapidly betweenhigh and low.
The thing you did not want to hear was any loco making six short blast (which could be repeated). It meant that the Driver had lost his train and/or was going to hit something.
If he was on top of something and unable to avoid hitting it he would just kick up a racket... and be making an emergency brake application. I have been on a train doing that... it is an "interesting" experience.
2. Audible warning
Trains can't go round things... so they give "audible warning" of their approach. This is prohibited beteeen 23.00 and 06.00 except in "urgent" situations (and emergency of course).
That said coal trains around Nottingham used to "blow" for signals all night and to carry out Rule 53 (IIRC... I can never remeber the number without looking it up... it says that when detained at a signal the Driver must ensure that the Signalman is reminded of his presence).
Just wehn and what audible warning is varies by time and place. The basic principle is that if a driver thinks that he needs to use it he uses it. It isn't the same as in the USA.
A Driver should alawys blow if he sees men working on or close to the track. This may be a straight "toot", a two tone or more depending on how the train is moving, how many men are on the track (& what they are doing) and probably on whether the driver has seen the gang before - and they have been slow to shift - or knows then "socially".
When anyone working on or near the track gets an audible warning they MUST stop work, clear the track and acknowledge the warning with one arm straight up. There are no exceptions. In a group everyone must acknoledge once they are clear. Not doing so is reportable. The arm(s) should be kept raised until the driver gives one toot to say that he has seen the acknowledgement.
Drivers also want to see that the men are looking straight at them. This is due to the risks involved where two or more trains are in an area. This probably occurs more in the UK because everything is squashed in and trains are more frequent. Also most of our remaining netweork is double track. A second driver ( going the opposite way or the same on an adjacent track) will make a lot more noise to make sure that his train is observed. Also when Drivers know that work is going on on a length they may blow as they approach the back end of a train going the other way to warn men to not step out from behind it.
When you are working on track with a gang and a driver doesn't "toot" acknowledgement you make a quick look round to see if someoene isn't clear... although a driver would usually be blowing at them to get out of the way.
A driver may blow if he thinks he needs when approaching any platform. Almost all foot crossings between platfoprms have been taken out now. There are some left and other Rights of Way crossings that are uncontrolled and unguarded. The latter usually have one or other of the many different "Whistle" signs on their approach. Between 06.00 and 23.00 all drivers must blow befroe/when passing these signs.
A driver approaching platforms at speed will give at least a long blast of the deep note. There are many variations of "warning" Some drivers adopt a particular pattern. A common "alternate" is the tune "Colonel Bogey" which has very well know "alternate" words to go with it.
Trespassers and other animals on the track will get long loud warning.
Station movements are supposed to be made with a short blast first. Sometimes this is so short that you don't hear it. Propelled moves start with the shunter in the lead cab making a two tone warning. "Buffing Up" moves (bringing a loco onto stock or units together) are not "anounced". Locos in large yards do not give warning of individual moves - this is more because there may be other audible signals going on rather than to keep the noise down. (If you buy a house in sight of a rail yard and then complain about the noise... (I'll not get myself censored).
Men working on platforms do not acknowledge warnings unless they are within 4' of the edge. Then they must move back clear and acknowledge.
Drivers may blow to say "hello" at various times. Some would say that they do this when passing Signalboxes to make sure that they wake the signalman up. This is in fact very useful to the signalman as it enables him to put the kettle on.
The weird set of audible warnings that almost everyone forgets is that whenever a loco or train is running "Wrong Line" ,except for shunting movements in a station area, the Driver must make frequent long/loud warnings. This is to wake everyone up to the fact that the loco or train is going the wrong way... so anyone wortking on the line in particular must take special care to get out of the way. This will usually happen only with locos going wrong line to assist failed trains or dragging failed trains or the rear part of a divided train back. It happens to a lesser extent with wrong line movements of Out of Gauge Loads. OOGs are notified in advance so anyone working should be aware that there will be the wrong direction movement.
This happens even less when pre-planned Single Line Working over Multiple Lines is in force but when it isn't planned (emergency working) the first loco or train through - either way - will make a racket so that anyone working will look and therefore see the Pilotman in the leading cab and so become aware that SLW is coming into force. It used to be that the loco or train had to stop to tell everyone... and pretty much everyone got a Single Line Working form that had to be made out by hand (by the Responsible Officer).
Another one - that doesn't happen now - is that trains have to give frequent warning when running under Time Interval Working Rules.
Fog or Falling Snow also require frequent/loud warning... because of reduced visibility but also because the sound gets blanketed. (This means that the fog/snow saves us from upsetting the neighbours so much).
Any train stopped in Engineering work (and any machine) will give audible warning before starting any movement - including buffering up.
Any train stopped on a hand signal including at a signal being flagged or "talked by" but not a normal shunt move in a big yard will give one blast before starting to roll. Drivers vary between a toot and waking the dead.
Similarly a train that has stopped at an Automatic Signal in Track Circuit Block territory, an auto signal in Auto Block or an Intermediate Block Home in Intermediate Block working... when the signal has remained at Stop for more than five minutes and the Driver has been unable to contact the signalman... will give one long loud blast and move away to run at Caution.
If a Driver passes an obstruction on an opposite road he will put his headcode to red and make a racket at anything going the other way.
3. Instructions/information.
The whistle or horns may be used in yards around stations and in other situations (such as in Engineers' Possessions of the line - for maintenance work-) to combine warning and instruction/information.
These signals are given as "blasts", "crows" or combinations.
There are signals between driver and a shunter or guard (in a rear cab) and between the loco or train and the signal box.
I only ever used the shunter/driver signals regularly so I don't recall the other lot.
The loco to box one that I worked with was "loco/train clear of points and I don't recall what it was. (it was more than 20 years ago).
An odd one that any train can use - usually when at a stand - is six blasts = "Police Assistance Required".
Many large yards and junctions had specific local instructions for many different instructions/information.
Drivers would "blow for the road". Sometimes this was to tell the box that they were ready to start. Other times it was if the signlas were not clearr or clearing slowly.
When you had trains following closely on Absolute Block with manual semaphore signals you could help a Driver out by the way you cleared the signals. If he was crawling up on the signals with his drawgear kept stretched out tight you would avoid stopping him on all but the last signal. He would try to not get to that signal before you cleared it. As he came up to each signal before the last you would drag it off slowly to tell him that he should keep crawling. If the Box In Advance cleared back and the train that was ahead of him you would clear the next signal in front of the drive smartly unless it was your last signal. You would then get the road while the driver started to put in some power. Once you had the road for him you would "bang them off" to tell him that he had the road through to the next Box. There were other variations but there was a lot more you could say with a manual semaphore signal than with a motor arm or a colour light.
Drivers (or fireman) could also look back at semaphore arms - so if the next Box's Distant(s) was (were) under your signals they could watch to see if the Distant had cleared after your Stop arm even after they had past it.
When signals are cleared in these ways Drivers will give a toot of acknowledgement... the ones that are miserable and don't get to stop and start again at each signal.
And another one... When an Absolute Block Box has a train accepted into the Section In Advance under Reg 5 (Section Clear but Station or Junction Blocked) a train will be allowed to approach the box slowly and a green flag will be held steady for the driver to see. If he gives a toot of acknowledgement he will get the signals cleared. If he doesn't he has to be stopped and verbally instructed. (I hasd an incident with that with an Inspection Train carrying a lot of brass. The Driver stopped, labouriously wound the brake on, stomped across the cab, slammed the window down and demanded "What the chuff are you waving that rag at me for"? His Inspector appeared at the saloon window and explained to him. He was taken off at the next stop with a Driver taxied to it. Never saw him again.
and... If you had the front part of a divided train arriving, you didn't have the Section Ahead clear and there was a risk of the back part piling up against the front... then you would clear each signal as the front part approached it to where he could see you and wave a green flag side to side to tell the driver that he can run forward passing your signals at Stop as far as it is safe to do so and then stop.
A driver of a divided train should display a red headcode or red handsignal to opposing trains.
I think that that covers "whistles"...
Oops! I covered more than just steam whistles...
... Part 2
"Brakes"
A brake composite coach is one that has accomodation for more than one class of passenger plus a Guard's compartment. The compartment is usually just big enough for the gaurd and his paperwork. It will include a brake wheel for winding on the brakes on that vehicle only. It will also include a gauge for the continuous automatic brake and a valve to operate the brake. This will be "staright air" or "straight vacuum"... there is no subtlety if you use one of these.
A Brake 1st is the same with 1st class accomodation only. The same principle applies to a Brake 2nd, Brake 3rd or Brake "Standard". A "BSK" is a Brake with Standard Class arranged in compartments (You can't use C for compartments because it is used for "Composite" - which would be BCK. A BSO has open layout accomodation.
Some multiple units don't have the brake wheel in the brake compartment when there is direct access to the cab from the compartment.
A Full Brake usually has a similar brake compartmnet for the Guard in the middle with either caged or open storage space on both sides. These are basically MTH "cars" with a compartment for the "conductor". The only good thing about them is that they don't have passengers in them.
Going a bit further to resolve some of the other replies a bit.
All UK trains carrying passengers are required to have all stock fitted with Continuous Automatic Brakes throughout. These must be brake tested every time the train is made up, the consist is altered in any way and before any journey commences - except where a train terminates and goes straight back out with the same crew.
Trains of passenger stock not carrying passengers do not have to conform to the above.
So, if you have a problem with a train carrying passenegers the easiest thing to do is throw all the passenegers off and run it as a non-passeneger carrying train. "Simples" (For those who watch UK TV) It's really great doing this!
Since c1900 all passenger rated stock has had either Westinghouse Automatic Air brake or Automatic Vacuum Brake. The GWR ran a different Vacuum from everyone else just to be awkward... but their stock could run in other peoples' trains and vice versa. There were some other brakes about before that.
Except for specific areas with DOO (Driver Only Operation) all trains carrying passengers have to have a Guard/Conductor. There is a slight difference between a Guard and a Conductor. Proper Guards like wot I grew up with had a significant role in running their train. They also had to do things like carrying out protection if their train failed. Conductors just ride around, make announcements listen to their ipods and sometimes do some on-train duties.
Only Full Brakes, coaches with brake compartments and Multiple Unit cab units usually have a manual brake installed. Everything else normally stays coupled to at least one of these coaches. If it isn't the wheels will be chocked.
Then there is NPCS. Non Passenger Carrying (passenger rated) Stock is things like MTHs except we call them GUVs or CCTs (among other names). It used to also be milk traffic stock, horse boxes and other things that could run in fast passeneger traffic. Most (if not all) of these have their own manual brakes. These may be lever or wheel brakes. This is because they frequently get cut out and stand on their own. All NPCS stock has to have at least one Auto brake system. Some NPCS is Dual Fitted. Subject to marshalling rules NPCS can be "Piped Only" (known as "Blow Through" for one or both brakes. A Blow Through is not permitted to be one of the last three cars in any Fully Fitted train.
A Blow Through is distinguished by having two horizontal white stripes about 2" deep and 2" apart mid way up each right nad corner of the car. The mark is about a foot long on both the side and end.
NPCS can run in freight trains.
Until just before I started in 1978 we still had a remnant of "Unfitted" freight working. After that ended there remained special arrangements for working Unfiited stock when anything that had no continuous automatic brake had to be run.
I don't know when they decided that Fully Fitted freight trains didn't have to have a brake van. They still had to have a frieght guard. He rode (slept) in the back cab. Usually all you would see of him was his feet up on the "worktop". Until they changes all freights had to have a brake van with a Guard in it.
Some freight stock was Fully Fitted for one system or another from c 1900. Not much at first but an increasing amount. Some frieght stock was dual fitted. Some was Blow Through either on air or vac or both - or Fitted for one an Blow Through on the other. there's nothing like keeping things simple. (This is what happens when Government is "hands off" and doesn't set a clear single standard for everybody).
I need to divert onto couplings...
All Passenger and NPCS has either screw link couplings or a Buckeye type... some MU stuff has fixed drawbars between cars.
Freight stock can have screw link (they will be Fully Fitted), "Instanter" (look in Wikipedia) (they will be Fully Fitted or Blow Through) or three link (they are very unlikely to be Fitted).
Anything with screwlink or Instanter couplings can run with the coupling short and the buffer heads touching or loose coupled with the couplers long and space possible between the buffer heads. Passeneger trains only run close coupled. NPCS and ECS (Empty Coach Stock) would only run loose coupled in exceptional circumatances... and at lower permitted speed.
Screw linked and Fully Fitted will also have different supension and wheels (they're still round ones - most of the time- ). They usually run in Fully Fitted trains or Block trains towards the end of Unfitted working. They can run on faster schedules.
There was a lot more Instanter coupling fitted stock than screw link fitted until BR started tobuild large amounts of more modern, more specific stock.
Back at the brakes.
Only Fitted and Blow Through stock of the same brake coupled through to the brake supply on the loco (with all the stop valves open through to the last one) can work as Fitted stock. Any wrong brake or unconected brake has to run as unfitted. This means that unsuitable stock will be excluded from a Fully Fitted train... or the train will have to work as Part Fitted (Partfit). Again Blow Throughs are banned from the last three car positions if there is no brake van.
A Partfit has a Fully Fitted head end with the brake coupledto and working with the loco. Behind the Fitted Head there will be unfitted traffic with a brakevan on the back. A Partfit cannot work without a Brakevan with a Guard in it. The balance of Fitted to unfitted loads controls the permitted speed of a Partfit. The Partfit head would normally run close coupled.
That leaves us with unfitted, three link stock that runs loose coupled. These must have a brake van with a Guard in it at the back.
I should have said that all freight stock has its own manual brakes. These were almost always lever brakes.
In UK working a lever brake is much safer than a screw brake. Our freight stock didn't have any end steps, grab irons or platforms at all until the big bogie (truck) ballast cars appeared: they were rare until the 1960s.
The way wagons and vans were worked was that a shunter on the ground would grab the brake lever, remove the retaining pin, release or apply the brake with the lever and re-apply the pin. That is if the pin was in. the pin did not have to be in as the lever could be held by ratchet style teeth. Wagons were only "pinned down" when spotted in yards/sidings or going down steep grades. Trains would stop for the brakes to be pinned down.... and for them to be released at the bottom.
When the pin wasn't in, during shunting or out on the road, brake levers could be worked both ways with a brake stick. A brake stick was a piece of oak about 2' long with a 1.5" x 1.5" square working end and the hand end turned round in shape. They were similar to freigh conductors' brake clubs. (You could whack troublemakers with them). When stock was rolling it was easier and safer to work the brakes with a stick.
Brake levers shouldn't be worked with a reversed shunters pole. Shunters poles are hickory and split if used as brake sticks.
Brake wheels should not be worked with a brake stick (and definitely not a pole).
Working loose coupled trains and Partfits is another subject...
Thanks Dave-the-Train.
Did I answer the questions?