What's the procedure when a repeater/distant fails in a TCB area, particularly between 2 signal boxes

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What's the procedure when a repeater/distant fails in a TCB area, particularly between 2 signal boxes 11/06/2018 at 22:40 #108589
TUT
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I've just been playing Hunts Cross for the first time and it's a marvellous sim, I love the way the levers have been rendered.

Anyway, I got a rather interesting lamp failure. Signal HC83R is not displaying any aspect. I'm quite interested to know what the procedure is when a repeater/distant has a lamp failure. The only reference I can find in my skim of the rule book is to distants in absolute block areas or banner repeaters, but I'm guessing the same rules apply and drivers must be told about the failure before being allowed to proceed towards the signal. In game the train does then actually stop at the unlit signal and requires talking past it - is that true to life? It's only a repeater after all. What is interesting is that, in the game, the automatic signal in rear of it clears automatically in spite of the failure - permitting a green, nil, red sequence, which seems very dangerous - a flaw in the simulation?

What I find particularly interesting is that in this case, the automatic signal in rear of the failed one is WC111 which is under the control of Warrington (the failed signal is Hunts Cross's). What is the procedure in this case of the signal failing between two signal boxes? Get on the phone I suppose?

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What's the procedure when a repeater/distant fails in a TCB area, particularly between 2 signal boxes 12/06/2018 at 10:09 #108603
Danny252
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Module TS11, section 7.1 applies: https://www.rssb.co.uk/rgs/rulebooks/GERT8000-TS11%20Iss%203.pdf

"You must not allow a train to approach the defective signal until the driver has been told about the defect and [...] the line is clear up to the second stop signal beyond a defective distant signal".

Looking at that and other documents, they only discuss giving drivers permission to pass defective stop signals, but make no reference to giving permission to pass defective (unlit) distant or repeater signals; banner repeaters are discussed separately. The rulebook is vague enough that it doesn't seem to state explicitly what instructions must be given to the driver when passing the previous signal - i.e. whether the driver should be asked to stop and phone in or not!

Last edited: 12/06/2018 at 10:10 by Danny252
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What's the procedure when a repeater/distant fails in a TCB area, particularly between 2 signal boxes 12/06/2018 at 10:23 #108604
Splodge
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GB865R (Down Woodley on the Manchester East Sim) failed in real life not so long ago - it was unable to display any aspect. I was brought to a stand at RJ28 and informed of the failure; the signaller was unable to clear the signal for me so I had to proceed at caution through the section all the way to Hyde North - and it's a fairly long section.

I wasn't required to stop at the defective signal and was authorised to proceed on aspect from GB865.

There's the right way, the wrong way and the railway.
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What's the procedure when a repeater/distant fails in a TCB area, particularly between 2 signal boxes 12/06/2018 at 12:33 #108608
Albert
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I just had a failed repeater on the Cowlairs sim - the repeater of signal CE313 (it does not have a signal number when right-clicking, nor is it visible on the signal number plan or the F11 view). Trains just ignored its state and didn't call - is this realistic? Should CE311 drop to yellow (or CE307 to red) if the repeater has failed? Right now the failure was purely cosmetic as trains did not care.

This repeater though only had a failed proceed aspect - so strictly speaking I should just have kept CE313 at danger until the train had passed the repeater.

edit: the era is Old Cowlairs

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Last edited: 12/06/2018 at 13:05 by Albert
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What's the procedure when a repeater/distant fails in a TCB area, particularly between 2 signal boxes 12/06/2018 at 13:12 #108609
MarkC
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Can you clarify if it is the Banner Repeater or a Repeater signal that has failed.

A banner repeater is normally displayed as a white background with a black bar accross it, Horizontal for signal ahead at red or at a 45° if the signal ahead is showing a proceed aspect.

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What's the procedure when a repeater/distant fails in a TCB area, particularly between 2 signal boxes 12/06/2018 at 13:21 #108611
Albert
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I'm sorry, I mean the banner repeater. I was a bit confused and thought the whole topic was about banner repeaters.
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