Carriages at Tenterden Town

Back at Tenterden, this time on duty at the signalbox for a two train service that finished at 3.30pm.

The morning’s entertainment was courtesy of pilotman training which added a little spice and pressure to proceedings.

Pilotman working is used when the electric block system between two signal boxes fails meaning a token cannot be obtained and section signals cannot be worked to allow a train into the single track section.

There is a procedure where a qualified pilotman becomes the token and after duly filling in forms and speaking to the driver and signalmen accompanies the train through the section.

The only trouble was the guard was late turning up for the train being used then the train then developed a fault causing delays to that train, the light engine and the first service all aided and abetted by a signal playing up. By 10.45 the training had ended, the first service was away and quietness settled on the railway for the rest of the day.

Today’s blip was going to be an extra and vice versa. The extra shows No 25 from the other side to yesterday as the loco arrives at Tenterden having travelled from Rolvenden with on pilotman’s ticket. The main blip is of the carriage doors of of the 1.15 departure from Tenterden.

Having met with one cousin yesterday, we learned today that another of our cousins died this morning after a long battle with cancer. That’s two this year and we’re now down to 9 from the original 12.