Thorndon Signalling & Interlocking

This page describes the interlocking at Thorndon in 1928. Thorndon was the terminus of the line to Johnsonville and Palmerston North until 1937, when the Johnsonville - Tawa section was closed.

S & I circulars of the period contain the phrase Temporary Signalling & Interlocking Arrangements. I assume that these arrangements were related to the construction of the new Wellington Yard and the Tawa deviation. However, I do not know what aspects of the layout were temporary.


Right A Ganz Mavag EMU, circa 1979, and A222, built in ?? at ??, at the north end of the Wellington passsenger depot. This is approximately the site of the old Thorndon station. Photo taken from an EMU on the Down Main.

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1928

Temporary Arrangements The S & I diagram refers to the Temporary Signalling & Interlocking Arrangements. I assume that these were related to the construction of the new Wellington yard and the Tawa deviation. There were a number of S & I circulars for Lambton covering the period from the 1920s until the new Wellington Station was opened in 1937.

Link To Lambton Yard At the south end of the Thorndon Yard there was a link to the Lambton Yard. In later years it ran from the Goods Yard. I do not know where it ran from in 1928.

Colour Lights The Regulations for Three-position Upper Quadrant and Colour-light Signals applied. I do not know when the colour light signals were installed.

Crossover No 4 at the north end was power worked.

Cross-over To Exchange Sidings I do not know when the crossover from the Johnsonville Line to the Exchange Sidings was installed.

Stop Signal Thorndon - Palmerston North was tablet territory and so the running signals are classified Home or Starter. Of interest is signal 36 which is classed as a Stop signal.



Signal Descriptions

1A...Down Main Home

1b...Down Dock Home

1c...Low speed to exchange sidings good or yard

2a...Down Main Home from Lower Hutt

2b...Dummy

2c...Low speed to Exchange sidings

3...Shunt from East Backshunt

4...X'over & Ddouble slip Main & East backshunt

5...Trap on East Backshunt

6...Points Double Slip 4 & East Backshunt

7... Slips to Lower Hutt Up Main

8...Slips from Lower Hutt Down Main

9...Points from Exchange Sidings & Trap

10a...Up Exchange Sidings Starter

10b...Low Speed from Exchange Sidings

11...Up Home from Lambton

12...Shunt from East backshunt

13...Shunt from Thorndon Goods

14...FPL on 15

15...X'over Main & Goods

16...X'over East Backshunt & Main

17...FPL on 16 & 18

18...X'over Main & Dock

19...FPL on 18 & 22

20...Trap on West Backshunt

21...Shunt from Engine Road

22...X'over & Indicator Dock & Engine Road

23...FPL on 24

24...X'over Main & Dock

25...FPL on 27

26...Shunt from Dock

27...X'over Dock & Main

28...FPL on 27 & 29

29...X'ove Main & No 1 Siding

30...Shunt From Main

31...Shunt from No 12 Siding

32...Up Advance Starter

33...Up Goods Starter

34...Up Dock Starter

35...Up Main Starter

36...Up Main Stop Signal



Engine Whistles

Enginemen must first give the whistle for the road they are on, and then the whistle for the road they require.

Note: - To avoid unnecessary whistling, enginemen or shunters should, when near the signal-box, tell the signalman what road they require.

Up & Down Main Line

To and from Dock

To and from Goods Yard

To and from Engine Shed Roads

To and from West Backshunt

To and from East Backshunt

To and from No 1 Siding

To and from Exchange sidings

1 long

3 short and 1 long

1 long and 1 short

4 short

2 short and 1 long

2 short and 2 long

1 short and 1 long

2 long and 1 short




Last Updated: Tue Jul 25 14:30:16 NZST 2006