The Temple Mills Marshalling Yard of British Railways

The Temple Mills is the major marshalling yard near Stratford, London, which the Eastern Region of British Railways have modernized with a new layout and the latest operating equipment. In the completed yard, considerable savings have been made in shunting locomotives, trip locomotives and marshalling yard staff.

The new yard is a hump yard designed for two-directional working and equipped with primary and secondary retarders of the latest design.

There are eight departure sidings in the yard. From each of the eight departure sidings, freight traffic can proceed in either direction. The main feature of the new yard is the hump over which wagons are pushed to run down the other side at controlled speed into the sorting sidings to form the new trains. The hump cabin, situated beside the hump, has a control desk. The operator sets the routes as the “cuts” of wagons approach the cabin, depressing the appropriate points selector button according to the letter and number marked on each wagon.

Unit 6 Centralized Traffic Control

Originated in the USA in 1927, Centralized traffic control or “C.T.C.” made a repid growth all over the world. The primary objectives of installing C.T.C. were to rationalized the staff of small and medium-sized stations and to modernize the control centre. There were some technological changes (i. e. relays-transistors-mini-computes-microcomputers).

C.T.C. is used to facilitate the traffic control in the sections or divisions which have busy traffic. If the trains were operated only by schedule or by train order, their moments would be delayed. Much time would be lost while trains waited for the appearance of opposing trains. Centralized traffic control is a system of railroad operation which is used for controlling the movement of trains by signal indications. “C.T.C.” provides a high degree of movement safety. The signals and switches are operated from an illuminated panel situated in front of the dispetcher’s desk.

On this penal one may see a diagram of all tracks in the controlled section. Below the diagram there are small buttons and levers that control the operation of each switch and signal. These switches and signals are all interlocked so that it is impossible for the dispatcher to show signals that would admit two trains to the same track.

On the track diagram there is a number of small lights. When a train enters a section of track shown on the panel a light goes on showing the dispatcher that a train is in the section of the track. It is “C.T.C.” that can save a lot of time and prevent train delays. Thus it increases both the traffic capacity and the speed of the train movement.

Exercises

I. Mind the translation of the word “number”:

number – число, цифра to number- насчитывать

a number of – ряд, некоторое количество

1.The number of trains operating on the line is increasing.

2.The main track is divided into a number of sections.

3.A large number of main-lines is controlled by C.T.C.

4.Trains can be classified into a number of categories.

5.Each train has its own number.

6.The ideal layout of the marshalling yard numbers three groups of sidings for reception, sorting and departure.

7.Koriyama marshalling yard numbers 36 sorting tracks.

II. Translate the following word-combinations:

train order, train order issue; dispatcher desk, desk dispatcher, dispatcher desk layout; signal indication, signal indication panel; traffic control, traffic control installation, traffic control installation requirements; railway transport, railway transport development, railway transport development system; future railway transport, future railway transport development; panel section, panel section control.

III. Translate the sentences, paying attention to the use of the verbs “should” and “would”:

1.It is important that the problem of running trains should be simplified.

2.C.T.C. would not be of such importance if it did not provide such a level of safety.

3.If the gradients in the yard were steeper wagons would move on their own weight due to wind, and it would be dangerous.

4.Were electric aids installed in the yard, it would be possible to sort a train much quicker.

5.Had the interval between the trains been larger, the departure lines could have been omitted.

6.It is necessary that all the large railroads should be divided into operating units.

7.Up and down yards should be on the same side of the line.

8.Had we been present at the opening of the first railway, we should have been able to compare it with that of today.

9.The trains are operated by schedule lest their movement should be delayed.

10.It is important that the running of freight trains should be closely checked.

11.The locomotive depots should be placed in the central position of the yard.

IV. Mind the translation of the “-ing” forms:

1.Trains arriving at a marshalling yard are placed in reception sidings.

2.In the case of hump shunting each “cut” of wagons runs free after passing over the hump.

3.All train movements being governed by signal indications, written train orders are not issued.

4.C.T.C. saving much time, many railroads reduce the number of passing sidings.

5.Railways made much progress in improving the efficiency of their yards.

6.Having developed C.T.C. system our engineers have contributed to the progress of railway operation.

7.The sidings in hump yards are called sorting sidings, their number being governed by the number of centres to which it is necessary to dispatch trains.

8.Electronic equipment being highly reliable, many railroads began using it for working in marshalling yards.

9.There being a number of small railways in Great Britain, they were provided with a number of small marshalling yards, situated close together.

V. Make a summary of the text: