Pass of Brander stone signals
Encyclopedia
The Pass of Brander stone signals are a series of railway signal
s situated in the Pass of Brander, between and stations on the Oban
branch of the West Highland Line
in Scotland
. They are part of a warning system that advises train drivers to exercise caution in the event of a rock-fall.
The railway through the Pass of Brander was opened in July 1880. It was originally part of the Callander and Oban Railway
. Since the line's opening, rocks falling from the steep slopes of Ben Cruachan
onto the track had threatened to cause a derailment
. The secretary of the C&OR, John Anderson, devised a system that would detect falling rocks and provide a warning to drivers. A screen of wires, linked to semaphore signals
, would be erected on the mountainside alongside the railway. In the event of one or more wires being broken, signals in each direction would be automatically placed at 'danger'.
The first length of screen was brought into use in January 1882. It was 1112 yards (1,017 m) in length and there were four associated signals. In April 1883, the screen was extended at both ends, bringing its total length to 5659 yards (5,175 m). The final extension, at the west end, was made in September 1913, increasing the length to 7054 yards (6,450 m) - just over four miles (6.5 km).
Signals are erected at intervals of approximately a quarter mile (400 m) along the affected area. There are seventeen signals in all. They are numbered from "1" to "17", with signal 1 being at the east (Dalmally) end. All except number 9 stand on the south side of the line. All the signals apart from numbers 1 and 17 carry two semaphore arms, one for each direction. The signal arms usually all stand in the 'clear' position.
Although trip wires working with colour light signals are occasionally used alongside railways in the vicinity of airports, the remarkable thing about the Pass of Brander system is its age and the fact that it is entirely mechanical in operation.
The system is sometimes referred to as 'Anderson's Piano', after its inventor and the noise that the tensioned screen wires are said to make in the wind.
The system has given early warning of many boulders on the track, but two derailments have occurred where boulders evaded the screen: on 8 August 1946, when the fall occurred just as the train approached, too late for signals to give a warning, and 6 June 2010
, when the fall started below the wires. There was an earlier derailment in 1881 before the screen was installed, when a falling boulder hit a train.
Railway signal
A signal is a mechanical or electrical device erected beside a railway line to pass information relating to the state of the line ahead to train/engine drivers. The driver interprets the signal's indication and acts accordingly...
s situated in the Pass of Brander, between and stations on the Oban
Oban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
branch of the West Highland Line
West Highland Line
The West Highland Line is considered the most scenic railway line in Britain, linking the ports of Mallaig and Oban on the west coast of Scotland to Glasgow. The line was voted the top rail journey in the world by readers of independent travel magazine Wanderlust in 2009, ahead of the iconic...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. They are part of a warning system that advises train drivers to exercise caution in the event of a rock-fall.
The railway through the Pass of Brander was opened in July 1880. It was originally part of the Callander and Oban Railway
Callander and Oban Railway
The Callander and Oban Railway company was formed in 1864 with the objective of linking Callander, Scotland to the west coast port of Oban over challenging terrain, particularly at Glen Ogle and the Pass of Brander at Loch Awe. Callander had been reached in 1858 by the Dunblane, Doune and Callander...
. Since the line's opening, rocks falling from the steep slopes of Ben Cruachan
Ben Cruachan
Ben Cruachan is a 1126 m mountain that is the highest point in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It gives its name to the Cruachan Dam, a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station located in a cavern inside the mountain, as well as providing the slogan for Clan Campbell.It is the high point of a...
onto the track had threatened to cause a derailment
Derailment
A derailment is an accident on a railway or tramway in which a rail vehicle, or part or all of a train, leaves the tracks on which it is travelling, with consequent damage and in many cases injury and/or death....
. The secretary of the C&OR, John Anderson, devised a system that would detect falling rocks and provide a warning to drivers. A screen of wires, linked to semaphore signals
Railway semaphore signal
One of the earliest forms of fixed railway signal is the semaphore. These signals display their different indications to train drivers by changing the angle of inclination of a pivoted 'arm'. Semaphore signals were patented in the early 1840s by Joseph James Stevens, and soon became the most...
, would be erected on the mountainside alongside the railway. In the event of one or more wires being broken, signals in each direction would be automatically placed at 'danger'.
The first length of screen was brought into use in January 1882. It was 1112 yards (1,017 m) in length and there were four associated signals. In April 1883, the screen was extended at both ends, bringing its total length to 5659 yards (5,175 m). The final extension, at the west end, was made in September 1913, increasing the length to 7054 yards (6,450 m) - just over four miles (6.5 km).
Signals are erected at intervals of approximately a quarter mile (400 m) along the affected area. There are seventeen signals in all. They are numbered from "1" to "17", with signal 1 being at the east (Dalmally) end. All except number 9 stand on the south side of the line. All the signals apart from numbers 1 and 17 carry two semaphore arms, one for each direction. The signal arms usually all stand in the 'clear' position.
Although trip wires working with colour light signals are occasionally used alongside railways in the vicinity of airports, the remarkable thing about the Pass of Brander system is its age and the fact that it is entirely mechanical in operation.
The system is sometimes referred to as 'Anderson's Piano', after its inventor and the noise that the tensioned screen wires are said to make in the wind.
The system has given early warning of many boulders on the track, but two derailments have occurred where boulders evaded the screen: on 8 August 1946, when the fall occurred just as the train approached, too late for signals to give a warning, and 6 June 2010
Falls of Cruachan derailment
The Falls of Cruachan derailment occurred on 6 June 2010 on the West Highland Line in Scotland, when a passenger train travelling between Glasgow and Oban hit boulders on the line and derailed near Falls of Cruachan railway station, after a landslide. The two-car diesel multiple unit caught fire...
, when the fall started below the wires. There was an earlier derailment in 1881 before the screen was installed, when a falling boulder hit a train.
External links
- http://www.railsigns.co.uk/info/stonesig1/stonesig1.html details of the signalling
- Stone signals in the Pass of Brander description and photograph