Double Block Working For Gresley's Streamliners.

[Dave Cockle]

I believe the LNER streamlined trains operated under double-block working on the ECML. Does anybody know If this was for the entire route or just certain sections? If certain sections which ones?

[jwealleans]

This came up on another group of which I am a member and although it's often stated (and generally accepted as fact) we found that there was not much hard evidence or detail still available. I'd also be interested to see what anyone else can point to.

[Mickey]

I wasn't aware of this practice so double-block working was instituted for such trains then Dave.

Would double-block working have been thought necessary with the A4 streamliners due to them running at higher speeds than 'normal trains' on the railway when you consider that back in the 1930s virtually all signal boxes had semaphore distant signals on the fast lines as well as the adjoining slow or goods lines which by virtual of them being worked by 'signal wire' would mean the semaphore distant signal would be nearer to it's home signal than it would be if it was a colour light distant signal and positioned further back from it's home signal which would be tied in with the trains 'braking distance' on a fast moving train like a A4 hauled streamliner?.

The above is just an assumption on my part I just thought about it and wondered if that mite be a possible reason?.

[Hatfield Shed]

I believe the LNER streamlined trains operated under double-block working on the ECML. Does anybody know If this was for the entire route or just certain sections? If certain sections which ones?

I have seen this referred to 'en passant' in a Gresley Observer article by John Clay, (nothing further in the way of detail, and no specific location information thus implying it applied to the whole route) as an aspect of the LNER's streamliner operation 'disliked by some railway officers'.

[John Palmer]

Some previous discussion of this subject at https://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic. ... 79&p=87530. I continue to hope that, tucked away in some obscure repository, further documented details are still waiting to be unearthed.