I'm just about to start on some LNER pointwork, a bit out of my usual GWR comfort zone. I've had a look at the NER society book , and it shows timbering for all sizes of crossover without any through timbers. Did the LNER really do this everywhere, or is this only for secondary duties?
Any thoughts?
Keith
Hi Keith,
The NERA reprint is only a selection from the drawings, not all of them. For example the drawing for ordinary S1 chairs is missing.
The drawings on pages 102 and 103 are clearly labelled "
Short Timbering For Crossover Roads". This clearly implies that somewhere else there are drawings for "
Long Timbering For Crossover Roads", otherwise they would simply be called "Timbering For Crossover Roads".
I believe the short timbering option was intended as an economy measure for secondary lines and yards, and possibly used more widely during wartime because of material shortages.
Note also that the drawings are stamped LNER NE AREA from the York drawing office, i.e. the former NER region. It follows that other pre-group areas of the LNER probably had their own drawings. The LNER was split in two at nationalisation, so was presumably already organised as two separate former areas in the LNER era. So what's in the NERA reprint can't be assumed to apply to the former GNR and GER lines.
On the other hand, the GWR is known to have used much more long timbering than other companies for what it called "blocked crossing work", so you can't assume a straight copy from GWR drawings.
The Standard Railway Equipment (SRE) designed by the REA in 1925 was concerned only with interchangeable components and geometry -- switch rails, vee rails, special chairs at designated chair spacings. Each railway company used them in their own way to create their pointwork. Matters such as timbering can't be assumed to be the same for all companies using the REA designs.
cheers,
Martin.