Great Western Coffee Shop

Enjoy ;D: https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-buffer-stop-tests-at-bradford-1945-online

I can't help wondering how much was a test of the buffer stops and how much was a test of the last track joint before the buffer stop as that seems in most cases to have been the point of failure.

"Eric, I'm bored. Nowt to do this afternoon."

"EE, Fred, I've an idea. There's a whole load of condemned six plank wagons down in t'yard. Fancy a game of buffer stop testing?"

"Capital idea, Eric! I'll get Bert to bring one of the J11's up from the shed and let's have an afternoon of fun!"

"Don't forget to bring the cine camera, so foreman'll think it's serious research"

I was standing next to a set of stop blocks when a "heavy shut" extended the sidings by 15 meters very frightening

I need to change my underpants  ;D

And then they all adjourned to the city hotel for a pint of Tetleys.

Many years ago I was walking alongside the buffer stops on the platform at Kidderminster when the driver of WD 2-10-0 Gordon forgot to move the reverser before opening the regulator while running round.

With a Leeds/ Bradford accent like that, at least one of 'em should be called Eli... ;)

And today someone would suggest doing a computer model ………………. no where near as much fun  ;D

 
Although they broke away from the siding the buffer stops survived relatively intact. hoever the wagons didn't come out it too well. Hope they were already Red Carded because a lot look like scrap.

The most common mode of failure seemed to be the rails breaking at the fishplates at the first joint away from the buffer stops followed by the movement of that whole section of track together with the buffer stops. 

Ah, but to set up your model you need all the parameters - and that calls for experiments, as does the validation of course. After that it does get boring, though.

Most of the wagons seemed to have the words 'Condemed Wagon on Loan to Chief Civil Engineer' lettered on them.  The wooden bodies didn't hold out much for anything to be returned at the end of the tests though.... ::)

Just for the record the location used was City road goods station Bradford. A former GNR line that closed in 1972.
It was a goods only branch off the line from St Dunstans on the current line from Leeds to Bradford Interchange that went to Keighley and Halifax.
Queensbury tunnel on the Halifax part of the line has also recently been in the news due to the Highway authoritys wanting to fill the tunnel in.

The stop blocks need to arrest the progress of the train hitting them, if the stop blocks are solid wall not only will the train most likely be totally destroyed there is a high risk of the waggons / carriages knife jacking across other roads.

Many of the old style of stop blocks had weak links connecting them to the running rails, wood was not uncommon

Is that a failure? Isn't it the intended way for it to dissipate energy? The idea, I take it, is to provide something much cheaper than an engineered solution using hydraulics (like the ones being removed from Paddington) or torturing a steel bar (as used in fenders for big ships). But the requirement is the same: to stop a train without destroying it before it goes off to pay a social call on the neighbours.

Modern buffer stops have to have a 20m safety zone beyond them.  That can be reduced (or even increased) following Risk Assessment.

It may be intended as you say, but in the strict technical sense it is the mode of failure. 

Indeed, they have sheer bolts and friction clamps to absorb the energy.

STE. Why have Red lights on buffer stops been replaced by two white verticle lights.

It is most confusing looking West from the Manor at Slough. Keep thinking it's a train coming.

But if they were red, you would keep thinking that you have just missed your train !  ;D

I'll let II give the definitive answer - but it is something to do with where they could be confused with a red signal next to a running line, they are made to be white instead.

Buffer Stop lamps are red except where confusion may result in them being seen out of context by an approaching train on an adjacent line, when they will be white.  This usually happens on curves.

Thanks, both contexts seem to apply at Slough. Confusion with Red running signal and a curve.