Great Western Coffee Shop

Can anybody tell me what the lineside klaxons are all about on the run from BPW to Swindon?

Heard them in the cutting after Chipping Sodbury tunnel and then again on the approach to the junction with the GWML before the approach to Swindon.

automatic warning system for trackside workers. 

K. Thanks for that Super TM. Not come across these before. Are they used to avoid temporary speed restrictions when PW gangs are at work? I didn't notice any slowing of the train.

In some places they are permanent fixtures i.e where the line has reverse curves and the like which give inadequate sighting for lookouts.  There are also portable versions which can be set up to protect worksites.  Nothing to do with temporary speed restrictions at all.

 correct name ...TOWS train operated warning system, worked  automatically by The track circuit system when a train has been detected

Thats one system there is also LOWS Local Operated Warning System, Pee Wee which is a tempoary warning system to aid Look Outs and a number of other systems

Lookout Operated Warning System  ;)

Dare I ask what the 'Pee Wee' warning system for lookouts is all about?  ::) :o ;D

Its quite an old system now.  It consists of at the site look out location a box with a klaxon and a telephone hand set, a cable is run out to the advance lookout who holds a telephone hand set.  Both the site and advance look outs have to hold the telephone hand set as they have a trigger on them which if let go sets the klaxon off the same happens if the cable gets cut.

Typically Pee Wee is used where intermediate look outs is impractical it can also be used at night in certain circumstances.   The disadvantage of Pee Wee is the running out of the cable, some locations had Pee Wee cables laid in the line side troughs but as its not armoured suffers damage