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

The Hayes stop is worth while as it allows us from the west to change at Hayes to / from the Heathrow Connect although Crossrail will change this.  I believe NR^» (Network Rail - home page) are planning to do the bay at West Ealing in CP4^▸ (Control Period 4 - the five year period between 2009 and 2014)  ahead of Crossrail who down to do it

Electric traction with a more modern signaling system will be cheaper not quite as effective but quicker to achieve

Not wishing to perpetuate the straying off topic but - 1) the extra paths are for Heathrowconect to run 4 tph instead of 2 tph, 2) HEX remains as part of the Crossrail plan although HEX have tentatively agreed with NR^» (Network Rail - home page) to relocate out of plat 6 & 7 at Padd thereby improving platform usage, HEX do not really need dedicated platforms now that baggage handling is no longer done a Padd.

Best we get back on topic.

In memory to those who perished

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

She is actually a good local MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) and tackles many local issues like closures of sub post offices, just a shame she is in the wrong party as far as the railways are concerned

There was and still is a plan, the plan sold to the Labour Government by the Board of Network Rail on the crash of Railtrack was - phase 1 stop the rot, Phase 2 build a better railway, we are now entering into phase 2, phase 3 is run an affordable and sustainable railway.

Anyone who works or has worked in the rail industry will know of the neglect due to lack of coherent investment over the last 40 years.  There is a real risk no matter who wins the next General Election that funding in large public projects will be cut or reduced, I know which Party will invest the most in the railways and it not the Party who just appointed a General!

See my local MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) is complaining about something about a Government she was a member of, indeed Transport Secretary at one time.

The requirements on heritage railways are different they will often have volunteers under 18 or possibly vulnerable adults working for them, heritage railways may well run educational days for schools (schools usually require all adults that come into contact with their pupils to be CRB checked)

CRB checks only need to be carried out if you have regular and unsupervised access to young or vulnerable people, the "regular" means the same young or vulnerable people and not where train crew deal with different young or vulnerable people all the time.  It is not quite correct to say that train crew do not need to be CRB checked because they do not have supervisory duties of young or vulnerable people it is more to do with the irregular contact they have with young or vulnerable people, bus and taxi drivers of school transport are required to be CRB checked as they can have regular contact.

I am sure the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s have checked the legal requirement for CRB checks and would have them done if it was required.

I am sure most of us can remember where we were when we heard the triadic news on that day.

http://www.eastwestrail.org.uk/ not that it says very much

That would not have prevented damage to the embankments, also the track would not be up to much now especially any wooden sleepers.

Would be interesting to know what the "structural problems" are

The "former station yard" is where the original station stood or at least part of it.

Marlow station is just bland and functional station which is a shame as parts of the line between Bourne End and Marlow have some good views of the Thames, it would take very little money to improve things just some effort from the local movers and shakers to get some funding, getting money out of Globe Park might be a challenge as it was designed and built road friendly (good connections to 2 major motorways) I don't think the designers even gave public transport a thought