HI...two questions keep coming up concerning British rail jargon and consists. First, can anyone tell me why some parcel vans are called "siphons". :embarassed: Secondly...nearly all rail photos show the head end of the train. Have the British (or for that matter Continental rails) gotten rid of the brake vans like American rail has dropped the caboose? Do the trains have an EOT device? Anyone have (a) photo(s) of the REAR of a modern British freight? Many thanks in advance!! Steve Ervin
SIPHON was the telegraph code for perishable goods vans originally built by the Great Western Railway. The variations were: Siphon A - 27'6" six wheel fish van. Siphon B - 18' four wheel milk van. Siphon C - 28'6" four wheel milk van. Siphon D - 27'6" six wheel milk van. Siphon F - 40' bogie milk van with end doors. Siphon G - 50' bogie milk van with corridor ends. Siphon H - 50' bogie milk van with end doors. Siphon J - 50' insulated bogie milk van with corridor ends. They were built principally for carrying the abovementioned perishables but could carry other goods. They were classed as non-passenger coaching stock with continuous brakes and screw couplers (not 3 link loose couplers) hence could be attached to passenger trains. More of the larger vans were built in the early years of British Railways and a few survived to the end of the "blue" era as parcels and newspaper vans. British brake vans were essential equipment until continuous automatic braked became universal. BR routinely carried loose coupled unfitted (unbraked) wagons well into the 1980s. If a train was not "fully fitted" then a brake van was required. IIRC the last unfitted trains ran in the late 1980s. The first fully fitted trains without brake vans were (I think) the Freightliners c1969. The guard was carried in the rear cab of the loco (or the rear loco if more than one). A handful of regular workings still had brake vans until at least 2003, e.g. where short propelling movements were required and some hazardous material trains. The nuclear flask trains no longer require a brake van. Here are a couple of photos Google found. http://www.rail1239634.fotopic.net/p21864015.html http://www.rail1239634.fotopic.net/p21864013.html Cheers David
Many thanks to all of you for the information and the photos. Still doesn't answer the question of why "siphon" was chosen as the telegraph code...seems like a strange name, but probably has some obscure meaning from somewhere. It appears that the FREDS are battery operated, lantern types. It is funny that I have been to the UK 6 times and never looked! I guess we get too enamoured with the locos passing. Again many thanks for the info and the pictures!! Steve E.
It doesn't have any real meaning. It was just one of the many codes used to describe various types of vehicles. The codes were relatively easy to remember and short enough for the telegraphers to send quickly. Here's a list. http://www.greatwestern.org.uk/stockcode.htm Cheers David
Thanks for the list David! It almost seems like a list of codes that could be used to communicate during the war. I would think that a Black 5, 3 dogfish, a siphon G, and a bloater would cause some confusion among the Germans! In my travels in the UK, I always find some description or other that Americans find funny. The British on the other hand seem to describe things very practically...I always chuckle when I see a sign that says "Zebra Crossing Ahead". When I finally get to come to Australia, I am sure I'll have to learn a completely different set of jargon...most Americans don't know a Billabong from a Paddymelon. Sure makes life interesting. Many thanks for the information again! Steve E.
David and Alan...another (dumb) question. Are the British FREDS flashing or steady state (or both). What you sent me in the photographs appears to be a battery operated lantern. Apparently no reporting on brake pressure as on American systems? Thanks again. I am trying to model a FRED on my EWS coal train with tiny surface mount LEDs. Steve
Steve, ones I have taken notice of are flashing. Not sure if they all do. Don't think there is any telemetry between the FRED and the locomotive, they appear to be just a modern version of a tail light. (Not sure they are called FREDS here).
Thanks Alan! THey just look like battery operated units to me...no wires or brake line connection. I would like to have the battery concession!!! I'll make mine flash when the time comes. Thanks again! Steve E.
Me too Hytec...let us in on this one guys. Here is another interesting one that I did find the answer to. Lets see how good you guys are. On an American telemetry FRED what is the receeiving end in the Cab called? Steve E.
Bog = john, though we call it more commonly 'dunny' Downunder. The receiving end of a FRED is the HOT (head of train) device.
FRED and WILMA make sense to me, but FRED and MARY? Wonder where this comes from?. Here is a link to a photo of WILMA. http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en-commons/thumb/f/f9/250px-Railroad_wilma.jpg Steve E.
EOT Devices on British Trains Steve The rear lights on all trains that do not have built in lighting systems, e.g. Multiple Unit passenger trains, should have a standard red FLASHING light on the end vehicle. The lamp is purely a light on the back of the train. Our freight trains are not al long as those that rumbel their way across the plains etc, and therefore do not need to have contact with the braking system. We do not need "Freds" help to operate the brakes and reduce the number of broken knuckles, that includes some of our longer intermodal trains making their way to and from the Channel Tunnel terminal.
