First of all, My apologies for remaining quiet, been rather busy in the real world and haven’t had the time I would have wanted to think about this.
So a couple of things I have had recently.
First off, we have had an Emergency speed restriction on our down road for a while and the emergency indicator needed a new battery. I knew this because a driver had reported to me it was no longer lit. Basically tell every driver. I generally have a laugh with the GA drivers on this (after confirming understanding of course) as it is a 30/75 differential ESR and line speed is 75. But rulebook states “every train” (it means they don’t all report it to me too).
Secondly I had 3 days with a completely failed train describer just before Christmas. (Power supply module stopped working) so that meant being hyper vigilant as I had lost the audible warning for trains approaching and there was a black spot on all maps between Chippenham Junction in Cambridgeshire and Thurston in Suffolk (not far off 20 miles!). So between myself and Chippenham junction we were using the train class bell codes along with trust to share Train descriptions (with phone call if something was ridiculously out of path to avoid confusion) the power box I interface with in the other direction chose to work off trust alone unless something was out of path or very late. I was able to keep track fairly easily as I monitored TRUST and CCF and when a train passed over Haughley junction I knew it was my next one. I also paid close attention the other way to ensure the busy power box interposed the correct head code for trains which had just left me. It was a happy moment when S&T turned up with the new power supply module