Norwegian on Wealden Pullman at Wittersham Road

Back for another day in the signal box at Wittersham Road on the KESR. This time overseeing a trainee who was on his last few turns before his passing out turn early next month.

It was meant to be the intensive Sunday timetable with the Pullman Sunday lunch dining train as well as the usual 5 train service but late last night Foxcote Manor was failed resulting in the last minute cancellation of two trains which meant very little action for the trainee. That was a shame really as passing out turns always take place on a Sunday when all signal boxes are open.

However, not all was lost as later in the afternoon there was a special traffic request to work the Track Tamper machine from Wittersham Yard to Northiam which gave us both the opportunity to work an unusual move involving the use of the Ground Frame release. (That's all you need to know)

I didn't touch a signal lever all day but it did give me time to take some photographs from places I couldn't get to if I was working the box on my own. The Blue Tits are back in the crossing gate post this year. Amazing that the birds can get in the narrow slot where the latch from the gate slots in. Even more amazing they are not disturbed by the gates being worked.

As soon as the gates are opened the birds are back straightway, on one occasion I saw a bird fly out of the nest when the gate was worked. It had been trapped there for a few minutes. I listened at the gatepost when locked up at the end of the day and could hear the cheeping and chirping of the chicks in the nest. Marvellous. These birds must have used the location before or be descendants of birds who have in the past.