Me alone at the Heerbrugg signal box, 1991

Deutsche Version dieses Postings

From St.Margrethen I continued to Heerbrugg and Salez-Sennwald.

At Heerbrugg, I first looked into the traffic bureau with its command frame. This frame had three points leers, station block instruments and routelevers, a small Integra panel for the barriers, a panel for line block operation and, finally, levers for the home and starting signals, which were all operated from here via re-purposed route levers:

Command frame, traffic bureau, Heerbrugg, spring 1991

As the station building was nearer to one end of the station tracks, the points at that end (point 1 and two connections) where operated from the traffic bureau. In 1991, all the points had been electrified, so the levers were equipped with brake bands:

Points levers on the command frame, traffic bureau, Heerbrugg, spring 1991

Here are the signal levers. Heerbrugg had, like many Swiss stations, grouped starters, so that each lever actually operated only one signal (as opposed to most Austrian stations, where with colour-light signals, there was a single lever for all starting signals, but a separate signal outside for each track, with the signal to be cleared selected by the route lever):

Signal levers, "command frame", traffic bureau, Heerbrugg, spring 1991

Here is a panel with announcements. The text in the middle is concerned with snow clearing, its translation follows below:

Verlautbarungen, traffic bureau, Heerbrugg, spring 1991

                                                                   30.11.90
Snow clearing 90/91

Staff assignment

When there is heavy snowfall, staff has to report for duty on their own.
If snowfall starts on the previous evening, the morning bureau and shunting
shift have to report for duty on their own earlier.
If staffing is not sufficient, the morning bureau shift must immediately
supply additional staff (possibly also off-duty staff). This applies to all
staff, which have to work overtime or cancel off-duty time.

Priorities

Group 24 starts with points 4 – 3 (train 94805).

Attention: Electrical points motors require good cleaning.

Group 5 uses the snow-plough to clear the crossways and the platforms. This
should if possible be completed before being used by passengers. The
morning groups are to be supported by additional staff if necessary.

Additional staff to be deployed after consultation with the morning shift or group
1. In urgent cases, also the goods shed staff is to be deployed for
snow clearing in the tracks or on the platforms. In addition, they are responsible
for clearing the ramps and access roads to the shed.
If snowfall starts during the day, staff has to immediatly start with snow
clearing. if necessary, groups 1,4,3, and 25, 26, 27, 28 ,29, 23 remain on duty longer.
It is most urgent to leave the points clean in the evening, even when snowfall
continues. The morning shift will be thankful.
Cleaned points must be covered with wagons in the evening and on Saturdays and
Sundays, as many points as possible (tracks 8 – 1 – 9, 2 and 2 – 5)

Safety

During snow clearing, everyone must wear safety gear.
No exceptions are possible. If possible, radio is to be carried.
At the signal boxes, warning signs are to be attached to points levers.
When working near trains or shunting operations, movements must be allowed
only after all staff are outside the danger area (notification via radio
or in person to the signal box or to Te [i.e., shunting tractor].
Using the flame thrower near trains or shunting operations is only
allowed with a safety supervisor. The safety supervisor must carry the
radio, reporting up-front to the traffic bureau and the signal box. After
warming the points, they must immediately (as long as they are still warm)
be lubricated.(by the safety supervisor)

Station master Heerbrugg
W.Rechsteiner


Then, I asked the traffic director whether I could visit the signal box: Of course, no problem, but the signalman is not there, so please don't touch anything. It's astonishing how easy-going Swiss stations were at those times.

Here, I am (alone) in the signal box. The points on this side also had electrical motors, as one can see from he missing wires and rodding:

signal box, Heerbrugg, spring 1991

As all signals were operated from the command frame, no command block instruments were necessary—all the block instruments instead were confirmation instruments. The track for which a route should be aligned werre shown by bells with dropping covers above the instruments (at the command frame, one can see an additional row of levers above the block instruments for operating these bells):

signal box, Heerbrugg, spring 1991

The track panel was fastened to the wall. Below it, the graphical timetables were attached. The panel shows an departure route out of the main track; however, I do not understand why a locking lamp is lit at double slip-switch 10—this crossover and its connected points are irrelevant for flank protection:

Track and signal panel, Stw., Heerbrugg, spring 1991

And here is the train leaving the station, in classic Swiss dark-green. The number of goods wagons in this small station is quite large, and even more so for the beginning 1990s:

Ae4/4 11236, Heerbrugg, spring 1991

This is the signal box. Unfortunately, I did not take detailed photographs of the line bells:

signal box, Heerbrugg, spring 1991

But here is an enlargement from the previous image, showing the funny paintings on it (a click opens a full sized version):

Line bells below the signal box, Heerbrugg, spring 1991

This shunting engine (or "tractor", as they are called in Switzerland) was used to move all these goods wagons, but there wasn't anything to do right then:

Tractor 145, Heerbrugg, spring 1991

And here, finally, is a picture of the station building:

Station building, Heerbrugg, spring 1991