Details of the test track
| Known officially as the Egginton Junction to
Mickleover Test Track, the Research and
Development Division's second test line was an
8.5 km (5¼ mile) section of the Down Line of the former GNR Derbyshire
Extension line from Nottingham to Burton and Stafford. Approximately four miles of the former Up Line was also retained for purposes ancillary to test movements and was designated the 'Long Siding'. In addition to the normal mileposts, boards showing 100m markings in yellow on a black background were fixed to the sleeper ends on the left-hand side of the track in the Down direction.
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The formal R & DD Operating Instructions for the Mickleover Test Line from 1974 |
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The method of working the line was in accordance with the Regulations for One
Train Working on Single Lines as shown in the contemporary General Appendix to
the Working Time-Tables and Books of Rules and Regulations. The train staff for
the Staff Section (4.563 km- 12.136 km) of the test line was normally kept at
the Mickleover Depot. A run round loop was provided at both the Egginton and Mickleover ends of the line. There was an additional siding at Mickleover approximately 200 m long with platform level loading available at the buffer stop end. There were two further sidings leading into a 2-road train shed which was approximately 50m long. The shed was fitted with mains outlets to a maximum capacity of 60 amp 3-phase and also contains charging plant for the Battery Railcar but had no paved floor. The depot facilities included a 6-lever ground frame which controlled entry and exit from the depot. There was a permanent building at the Mickleover depot incorporating a laboratory, mess room, toilet facilities and control office, the latter having a security officer and telephone switchboard and a 24 h/day, 7 days per week security service (with large aggressive Alsatian) was also provided. Mickleover depot was the normal base for the Train Control Project test vehicles 'Hermes', 'Mercury', the 2-car Battery Railcar and a Clayton locomotive. The test line was equipped with inductive track loops and powered lineside location cabinets to facilitate tests of prototype equipment in connection with the Train Control Project - which was the forerunner to ATP/ATO originally called British Railways ATO or BRATO. The test track contained a variety of track types i.e. jointed bullhead rail on timber sleepers, jointed flat bottom rail on timber and on concrete sleepers, continuous welded rail on concrete sleepers and paved concrete slab track. Facilities existed on the line for irregularities (hump/dip in one rail joint/pair of rail joints, lateral misalignment etc) to be introduced into the rails to enable vehicle's ride response to discrete track features to be determined.The line speed limit was 65 mile/h for hauled operation but only 30 mile/h propelled. Test running at speeds greater than 65 mile/h, for vehicles authorised to travel at such speeds, was only permitted on the authority of the Chief Civil Engineer, L.M.R. There was a permanent speed restriction of 15 mile/h between Egginton Junction and accommodation level crossing No: 27. The portion of line on the Mickleover side of the 'End of Staff Section (Up) Board' at 148¾ milepost, the loops and sidings at Mickleover and the Long siding were not considered to be running lines and were subject to a 10 mile/h speed limit: all movements on these sidings were under the control of the 'Person in Charge' of Mickleover ground frame. This person may have been a Guard, Movements Inspector or qualified member of the Research and Development Division staff who may have also been the 'Officer-in-Charge of Tests'.There were six accommodation level crossings on the test line, which imposed certain restrictions on line speed limits. These crossings were located at 149 miles 800 yds, 149 miles 1520 yds, 150 miles 239 yds, 150 miles 571 yds, 151 miles 275 yds and 153 miles 365 yds. The speed of all propelled movements was reduced to 5 mile/h over the accommodation crossings unless the gates had been padlocked. Hauled movements over these crossings at speeds greater than 45 mile/h could only be permitted when the gates were padlocked. Prior to padlocking the crossing gates, the Research and Development Division communicated with the entitled users of the crossings (the local farmers) and if they gave notice of their intention to use the crossing, a hand signalman was appointed at the crossing. The line was closed and lifted in 1990 following the announcement of the building of the A50 M1 to M6 link road. The track bed was actually cut near Etwall by the improved A516 road linking west Derby to the A50. |
