Locations of Unusual Signals

[St. Simon]

Hi,

 

As part of research and primarily work on my proposed signalling book, I need to go out and photograph some unusual  Colour Light signals, but I'm running out of accessible locations (i.e. can be seen from a Platform) on Western that have the signals have I need to photograph. Whilst I could go search through signalling records, I thought it would be a little quicker to ask on here to find locations of the signals I need.

 

So far, I've got photos of almost all of the 'standard' signals, but I need photos of:

 

• Splitting Distant
• Combined Splitting Distant & Stop 
• Splitting Banners
• Preliminary Route Indicators
• Co-Acting Signals
• Any other unusual signal profiles

Ideally I would like to be able to photograph them from a platform or public access point, otherwise I have to go and get Cab-passes which could take ages and jump through all sorts of hoops!

 

EDIT: I want to Photography Colour Light Signals, rather than Semaphores

 

If anyone has some information, it would be much appreciated!

 

Simon

Edited September 10, 2017 by St. Simon

[micknich2003]

Simon, I'm almost certain no Semaphore "Splitting" Distants remain in use, if I'm correct the last one was in Scotland and it went some years ago.

[russ p]

There isn't many interesting signals left ,lots of horrible LED things which don't seem to any common standard!

I would reckon to make a book you would have to make it historical, my nomination for one of the most unusual was a gas lit colour light signal at Guisborough in Yorkshire

It had main and subsidiary searchlight heads.

I have no pictures of it but apparently there is one in the Guisborough museum. It lasted until 1964

[St. Simon]

Simon, I'm almost certain no Semaphore "Splitting" Distants remain in use, if I'm correct the last one was in Scotland and it went some years ago.

 

Hi Mick,

 

Sorry, I had mean colour light signals rather than Semaphores, but you are right, there aren't any Semaphore Splitting Distants left anymore.

 

Simon

[russ p]

The only remotely interesting one I can think of is the searchlight at Clacton with a miniature yellow subsidiary

[big jim]

Splitting distant: approaching the new jn at Bicester on the down

 

Splitting distant and stop: again same location

 

Splitting banners: kidsgrove down line

 

PRI: aynho jn up line

 

Co acting: between crewe and alsager, co after is on ground on opposite side of single line to main signal

 

So grab a chiltern cab pass for some and a london midland/emt pass for the others

 

Can you grab stills from route learning videos?

 

How about for an unusual signal the one on the end of the platform at Woodbridge that is the new LED type with a built in flashing white light for the ABCL crossings that are ahead of it

 

Or what about an unusual ground mounted co-acter approaching deansgate which is mounted upside down to prevent the reflection off the rail making it look like it's showing a double yellow

Edited September 10, 2017 by big jim

[Banger Blue]

Bit closer to home for you:

 

T1708, the exit signal at the station end of Reading TCD has a co-acting signal at ground level on the opposite side of the track.

Edited September 22, 2017 by Banger Blue

[TheSignalEngineer]

There's an unusual co-acting signal on Platform 14 at Manchester Piccadilly. Second one down on this page. http://www.railsigns.uk/photos/p_clsig2/p_clsig2.html

Third picture also shows a more conventional one, while the bottom one is another rarer type.

 

How about the horizontal colour lights at Birmingham New Street, replacements for the 'Daleks'. Bottom picture on this page. http://www.roscalen.com/signals/BirminghamNS/index.htm. We couldn't get an original and searchlight units were out of favour when we needed three new ones to make platforms 1,2 & 3 bi-directional so to fool the unsuspecting our mechanical draughtsman designed a frame to hold a conventional head and the other bits then went round to a local metal fabricator get them made up complete with front plates. 

Edited September 10, 2017 by TheSignalEngineer

[The Stationmaster]

Simon I can supply photos of most of the things in your list except a c.l. splitting distant (with or without a stop aspect).  One thing you haven't listed is co-acting banner repeaters (look at Ealing Broadway Down Relief Line).

 

Going back a bit into history I can do an SGE sub with a 'C' for Calling On and a 3 aspect signal with miniature yellow and a normal sub with stencil route indicator.  And a signal with a stencil route indicator and a full theatre route indicator (both LED type) illuminated simultaneously with a main proceed aspect, and of course one or two of teh reduced range 3 aspect heads used by the WR.   I've got a full set of AOCL signage and driver's light but not the advance warning board.

[TheSignalEngineer]

I've got an archive box of uncatalogued photos, mainly S&T, taken around the big railway mainly between 1990 and 2004 so I may have a few things of interest.

[31A]

Some colour lights at Perth have some unusual subsidiaries attached to them, e.g. first picture on this page:

 

http://www.railsigns.uk/photos/p_shuntsig2/p_shuntsig2.html

 

I think they're still there, although quite a long way from where you are!

[eastwestdivide]

Splitting banners (I think - I'm no expert) at Rotherham Central, photographable from the canal towpath or car park, e.g. 2nd photo in my post here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/56672-tram-trains-for-sheffield-to-rotherham/?p=2588301

or better in this post: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/56672-tram-trains-for-sheffield-to-rotherham/?p=2673246 (scroll down a bit), and later in that thread

Edited September 11, 2017 by eastwestdivide

[Banger Blue]

Bit closer to home for you:

T1708, the exit signal at the station end of Reading TCD has a co-acting signal at ground level on the opposite side of the track.

Not the best picture I'm afraid.

 

 

[Stubby47]

Whatever happened to the bloke with a red flag...

[5BarVT]

Not a forum I frequent, hence delayed response.

Co-acting: platform 14 at Piccadilly.

Interesting 'splitting' banner: Deansgate platform on the end of the canopy.

Neither Western unfortunately.

Paul.

[Rugd1022]

Co acting signal - there's one at the south end of platform 2 at Coventry station, where the junction for the Leamington branch goes off to the right.

 

Splitting banner repeater - there's one at Leagrave on the Midland Mainline at the south end of platform 3 on the Down Slow. These are becoming much more common now, in an effort to speed up the approach to certain junctions and keep the flow of traffic up. Just thought of another example, although it's only visible from the cab I'm afraid, approaching Bescot station form the south for the junction at the north end of the platform.

Edited October 1, 2017 by Rugd1022

[AngusDe]

What's the reasoning behind the co-acting signals? 

 

(probably a daft question once I read the answer!)

 

Angus

[Mark Saunders]

What's the reasoning behind the co-acting signals? 

 

(probably a daft question once I read the answer!)

 

Angus

 

Purely for sighting purposes, if the main signal can't be seen a coacting signal is provided.

 

As with Deansgate an additional signal head has been provided in the sixfoot!

 

Mark Saunders

[Edwin_m]

On searching for more details I find the co-actors at East Midlands Parkway were mentioned by Big Jim in a previous thread:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/88607-separate-post-co-acting-signals/?p=1592852

 

The curve through the station is relatively gentle so if sighting is a problem here I'm surprised it isn't at many other stations.  Perhaps they didn't think about sighting when designing the canopy. 

[5BarVT]

Perhaps they didn't think about sighting when designing the canopy.

They don't. Consistently!

[timbowilts]

After 43 years in the signalling engineering business I can heartily endorse 5BarVT’s comment above. Structural engineers worry about drivers seeing signals? Never until it’s too late, especially when there’s an architect involved :<)

 

Tim T

 

(Written on an old ipad)

[TheSignalEngineer]

Same from me. When we needed to put up extra signals at New Street around 1972 the Regional Architect's Office tried to insist on us getting some more 'Daleks' made and putting the signals in specific totally unsuitable positions. My boss told the Project Manager in no uncertain terms that we wouldn't do it and when he next wanted a new station built he could have one of our Signal Engineers to design it for him.

[TheSignalEngineer]

An example from the 1990s. The signal on the bridge was my solution to architect/builder interference late in a project.

 

At Jewellery Quarter on the Up line the signal was originally positioned where the red arrow is.The post was approximately in the position of the blue OLE mast on the Metro line.

 

 

The signal was sighted, the station civils contractor put in the base and we put up the post. During an inspection of the station works we realised something was seriously wrong. Coming into the station we couldn't see the signal which was at red. On checking the drawings everything was to plan as far as the signal was concerned but the type of the lift had been changed. A new plant room which wasn't there at the time of the signal base being put in had been added and it had a pitched roof sticking out almost to the limit of the structure gauge directly in line with the red aspect.

 

A quite interesting discussion ensued. We couldn't lower the head as it would be obstructed by passengers on the platform and we couldn't raise it because of the canopy. Physically it couldn't go in the ramp because it would block the access to the plant room, and putting it on the platform would compromise passenger access to the lift. I suggested that it therefore had to go over the track. We had probably three weeks to get it there and the architect and civils telling me that there was no way it could be done in that time. They had already had to alter the design of the bridge to add an external walkway as originally there was no way of maintaining the outside of it or even cleaning the windows without a possession, so I suggested altering it a bit more to mount a signal head. By the time I rode through with the Inspecting Officer to sign off the signalling the new arrangement was in place, and is to this day, albeit that the head has been renewed.

 

 

[R.Langley]

There are two splitting distant and stop signals either side of Reading, one before the ladder at Ruscombe on the UR (visible from Southbury Lane bridge looking East), and one before Tilehurst East Jn on the DR, alongside the west end of Reading TCD, viewed from Loverock Road: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4626808,-1.0042766,3a,24.8y,328.68h,93.84t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sN93Er2nRcujvtoYy2rQ3KQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en.

[big jim]

There is an unusual banner repeater at grand jn in Birmingham heading in towards new st, it is located about 50m M ‘derby side’ of the junction with the line from duddeston, the associated signal is located about 100M beyond the junction

 

When you are coming from derby and the signal is ‘off’ the banner shows ‘off’ as well as would be expected, however if you are coming from duddeston over the flyover if the signal is ‘off’ for you then the banner repeater (which is on the derby line remember) shows ‘on’, I must be interlinked with the point work in some way, i’ve Never seen a banner acting in the same way before, it really to my eyes serves no purpose being ‘on’ when the route is set away from it as if you have unknowingly spadded the previous signal then you don’t have to stop at the banner and will still run through the points, in reality you would have to be having a spectacularly bad day to not be stopped by TPWS or not see the flashing SPAD indicators at that particular location!