Signals help needed

[Adrian Rosenlund]

Greetings one and all,

I've laid the tracks on my first 00 layout, and i'm at a loss as to where to put the signal posts, and no knowledge at all as to where home or distant should stand. My preference is Midland Region, Era 5. I mention this since i have a vague notion that there are some regional or era differences to be taken into account.

Can anyone tell me, or at least suggest how i should place signal posts, and even suggest where i might place a signal box, please? I'm probably going to go for the LCUT small signal box, or possibly a platform one. The platform in the photo isn't the one i'm using. It's purely for reference, so that you know where the station will be. There is, as yet, no 'up' or 'down', although i tend to run goods trains in the direction they come out of the yard, if you see what i mean. Clockwise, as you look at the photo. Apologies for it being on it's side, but i haven't worked out how to right it, as it were.

I realise this is probably a bit vague, and that there are possibly a lot of variations, but if someone could at least tell me how they'd do it, i'd appreciate it greatly! :

Adrian

[DCB]

From the very basic.   Semphore arms.   Straight across is stop or be prepared to stop, down 45 degrees is clear. Some signals go up for clear, and do all sorts of queer things but this is about simple common sense GWR BLT stuff.

 

The coloured side of a sigal means something as you approach the white side is irrelevant.

 

Two main types of signal, Red = Stop

                                         Yellow = Be prepared to stop (at the next red signal)

Yellow signals are "Distants"   Some go up and down some are nailed to the post to warn drivers there us a station ahead.

 

Red signals are, Home, outer Home. Inner Home, Starter, Advanced Starter etc, they all look much the same, some have shorter arms for less important routes.  They are always stop / go.

 

Your layout has minimal operating potential really, the sidings would have at best a Ground Frame, a small signal box like structure, or more likely a couple of levers in the open.  It may have a signal, but probably not, trains with engines would not normally wait here for other trains to pass, there would be a key on the single line token to unlock the points for shunting to ensure no other trains would be allowed along this stretch of line while shunting was in progress.   I put an extra stop signal to protect the siding points, which isn't prototypical but might help operations.

 

The "loop" side. There would be a signal box adjacent to the level crossing so the signalman didn't have to walk too far to open the gates, or so a mechanical linkage to an operating wheel in the box could be arranged.

 

Only one road has a platform so at least one road has to be reversibly signalled, better to have both, so twin arms on a bracket signal, long high mounted arms for the platform road and lower short arms for the non platform road. 

Then you need starting signals for each track at each end of the loop.

 

You don't really have enough room for yellow Distant signals as the were at least 1/4 mile "Distant" sometimes much more so 15 feet?

[Grovenor]

And, unless it is meant to be somewhere overseas best to keep the signal arms to the left of the posts.

Regards

[Adrian Rosenlund]

Wow! Brill. Thanks very much. Extremely helpful, and exactly what i was hoping for.