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Colour Light Signalling for Model Railways (Out Now)


St. Simon
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Given the sort of questions that arise again and again on RMWeb, it would be wise to pitch so as to lift the genuinely-interested but slightly-baffled to a basic level of understanding, because that is a reasonably sizeable market. My gut feel is that adding in lots of rococo variations would up the price and put people off, by making the whole topic seem overly complicated...... people want to signal their layout plausibly, not simultaneously join the IRSE and the SRS.

 

Using photos of well-signalled layouts to illustrate points (and other things!) is an idea of genius ....... much more practical than trying to hunt-out examples in reality.

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Given the sort of questions that arise again and again on RMWeb, it would be wise to pitch so as to lift the genuinely-interested but slightly-baffled to a basic level of understanding, because that is a reasonably sizeable market. My gut feel is that adding in lots of rococo variations would up the price and put people off, by making the whole topic seem overly complicated...... people want to signal their layout plausibly, not simultaneously join the IRSE and the SRS.

 

Using photos of well-signalled layouts to illustrate points (and other things!) is an idea of genius ....... much more practical than trying to hunt-out examples in reality.

 

That's what I'm trying to do, I'm trying to correct the basic errors that a lot of people make using track layouts which are quite common (or at least have elements common to a lot of layouts). I'm trying not to go into the regional / era specific variations. I'm going for simple variations and generic ways of signalling, whilst making the point for people who want specific era or regional variations to go and do some research.

 

Simon

 

Simon

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That's what I'm trying to do, I'm trying to correct the basic errors that a lot of people make using track layouts which are quite common (or at least have elements common to a lot of layouts). I'm trying not to go into the regional / era specific variations. I'm going for simple variations and generic ways of signalling, whilst making the point for people who want specific era or regional variations to go and do some research.

 

Simon

 

Simon

 

That is an excellent approach Simon but I do think you need to make clear that you are dealing with the contemporary railway and that over the years (remember our chat about overlaps at Railex as an example) things have moved along or changed and that some examples of earlier practice - even with colour light signalling - still remain in everyday use.  I know this basically applies to subsidiary signals and shunts rather than main aspects but simply to mention that such can exist would I think be helpful.  I'd hate to think that somebody will buy your book and the toddle down to a nearby station, find some details are different, and then condemn you as 'wrong' because what he can see with his own eyes does not agree with what you have (accurately) written.

 

It is alas all too easy to condemn a book, or magazine article, on basic errors or poor captioning which fails to explain or qualify what the pictures show.

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That is an excellent approach Simon but I do think you need to make clear that you are dealing with the contemporary railway and that over the years (remember our chat about overlaps at Railex as an example) things have moved along or changed and that some examples of earlier practice - even with colour light signalling - still remain in everyday use.  I know this basically applies to subsidiary signals and shunts rather than main aspects but simply to mention that such can exist would I think be helpful.  I'd hate to think that somebody will buy your book and the toddle down to a nearby station, find some details are different, and then condemn you as 'wrong' because what he can see with his own eyes does not agree with what you have (accurately) written.

 

It is alas all too easy to condemn a book, or magazine article, on basic errors or poor captioning which fails to explain or qualify what the pictures show.

 

Hi Mike,

 

I am taking into account the 'major' differences in eras (such as use of PLs, route indications etc.) and making the point that my design is to modern standards. I've also made reference to the differences in the technical text, although finding specific dates for changes in principles is a little hard.

 

Speaking of which, I'm not all that up to speed with the major differences, so if any signalling engineers can think of the big ones that should be mentioned, please PM me.

 

Simon

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Hi Mike,

 

I am taking into account the 'major' differences in eras (such as use of PLs, route indications etc.) and making the point that my design is to modern standards. I've also made reference to the differences in the technical text, although finding specific dates for changes in principles is a little hard.

 

Speaking of which, I'm not all that up to speed with the major differences, so if any signalling engineers can think of the big ones that should be mentioned, please PM me.

 

Simon

 

Flashing aspects ? (implemented on Widnes for certain routes)

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Hi Mike,

 

I am taking into account the 'major' differences in eras (such as use of PLs, route indications etc.) and making the point that my design is to modern standards. I've also made reference to the differences in the technical text, although finding specific dates for changes in principles is a little hard.

 

Speaking of which, I'm not all that up to speed with the major differences, so if any signalling engineers can think of the big ones that should be mentioned, please PM me.

 

Simon

 

One very noticeable change was the abolition of miniature yellows (reading to 'no block' lines) in new work - on the WR this occurred between 1961 and 1965 but I believe miniature yellows were installed on GE lines resignalling much later than that.  Use of the descriptive letter (i.e. 'C' or 'S') in WR subsidiaries definitely ended no later than 1963/64 although it possibly was not universal in new work prior to that.  Use of a subsidiary with a main route indicator (JI or theatre) remained a consistent WR practice until the Westbury and Exeter schemes.  It was not WR practice to provide route indications at position light (non-subsidiary) signals for many years - the first exception was at Westbury South in 1979 when a stencil indicator was provided on a signal which read to either a spur or one of two running lines and that was very unusual and regarded as a special case.

 

I'll root out some more when i get a chance but there were also some changes in the meaning of aspects - particularly the use of the term 'draw ahead' - in the Rules which reflected or had to be reflected in the indications given by subs.

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Flashing aspects ? (implemented on Widnes for certain routes)

 

Yep, got a whole section on those :)

 

One very noticeable change was the abolition of miniature yellows (reading to 'no block' lines) in new work - on the WR this occurred between 1961 and 1965 but I believe miniature yellows were installed on GE lines resignalling much later than that.  Use of the descriptive letter (i.e. 'C' or 'S') in WR subsidiaries definitely ended no later than 1963/64 although it possibly was not universal in new work prior to that.  Use of a subsidiary with a main route indicator (JI or theatre) remained a consistent WR practice until the Westbury and Exeter schemes.  It was not WR practice to provide route indications at position light (non-subsidiary) signals for many years - the first exception was at Westbury South in 1979 when a stencil indicator was provided on a signal which read to either a spur or one of two running lines and that was very unusual and regarded as a special case.

 

I'll root out some more when i get a chance but there were also some changes in the meaning of aspects - particularly the use of the term 'draw ahead' - in the Rules which reflected or had to be reflected in the indications given by subs.

 

Oooh, Miniature Yellows, I'm not sure if I've gone across those....., I have mentioned the route indications and position lights (although a date was missing, but I'll add your reference in) and the non-provision of them unless the routes were significantly different.

 

I'd half remembered the draw ahead, so I'll add that in to my text.

 

Simon

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Yep, got a whole section on those :)

 

 

Oooh, Miniature Yellows, I'm not sure if I've gone across those....., I have mentioned the route indications and position lights (although a date was missing, but I'll add your reference in) and the non-provision of them unless the routes were significantly different.

 

I'd half remembered the draw ahead, so I'll add that in to my text.

 

Simon

 

Miniature yellows precede you by more than a few years Simon!!  What you mind find helpful to sort of understanding them should you have an idle few minutes is to look at somewhere like Plymouth (the last WR installation of them in new work AFAIK) on the excellent 'Signalling Notices' website - Notice B1165, signal profiles give very useful explanation and distinguish 'Calling On' from 'shunt' in a subsidiary PL.  Basically replaced by a position light sub with an indication of route. (look at Reading, Notice LXO 73 signals R134 and R143 on the same site - I happen to have a photo of R143 with the sub  and JI illuminated, amazing how you can get a picture of just what you want when you order your own train and require it to do particular things ;)

 

I don't think you'll find anyone in the office (possibly Ken if he's still there or maybe Mike if he hasn't retired?) who will have any memory of them and definitely nobody among the regulars who are still there who will remember them being installed in new work anywhere.  And tell Mr Christmas when next you see him that on my parish in the West Country we were quite happy to trust the S&T exchanging tokens between machines without a transfer magazine but I can see the point of one for NSKT and NSKT® machines - give Graeme my regards and just tell him that I have my sources ;). (He'll ask how I found that out I would hope)

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Do you mean 'approach lit'  Simon?

 

I've done a section on Approach Lit (admittedly small) and Approach Light Signals, the Southern Term for one of these:

 

post-7271-0-52889200-1534761860_thumb.jpg

 

(This is a diagram I have drawn and used in the book)

 

I know I could call it a combined semaphore stop and colour light distant, but in terms of writing it is much easier to refer to it as an Approach Light Signal, makes the text a little less confusing as well!

 

Simon

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Hi,

 

I've decided to make a big change to the book. I'm no longer going to put full example layouts in...

 

There is a lot of reasoning behind this, the main one being is that as I was writing, I just felt it wasn't going to work. Also, I had writers block, so I was struggling to write about stuff that would be interesting and understandable for the average person reading it.

 

These, in combination with the fact that it was going to be extremely difficult to make any plans readable whilst keeping to a lower cover price, meant I won't include it.

 

I think this is the right decision, as after all I wasn't going to cover everybody's examples in good enough detail, and I felt that adding in examples with lots of options might be very confusing. I've made sure that there is enough detail in the rest of the book to cover what the examples would have done.

 

The plan instead is to convince magazines (hint hint BRM :derisive: ) to let me talk about examples in articles, which I think is a better format for them.

 

But, there should be some very exciting news about everything else soon...

 

Simon

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi All,

 

Exciting news on this project of mine....

 

I have contacted Crowood Press after recommendation by Phil Parker and after a couple of email exchanges, I can say that my book will be published sometime in the latter half of 2019 under the title:

 

Colour Light Signalling - A guide for the Railway Modeller.

 

Obviously I'm quite excited that this is coming about, as are Crowood Press, and would like to thank the support on this thread and from friends and work colleagues!

 

The state of the book now is that it is pretty much complete in terms of words, partly down to my decision to drop the examples chapter (see post above) and what Crowood need to make it publishable at an affordable cost (this doesn't mean though that any content will be missed out). What I have to do now is sort out some extra images and do some final spelling, grammar and technical checks on the thing and then we can start the process of publishing early next year.

 

I do hope you'll all buy a copy, or two! :mail: :)

 

Also, we have talked about 2nd and maybe even 3rd book...

 

Simon

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Hi All,

 

I'd just thought I'd update you that the words have now been reviewed (thanks Muz) and all that's left is to get the last few photos.

 

Therefore, I hope to hand in the manuscript in mid December, which should pull the publication date forward a little bit!

 

Simon

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Hi,

 

Right, that's it, after a visit to Stationmaster Mike this morning I now have all the photos and words I require.

 

So, after Christmas, I will be passing on all the files to Crowood to create a real book! This is all rather exciting...

 

Simon

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Hi,

 

Well, I sent off all the files to Crowood just after Christmas and they have been busy working away on it. 

 

I recieved the first draft cover artwork yesterday and I have already made my corrections to it, so I hope in the next week or so, I can show you the cover artwork and start to publise it!

 

Simon

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Hi,

 

I've just received the okay from Crowood to show the finalfront cover to the public

 

57861412_frontcover(003).jpg.5ee519fe651e8ae5ca8082bc96c11ee8.jpg

 

Please bear in mind this is a scan of the final proof, so isn't quite as sharp as the original.

 

You'll notice that the title has changed, for the better, and I have updated the title of this thread.

 

It is scheduled for release sometime in August / September.

 

Simon

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19 hours ago, St. Simon said:

Hi,

 

I've just received the okay from Crowood to show the finalfront cover to the public

 

57861412_frontcover(003).jpg.5ee519fe651e8ae5ca8082bc96c11ee8.jpg

 

Please bear in mind this is a scan of the final proof, so isn't quite as sharp as the original.

 

You'll notice that the title has changed, for the better, and I have updated the title of this thread.

 

It is scheduled for release sometime in August / September.

 

Simon

Simon,

The yellow colour of the aspect looks much better on my monitor than it did when I saw the printed copy of the scan last Saturday - have you rescanned it?   And as we discussed I'm sure the final printed version of the cover will look even better - it's a smashing cover design.

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1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

Simon,

The yellow colour of the aspect looks much better on my monitor than it did when I saw the printed copy of the scan last Saturday - have you rescanned it?   And as we discussed I'm sure the final printed version of the cover will look even better - it's a smashing cover design.

 

Hi Mike,

 

This is a scan by the publishers of the proof which is one a glossier paper rather than my copy with was on basic paper from the office laser printer, but thank you for the compliment, I can't take any credit for the cover design (apart from the picture), this was done by Crowood.

 

Simon

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25 minutes ago, Judge Dread said:

When this book becomes a film, who will play you? As an old S&T man myself, I wish you well.

 

One would hope that it would be Tom Cruise (although he's too short to portray me) or another actor of that class!

 

Simon

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