Loco Headcode Lamps

[Penrhos1920]

Where can I get a copy of the Midland early headcodes please?  Oops, wrong place. Sorry I know this is a GWR thread

[Compound2632]

2 hours ago, Penrhos1920 said:

Where can I get a copy of the Midland early headcodes please?  Oops, wrong place. Sorry I know this is a GWR thread

 

G. Dow and R.E. Lacy, Midland Style (HMRS, 1975) has codes for a variety of dates. Searching for "engine head lamps" in the Midland Railway Study Centre catalogue throws up five results, one of which appears to be a duplicate. These are Superintendent of the Line's circulars from 1889, 1891, 1896, and 1903. The only one that is available for download is the last one, giving instructions on the RCH head lamp codes to be used from 1 Feb 1903 - issued on 28 January!

[Mikkel]

I couldn’t find Atkins' notes in my books until Ian made me aware that they are in “GWR Goods Train Working Vol 1” (thanks Ian). I didn’t have that volume, but it has now been delivered by the postie. What a great read.

 

For what it’s worth, some observations I made while reading the section on lamps and headcodes in the book:

 

Headcodes, beware:
In the period between 1883 and 1905, minor or major changes to the headcodes were made a number of times, with the most significant changes seemingly in 1883, 1897 and 1903. To make things even more complicated, some routes/sections had special/different codes. This explains why photos of goods trains from the 1890s and early 1900s show such a variety of headcodes.

 

Atkins' volume includes reproductions of some GWR instructions for headcodes, and a closer study of those from before 1903 reveal a potential trap:  The official instructions’ written description of a given headcode is from the perspective of the footplate crew  - i.e. from the rear -  while the same instructions’ accompanying illustrations shows the headcode from the front as seen by a signalman! 

 

For example, the 1897 instructions describe the regular goods headcode as: “An unlighted lamp over right-hand buffer” followed immediately by an illustration which shows an unlighted lamp over the left hand buffer! This is rather important to keep in mind when only the written instructions are referred to, as in for example Great Western Way (1978 edition) which I have quoted in a post above. 

 

Lamp symbols, a summary

As Phil says above, Atkins states that the diamond was on the left side, and that the S was on the right side or in “some” instances on the back or absent. I can see why he would put the S on the right side, as he shows a neat GWR drawing illustrating the S in that position (all as seen from front of lamp).

 

However, a search through several collections of lineside photos suggests that for the 1900s at least, the common arrangement was diamond on the left, S on the back - as originally stated by Ian in the opening post. I have yet to see a photo of the S on the right side (not saying they don’t exist though). However as discussed above, there are photos where the S is on the left side, and at least one photo where the diamond is on the right side (all as seen from front). So variations clearly occurred.

All of this doesn’t really matter for actual operational purposes of course, as long as it is possible to turn the lamp so that the symbol faces forward. So the variations are mainly of interest to the modeler - but it does show once again that care should be taken not to assume that what was written or drawn was always what was done.
 

Edited June 5, 2020 by Mikkel
Edited to change one date from 1903 to 1905

[Compound2632]

Is the date of adoption of the RCH 1903 headcodes by the Great Western known? On the Midland, it was 1 Feb 1903, with the printed instruction issued on 28 Jan - talk about preparedness!

Edited June 4, 2020 by Compound2632

[bécasse]

1 hour ago, Compound2632 said:

Is the date of adoption of the RCH 1903 headcodes by the Great Western known? On the Midland, it was 1 Feb 1903, with the printed instruction issued on 28 Jan - talk about preparedness!

I think that the top prize for preparedness must go to the pre-grouping companies that made up the Southern Railway. Photos that are precisely datable suggest that most, if not all, of the locomotive fleets of these companies had been fitted with the necessary lamp irons to display the new SR codes prior to the vesting date of 1 January 1923.

[Nick Holliday]

8 hours ago, bécasse said:

I think that the top prize for preparedness must go to the pre-grouping companies that made up the Southern Railway. Photos that are precisely datable suggest that most, if not all, of the locomotive fleets of these companies had been fitted with the necessary lamp irons to display the new SR codes prior to the vesting date of 1 January 1923.

Not altogether very surprising.  The LSWR had introduced the six position codes in 1897, followed shortly by the LBSCR by 1901. The SECR is a bit of a puzzle. There are plenty of photos showing locos with the additional brackets, all in the austere Great War livery, many dated 1920 or earlier. However, the company had introduced a new system of codes in 1917 but this was based on the standard four brackets, and cunningly only requiring two discs. This was to replace a more complex set which needed over six different design of disc to work.

I can imagine two scenarios that might have given rise to the adoption of the extra pair of brackets, rather than someone having a premonition as to what was going to happen in 1923. The first is that during the war the SECR was expecting to work its locos over more of its neighbours' tracks, and the extra positions would allow the use of its rivals' existing codes. The other is that prior to someone from Bletchley Park coming up with the elegant two disc solution, the loco department expected the management to adopt a six position code, and mobilised to be on top of the situation.

[bécasse]

I agree in respect of the Brighton, but the South Western used "socket" fittings for lamps and discs and photos (albeit difficult to date precisely) seem to suggest that either these had been changed to irons before the vesting date or some sort of semi-permanent adaptor had been fitted - photos of the period can be annoying indistinct in respect of this sort of detail.

[Mikkel]

23 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

Is the date of adoption of the RCH 1903 headcodes by the Great Western known? On the Midland, it was 1 Feb 1903, with the printed instruction issued on 28 Jan - talk about preparedness!

 

Same date, 1 Feb 1903. 

[Nick Holliday]

15 hours ago, bécasse said:

I agree in respect of the Brighton, but the South Western used "socket" fittings for lamps and discs and photos (albeit difficult to date precisely) seem to suggest that either these had been changed to irons before the vesting date or some sort of semi-permanent adaptor had been fitted - photos of the period can be annoying indistinct in respect of this sort of detail.

I can't see any reason for any changes at or before vesting date.  Each loco would have its own set of headlamps and code discs, often with the loco number painted or stamped on, which would suit the type of bracket fitted. A disc is a disc, no matter how it is fixed. In fact, I would suggest that the Southern was more than happy to continue with the LSWR type of socket, since photos of the Maunsell version of the N15 class, at least, show them fitted with these sockets, as built, up to around 1926 and beyond. It might be that Maunsell had a minor re-think when he started fitting smoke deflectors to the various 4-6-0 and 2-6-0 classes, which made it sensible to raise the level of the brackets to make the discs more visible.

[bécasse]

But locos didn't carry their own discs (and probably not lamps either, that was a GWR practice) as should be obvious from the fact that one of the discs displayed the duty number.