SR fixed distant signals

[Nearlymen]

Hi,

Just out of curiosity what did SR fixed distant signals look like ? That is if such a beast existed ? I've seen pics of GWR fixed distants but after a quick trawl through the net I couldn't see any SR examples ? Would they be rail built posts with the arm just bolted direct to the post or something else. I've no real reason for asking except its one of those things that crossed my mind and I had no answer for ! I'm sure out there is someone in the know !

 

Cheers

 

Clive

[mike hughes]

The one for Bognor was just left as it was when fixed in the on position. The signal wires removed and possibly the arm or counter balance weight secured down

 

michael

[bécasse]

Generally, as Mike Hughes infers, they looked just like worked distants but usually without the wherewithal to work them, they could though have lamp-proving circuitry if they weren't visible from the signal box. They could have wooden, lattice, concrete or rail-built posts depending on when the post was built, and, of course, could have upper (from c1930) or lower quadrant arms. Spectacle plates often had no green glass and, in some cases, there was no yellow glass either and the signal lamp had a clear yellow lens instead.

 

At the approach to terminal stations on single lines which had no signals (and the SR removed signals from such locations wherever possible in the 1920s/1930s as an economy measure) a yellow marker light would be provided - effectively a distant signal without the arm but with a lamp with a clear yellow lens. Similar marker lights were often provided for unsignalled stations on both single and double line routes where the location wasn't obvious after darkness fell, but such marker lights displayed a white light, their lens glasses being uncoloured.

[mike hughes]

1 hour ago, bécasse said:

Generally, as Mike Hughes infers, they looked just like worked distants but usually without the wherewithal to work them, they could though have lamp-proving circuitry if they weren't visible from the signal box. They could have wooden, lattice, concrete or rail-built posts depending on when the post was built, and, of course, could have upper (from c1930) or lower quadrant arms. Spectacle plates often had no green glass and, in some cases, there was no yellow glass either and the signal lamp had a clear yellow lens instead.

 

At the approach to terminal stations on single lines which had no signals (and the SR removed signals from such locations wherever possible in the 1920s/1930s as an economy measure) a yellow marker light would be provided - effectively a distant signal without the arm but with a lamp with a clear yellow lens. Similar marker lights were often provided for unsignalled stations on both single and double line routes where the location wasn't obvious after darkness fell, but such marker lights displayed a white light, their lens glasses being uncoloured.

Definitely remember Bognor's had the lamp proving circuit and was railbuilt 

[Wickham Green too]

I#m currently ploughing through the recent book on the Westerham Branch closure - heavy going but fascinating stuff - and there's a shot of the Westerham fixed distant : it's a lattice post with an upper quadrant arm - the 'green' lens looks to have been blanked off though that could be a good layer of accumulated algae !

[bécasse]

3 hours ago, Wickham Green too said:

I#m currently ploughing through the recent book on the Westerham Branch closure - heavy going but fascinating stuff - and there's a shot of the Westerham fixed distant : it's a lattice post with an upper quadrant arm - the 'green' lens looks to have been blanked off though that could be a good layer of accumulated algae !

It was blanked off, probably with just a piece of steel sheet the same size as the glass would have been. As I said, it wasn't unusual to find them without glass (or even a blanking sheet) in the green lens.