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Color light signals


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Whereabouts on the Southern?

 

First Google result I found http://www.plymouthdata.info/Railways-British%20Railways-1960-1964.htm which states

 

"Saturday November 26th 1960 to Monday November 28th 1960

At 4pm on Saturday November 26th 1960 work started on switching over from semaphore signalling to colour-light signalling at Plymouth Station. Trains were signalled by hand lamps while the old apparatus was being dismantled. When the work was completed on Monday November 28th 1960 and the new Plymouth Panel Box came in to operation, the signal boxes at Lipson Junction, North Road East, North Road West, Devonport Junction, Devonport Albert Road and Cornwall Junction were all closed. Thus Laira Junction Signal Box in the east and Keyham Signal Box in the west became the fringe boxes. Now eight signalmen could do the work previously done by twenty. Also, new colour light signals were brought into use at Mount Gould Junction. [7]"

 

if that's any help :)

 

 

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What I was getting at were color lights on the southern always the three aspect variety or the two aspect as well? As just had an impulse purchase of a color light kit from eckon but its a red/green two aspect signal! Was wondering if this is correct as having the layout based on the southern region 1960s with third rail!

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Hello

 

What I was getting at were color lights on the southern always the three aspect variety or the two aspect as well?

 

They used 2, 3 & 4 aspect colour light signals. Not sure where you got the idea of just 3 aspect signals

 

As just had an impulse purchase of a color light kit from eckon but its a red/green two aspect signal! Was wondering if this is correct as having the layout based on the southern region 1960s with third rail!

 

From the nature of your original question I suggest you post a copy of your layout track plan as I suspect you could end up buying something that is not appropriate.

 

F

 

 

 

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The Southern Railway used 2-aspect colour light signals, just like today's railway, where appropriate. They were used, for example, as Intermediate Block Home signals, where a long section between block posts might be split. 3- & 4-aspect signals are expensive, their interlocking is more complicated, and they are only used where needed for line capacity, and to enable higher speeds by providing longer braking distances. I agree with Fay Singpoint - provide a diagram, and competent persons (not me) will suggest the signalling it needs.

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Were two aspect signals used on the southern region in the 1960's?

 

As Ian has said - 'yes' but I would agree with him that at that time they were probably used only as IB signals and possibly as replacements for semaphore distants; all the big schemes were multiple aspect signals (because they had been carried out on busy routes).

Subsequent to the 1960s the Southern Region did use 2 aspect signals on a number of schemes on what were basically 'country routes' where line occupation was low enough to allow 2 aspect signalling to be really effective but invariably at the busier locations on such schemes 3 aspect signalling seems to have been used. as already noted - a track plan etc would be useful.

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As Ian has said - 'yes' but I would agree with him that at that time they were probably used only as IB signals and possibly as replacements for semaphore distants; all the big schemes were multiple aspect signals (because they had been carried out on busy routes).

Subsequent to the 1960s the Southern Region did use 2 aspect signals on a number of schemes on what were basically 'country routes' where line occupation was low enough to allow 2 aspect signalling to be really effective but invariably at the busier locations on such schemes 3 aspect signalling seems to have been used. as already noted - a track plan etc would be useful.

Epsom Downs and Tattenham Corner branches come to mind as examples of what Mike is describing here. Rationalisation on the cheap, saving signalling posts, but without detriment to the service pattern. In both cases it must have helped that Derby Day was no longer the railway bonanza it had once been!

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Its just in all the pictures ive found ive oy really seen three aspect!

 

If you have been looking at pictures of terminal station platform starting signals (i.e Waterloo, Victoria, Brighton) then these were/are 3 aspect signals. Another example was that the 1932/33 Brighton Line Resignalling had predominant sections of 3 aspect signalling.

F

 

 

 

 

 

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Two aspect colour light signals were/are installed at Grateley ....Here's a brief video of mine of them in operation for the Cathedrals Express in February 2004.

.....

 

That is the type / design which the former Cockrobin Controls (now Roger Murray) 2-aspect signal was modelled on.

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A bit of firkling in the archives reveals that 2-aspect signals were used by Southern in the '30s, typically on the "fringes" of 3/4 aspect installations, as part of the transition from semaphore signalling/absolute block conditions. Thus CBP33, Horsham's down advanced starter, was 2-aspect, as was the up starter at Boxhill, CBK40.

 

However the most interesting installation I have found was in 1934 at Cuxton Road, on the Chatham Main Line at Sole Street Bank, where a succession of two-aspect signals were alternately defined as "stop" and "distant" in nature, i.e. a yellow/green preceded a red/green, over a distance of several miles in either direction. Most were automatic, with the number prefaced "A", but there was one controlled signal in each direction at Cuxton Road itself. Interestingly, and reflecting the steep nature of the bank, there were far more signal sections in the uphill direction than the down, and the distant signals in the down direction were much further in rear of their stop signal!

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A bit of firkling in the archives reveals that 2-aspect signals were used by Southern in the '30s, typically on the "fringes" of 3/4 aspect installations, as part of the transition from semaphore signalling/absolute block conditions. Thus CBP33, Horsham's down advanced starter, was 2-aspect, as was the up starter at Boxhill, CBK40.

 

However the most interesting installation I have found was in 1934 at Cuxton Road, on the Chatham Main Line at Sole Street Bank, where a succession of two-aspect signals were alternately defined as "stop" and "distant" in nature, i.e. a yellow/green preceded a red/green, over a distance of several miles in either direction. Most were automatic, with the number prefaced "A", but there was one controlled signal in each direction at Cuxton Road itself. Interestingly, and reflecting the steep nature of the bank, there were far more signal sections in the uphill direction than the down, and the distant signals in the down direction were much further in rear of their stop signal!

 

South Eastern Section automatics would be prefixed 'A' as the South Eastern was the first section on the Southern to have automatic colour light signals. as the other two sections came later they got 'CA' (the Central Section) and 'WA' (the Western Section). Alas yet another piece of colour light signalling history swept away by the less than sensible BR standard numbering system (copied largely from LM Region practice).

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post-7009-0-30567500-1298033148_thumb.jpg

Hamworthy (Junction)

 

post-7009-0-80006800-1298033217_thumb.jpg

Worgret Junction

 

There are several others on the line to Weymouth, which is due for re-signalling, in time for the 2012 Olympics (Sailing), being held there.

Also, there are others on the up/down-line, eastwards, out of Bournemouth. Places like Hinton Admiral and Sway.

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There are several others on the line to Weymouth, which is due for re-signalling, in time for the 2012 Olympics (Sailing), being held there.

Also, there are others on the up -line out of Bournemouth. Places like Hinton Admiral and Sway.

It all goes to prove that 2-aspect is perfectly satisfactory where linespeeds and traffic density need nothing more. It is also interesting to note that the Chessington Branch, a new railway in 1938/9, was equipped from the start with semaphore signals, at the same time as Southern was investing in MAS elsewhere. This was a railway that knew the value of money.

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post-7009-0-30567500-1298033148_thumb.jpg

Hamworthy (Junction)

 

post-7009-0-80006800-1298033217_thumb.jpg

Worgret Junction

 

There are several others on the line to Weymouth, which is due for re-signalling, in time for the 2012 Olympics (Sailing), being held there.....

 

Both views are roughly what I saw when I travelled to Weymouth just after New Year, albeit very early in the morning. Worgret Junction was particularly interesting because of the future potential that it holds!

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Both views are roughly what I saw when I travelled to Weymouth just after New Year, albeit very early in the morning. Worgret Junction was particularly interesting because of the future potential that it holds!

 

Yep. Interesting times ahead.

Slightly off topic, but, nevertheless....

 

http://www.swanagera....uk/news678.htm

 

My only hope is that the project isn't thwarted by the current council's spending cut-backs.

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