Bracket Starter Signals for Offerston Quay - Advice Sought

[Fastdax]

I am getting towards needing to signal the station throat of Offerston Quay.

 

The upper-level track is a single branch line, splitting into two to enter the station area. There is a platform on each side of the lines. Please see the lower trackplan here for how the track is now laid.

 

When I'm running it, the station will have to act as a terminus (although the ends of the two lines will be concealed by a low-relief station building frontage) because that's the edge of the baseboard!

 

Maybe in the future I can attach a fiddle-yard to that end of the layout and run trains into and through the station.

 

But I'm guessing that I will need a couple of platform starters to control exit from the station onto the single-track line.

 

The era is early 1960s. The area is BR Midland region, probably somewhere just south of Sheffield. I want semaphore signals, not colour light.

 

I was going to put a single signal at the end of each platform, but I don't really have room for the one at the back of the layout, as there's only 35mm behind the rearmost running rail.

 

So I wondered if a dual bracketed starter on the left (as the train exits the station) is acceptable?

 

Something like this perhaps, with its equal-height dolls:

 

Your thoughts will be greatly appreciated.

 

Image copyright Adrian the Rock (http://www.roscalen.com), used with permission.

[The Stationmaster]

I think you could get away with a bracketed structure although it would be a little unusual (although there are some nice precedents should you need evidence)

[Fastdax]

I think you could get away with a bracketed structure although it would be a little unusual (although there are some nice precedents should you need evidence)

 

Thanks Mike.

 

What do you think would be more "usual"?

[The Stationmaster]

Thanks Mike.

 

What do you think would be more "usual"?

 

Two separate straight posts one at each platform end, the bracketed structures seem to have been most used in connection with an island platform layout.

[bécasse]

Straight posts were much cheaper than brackets. Even with island platforms, brackets tended to be used only where there was insufficient clearance for two straight posts. The situation was different with through stations because there the platform canopy often inhibiting sighting of a straight post signal for passing trains to the extent that a bracket had to be used.

 

Of course these days cost doesn't seem to be an issue and brackets have become commonplace.

[Fastdax]

Straight posts were much cheaper than brackets. Even with island platforms, brackets tended to be used only where there was insufficient clearance for two straight posts. The situation was different with through stations because there the platform canopy often inhibiting sighting of a straight post signal for passing trains to the extent that a bracket had to be used.

 

Of course these days cost doesn't seem to be an issue and brackets have become commonplace.

 

This is kind of my dilemma.

 

There is not clearance for two straight posts. Well, there is in front of the front track, but not behind the rear track. I will probably run a low-relief wall right along the back of the baseboard as a scenic break and there will only be about 30mm (4 foot something) between this and the rearmost rail. (Less than the prototypical minimum clearance, I know, but I'm pressed for space!)

 

So this may be one of those situations where a bracket would be justified?

[RailWest]

Why not dispense with the post and just bracket the RH signal directly off the retaining wall?

[Fastdax]

Why not dispense with the post and just bracket the RH signal directly off the retaining wall?

 

That's not a bad idea.

 

I wasn't going to make the wall at the rear more than about 6 foot high, to allow some backscene to be seen, but I suppose I could raise one section of it and attach a signal to that.

 

Thanks Chris.