Semaphore signals

[Dylan125]

I am creating a layout heavily based on the north wales coast line around the 1980s and have started on Rhyl station however I would like to incorporate semaphore signals (even though not true to time) and don’t know how to lay them out. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Image attached is the station at current.

[Wheatley]

Starter (sorry) for ten:

 

https://photos.signalling.org/picture?/24570

[SZ]

5 hours ago, Dylan125 said:

I am creating a layout heavily based on the north wales coast line around the 1980s and have started on Rhyl station however I would like to incorporate semaphore signals (even though not true to time) and don’t know how to lay them out. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Image attached is the station at current.

 

You need one red stop signal in the direction of travel beyond the end of each platform but before the lines begin to converge and one red stop signal on each of the through lines in the direction of travel before the outer lines begin to converge.

 

These could all be on their own signal post or on some kind of overhead gantry if that floats your boat.

 

Edited December 29, 2023 by SZ

[Flying Pig]

3 hours ago, Wheatley said:

Starter (sorry) for ten:

 

https://photos.signalling.org/picture?/24570

 

That looks like a recent colour light layout though, not semaphore.

 

Wasn't there a drawing of a gantry at Rhyl in a very early MRJ?  Perhaps there was a plan of the semaphore layout with that?

[Wheatley]

There are at least three semaphore signals on there, there is a strong chance that most of the colour lights are direct replacements for semaphores too. 

[Michael Hodgson]

1 hour ago, Flying Pig said:

 

That looks like a recent colour light layout though, not semaphore.

 

Wasn't there a drawing of a gantry at Rhyl in a very early MRJ?  Perhaps there was a plan of the semaphore layout with that?

I  believe Rhyl has been resignalled as a bidirectional route since that box diagram was photogrpahed.

[Mol_PMB]

Semaphores are absolutely correct for Rhyl in the 1980s. There are a lot of images on Flickr that can help, Dave Sallery and Kevin Lane are good places to start. For example:

 

There was clearly some major work being done on the track layout and signalling in the late 1980s including removing one of the through lines, but it remained traditionally signalled.

 

Mol

[Jeremy Cumberland]

The photos in Mol's post are how I remember Rhyl in the 1980s, when both signal boxes were in use, as far as I am aware. Rhyl No. 2 was magnificent, and right at the end of the up platform:

 

Having two signalboxes does change some of the signalling - note the distant signal in the picture above. This wouldn't be needed with just one box, and the top signal is actually the Rhyl No. 2 up slow starter, not the up home. I don't remember those two small arms on the down side (but that might just be my memory), nor do I know what they are for. The post appears to be the same one used for the down main starter after Rhyl No. 2 box was closed.

 

The Rhyl No. 1 up home signals (at the Chester end of the platform) were unusual, because of the overbridge. You can see the gantry in the third picture on this page: https://www.2d53.co.uk/rhyl/general.htm

I am not sure when the gantry was replaced with two separate posts (with only a low down signal for the fast line, viewed under the bridge), but it was before 1986, as can be seen on this web page: https://www.derbysulzers.com/rhyl.html

The signal for the fast line is seen in the second "Rhyl" photograph, and the slow line (platform) signal is in the very last Rhyl photograph, immediately before the Abergele section.

 

This page is from a more recent date, after Rhyl No. 2 was taken out of use and the up main was removed, but I think it shows all the remaining semaphores, including the ground signals for the down sidings and for the up line to down line crossover: https://www.roscalen.com/signals/Rhyl/index.htm

[beast66606]

12 minutes ago, Jeremy Cumberland said:

 

I don't remember those two small arms on the down side (but that might just be my memory), nor do I know what they are for. The post appears to be the same one used for the down main starter after Rhyl No. 2 box was closed.

 

 

Rhyl No.2 down fast home and down fast to down neck.

[beast66606]

15 minutes ago, Jeremy Cumberland said:

The Rhyl No. 1 up home signals (at the Chester end of the platform) were unusual, because of the overbridge. You can see the gantry in the third picture on this page: https://www.2d53.co.uk/rhyl/general.htm

I am not sure when the gantry was replaced with two separate posts (with only a low down signal for the fast line, viewed under the bridge), but it was before 1986, as can be seen on this web page: https://www.derbysulzers.com/rhyl.html

 

About 1977/8 the gantry was replaced by separate signals.

[Stephen Freeman]

The OPC Book "Chester to Holyhead Railway" has diagrams of both boxes but being dated 1967 , probably not really relevant and you would need an awful lot of room for that date. However It does show the gantries so it would be  case of working out what had been removed by 1980.

[Stephen Freeman]

here is a pdf

rhyl2.pdf