speed restriction signs

[oldknotty]

I am planning to add some speed restriction signs to my layout .It is a preserved one so i will be using the old type . I picked up a set of Smiths for the purpose , what i need to know is where to locate them and the color please . I think they are black with either Yellow or white for the LMS / BR days ??

Thanks martin

[beast66606]

Without being flippant - where the speed changed. They were generally yellow as I remember. The arrows were used to signify lower speed connections.

 

hth.

[The Stationmaster]

They were originally a black 'post' with the numerals painted white (in BR times that is, I don't know if they were in that colour scheme in LNER days). The colour of front of the numerals was changed to yellow around the early 1960s although I'm not at all sure of the exact date; at the same time the back of the numerals seemed to be consistently painted black.

 

However I have seen them painted grey in places on the LMR - presumably done by the signal painters as it looked like the same shade of grey.

[keefer]

some info here:

 

http://www.railsigns.co.uk/sect13page1/sect13page1.html

 

says the white figures were LNER, later adopted by BR, changing to yellow in 1963 after a bad winter.

 

interestingly it only mentions GWR and NBR as using speed restriction signs - with others, was it a case of you were expected to know the speeds as part of you route knowledge?

[Gwiwer]

Posts = black; numerals and direction markers: yellow facing the driver, black behind and edges.

 

I use Humbrol matt black No. 33 and Humbrol acrylic RC407 yellow. If you prefer your signs a paler yellow (as in faded, perhaps) then Humbrol 99 is good. Touch up with a little Floquil "Rust" on the yellow faces for authenticity.

 

Where? Immediately before a speed restriction commences. All lines have a maximum "Line Speed" published in the Sectional Appendix to the Working Timetable. Any speeds lower than this are normally marked with a sign. You will see them for quite high values such as 110 (mph) on 125 mph lines and recent ones may also have a second plate below indicating a restriction applicable to only one type of train such as 95 DMU (where for example a locomotive-hauled train might be permitted to travel at 110mph).

 

The left or right arrows are used to indicate that the restricted speed only applies to a divergence where the difference in permitted speed is greater than (I think) 30 mph. For example where the line speed is 100 mph and a loop or siding to the left is restricted to 25mph you would see a 25 sign with an arrow pointing left facing main line trains.

 

Where routes diverge and both have speeds lower than the line speed you may find arrows pointing both left and right or, if the restricted speeds differ, it is possible to have something like 15 "left" 25 "right" with the number 15 above the left arrow above the number 25 above the right arrow.

 

This picture shows the plain speed restriction sign where the line speed drops from 80 to 70 for the curve ahead

 

 

While this one indicates that the left turn is restricted to 15mph;. Close inspection will reveal a plain patch of brass on the black post where the "right turn" arrow has fallen off; both left and right turns are speed-restricted entering the sidings. The black back of a 10 mph restriction sign is also visible above the roof of the "Western". This faces trains heading down the branch in the opposite direction to the 52. All my speed restriction and lineside signs are Smiths etches.

 

[oldknotty]

Thank you Gwiwer , that is exactly what i was looking for , very much appreciated mate :-)