lankyphil Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Simply put, is there a convention to how the levers in a Signalbox were numbered? Left to right for example? Or advanced starters were always number 1 or something like that? Cheers Phil PS - Time and location = Southern Region (Ex LSWR area) late 1950s. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
micknich2003 Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Traditionaly, the Distant signal would be the first and last levers in the frame, then the running signals would follow. For example, and pressuming a 25 lever frame: 1 Distant, 2 Home, 3 Starter, 23 Starter, 24 Home, 25 Distant, Points and Cross-overs would be distrubted between levers 4 and 22. A typical Cross-Over would be No 8 Disc, 9 Cross-Over, 10 Disc. Facing Points would, and be for example 11 Facing Point Lock, 12 Facing Points, or may be the other way ie, Facing Points 11, Facing Point Lock 12. Generaly but not always and pressuming the frame is at the front of the box, connections to the left of the box will have the lower numbered levers and those to the right the higher numbers. It is only possible to generalise, and I suggest you locate similar prototype layouts to what you wish to model and study them. Attached a couple of typical drawings which hopefully will help to give you the general idea.Best Wishes, Mick Nicholson. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Signalbox diagrams, searchable by company and including lever numbers, here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailWest Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 I think Mick has given a very comprehensive general summary. If you start looking at specific diagrams then you may find some apparent 'oddities' or exceptions, but don't forget that layouts often changed over time. It was not uncommon for levers to be taken out of use (eg if a siding was removed), then re-used later for some new addition even tho' they did not then fit into the 'normal' sequence. Similarly, frames were sometimes lengthened, either at the LH end or the RH end, or both. If the RH end, then the next numbers were used, but if at the LH end then the LSWR/SR practice was to use letters (A, B etc). In more recent times it became a practice in some areas to put the main Up and Down running signals in the middle of the frame, to save the signalman at lot of walking about for the most common movements, but I'm not aware if this was done on the Southern anywhere. One thing to add....if there was a level-crossing controlled from the signal-box, then usually (but by no means always) the lever(s) which locked the gates would be put at the extreme end of the frame nearest the gates, to give the signalman the best view of the crossing while he was working the lever. Also, in some new frames of the 1950s/1960s BR(S) started providing lever-worked emergency detonator placers, and their practice was to put the levers for both Up and Down lines together at whichever end of the frame was nearest the door - the idea being (allegedly) that the signalman could throw them over as he was rushing outside with his red flag to deal with the emergency! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lankyphil Posted December 5, 2011 Author Share Posted December 5, 2011 Great, Cheers guys Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted December 5, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 5, 2011 In more recent times it became a practice in some areas to put the main Up and Down running signals in the middle of the frame, to save the signalman at lot of walking about for the most common movements, but I'm not aware if this was done on the Southern anywhere. This became LMS standard practice, very confusing as the levers were home, starter and distant as opposed to the more conventional distant, home and starter, when replacing signals care had to be taken, on more than one occasion I dipped some arms in front of trains, but the drivers didn't seem too worried ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
micknich2003 Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 I purposly kept my review simple, one could go on for ever, but the various correspondents above, have neatly summed things up. As for "Inboard Distants" as they were ref to localy, a few boxes were relocked as such, but apart from giving the locking fitter a Sunday I can't see why. One local box, had "Inboard" Distant at one end, but not the two at the other end, surely a recipie for "Putting back in front of One". Best Wishes, Mick. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingsignalman Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 . One local box, had "Inboard" Distant at one end, but not the two at the other end, surely a recipie for "Putting back in front of One". Best Wishes, Mick. Bidston East Jcn, after various alterations, was similar. As for "putting back in front of one" I've been there, done that, got the please explain...................... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted December 7, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 7, 2011 Bidston East Jcn, after various alterations, was similar. As for "putting back in front of one" I've been there, done that, got the please explain...................... I had to give myself one of those once - for exactly the same reason (not half as bad as the fact that the Driver knew me .. and where to find me ). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted December 7, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 7, 2011 Bidston East Jcn, after various alterations, was similar. As for "putting back in front of one" I've been there, done that, got the please explain...................... And nearly for me several times too ... ;>) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RELIEF SIGNALMAN Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Harlescott Crossing SB near Shrewsbury has an unusual feature for an ex LNW box when clearing for up trains 4 : Up Main Home (COLOUR LIGHT) 5 : Up Main Starting (SEMAPHORE) 6 : Up Main Distant (COLOUR LIGHT) Over here in North Wales the one time up loop at Abergele had the following sequence for clearing signals :- 56 .... Up Loop Home 1 50 .... Up Loop Home 2 57 .... Up Main Starting Few of my colleagues had put back the wrong signal many times ... including myself ! (57 back in front of the train instead of 56 behind it) Nowadays much simpler since the Up Main was slued through the platform. 59 .... Up Main home 57 .... Up Main Starting 60 .... Up Main Distant Prestatyn has its main line levers in the centre of its 45 lever frame. 14, 15 & 17 up signals 23, 25 & 26 down signals. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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