eldomtom2

Speed signalling is block signalling. You are confusing speed signalling with time interval working.

Totally inaccurate I'm afraid - Metra's Rock Island is route signalling through and through. It conveys no information about how fast the train should take the junction - that is left up to the engineer's route knowledge. Compare with this example of speed signalling on Conrail, where there are multiple different aspects for diverging routes indicating how fast the junction should be taken:

The normal American way of route signalling uses this method, but as "searchlight" signals and other methods of reducing the size of a signal head were commonly used the space taken up could be reduced, though columns of "traffic light" signals are becoming a standard. Looking at the rulebook for Metra's Rock Island line, a surviving example of a solely route signalled railroad, the way in which the old system of multiple semaphore signals was preserved with colour lights is clear:

A point of clarity - flashing green would generally not be considered an example of speed signalling, which generally refers only to what the signalling is at junctions. The (fairly common) practice of having signals not at junctions impose speed limits does not seem to have a commonly accepted name, though some sources refer to it as "progressive speed signalling". On a somewhat related note, while of course with the move to in-cab signalling it's probably too late, I wonder if the fact that the aspects for "clear over main route" and "clear over diverging route" are the same could be a contributing factor - if the aspect for the latter was different it would serve as a reminder to check the route indicator...

Apparently concerns were raised by staff in February after a collision was narrowly avoided after a similar signalling failure.

And to add a further wrinkle into the story... I have heard it claimed (by someone who claims to know what they're talking about) that UK semaphore distants are speed signals, because 1) they cover multiple stop signals, any one of which being at stop places the distant at caution, and 2) a distant may be at caution even if no stop signals are at stop, e.g. when a train is being routed to a slower diverging route. Thus the argument is that a UK distant is not a block signal and conveys no information to the driver besides "slow down". Is there any truth to this argument?

Thanks for the link to that blog, it's very informative and I've finally worked out what the difference is between route and speed signalling in America is. Speed signalling tells the crew what speed to take over a diverging route, route signalling merely tells the crew that they are taking a diverging route. The confusing part is that the "Approach" aspect (next signal is red) tends to apply a speed limit even in route signalling systems.

Which of course is why I made this thread - here we have signals in a speed signalling system that also provide the same info to the driver that they would in a route signalling system...

Though of course, as I mentioned, what is called "speed signalling" outside America may be very different. Nor can I work out what the difference between American route signalling and American speed signalling is...

It appears to me that the idea of "route signalling" and "speed signalling" as two entirely separate ways of signalling is fundamentally false, and in fact there are a broad array of differing features that could be said to place any system in one of the arbitary buckets. These include: Whether or not a signal warning of an upcoming stop signal due to an occupied block imposes a speed limit Whether or not signals at junctions inform the driver of the precise route they are taking Whether or not signals at junctions inform the driver when they are switched to a lower-speed route (as opposed to relying on the driver's route knowledge that the route they are being switched to is lower-speed) Whether or not signals at junctions inform the driver when they are switched to a different route at all Whether or not signals at junctions can impose a speed limitt solely for the length of the crossover Nor is the terminology consistent between countries. What the Americans call "route signalling" we would probably call "speed signalling". And there's this very common idea that speed signalling and route signalling are identical outside of their approach to junctions, but seeing as many systems impose speed limits as an occupied block is approached...

For clarity, "in rear" and "in advance" were replaced by "on approach to" and "beyond" respectively. Draw your own conclusions as to whether these are more or less clear.

Definitely, Japan is quite fond of their shortened toyish versions of real-life prototypes.

The first one is apparently very loosely based on the JNR EH10. The second one is a shortened version of the Joshin Deki 1.

Personally I'd like to see more deliiberately implausiible model railways that intentionally don't represent the real world. Fantasy railway modelling is a rich and underexplored vein.

It's an interesting mix of fact and fiction - some of things Crichton (as the narrator) presents as true are, and some aren't, and he never tells the reader which is which.

In opposition, I would point to The Development of the Major Railway Trunk Routes, and point out that Beeching gets defended on the closures he got and not the ones he wanted...

Of course, I'm sure the companies involved have plenty of legal defenses lined up...

There is also, of course, the infamously relentless cost-cutting the freight railroads have engaged in for the past decade.

I suspected there would be a list of album covers with trains on RateYourMusic, and indeed there is - currently containing 1158 covers.

For comparison, here is Amtrak's 2018 timetable, the last full timetable I can find.

Well stuff like the IET which is made in Japan for foreign export definitely has a Japanese market...

Sort of - his was for five eras directly translated from the NEM epoch system at the time, as follows: Era 1 - 1835-1923 Era 2 - 1923-1947 Era 3 - 1947-1968 Era 4 - 1968-1985 Era 5 - 1985- The era system seen today uses far more categories, but doesn't do much to address the heavy 20th-century bias.

It makes an interesting point of comparison that at the same time we were electrifying Woodhead because of the fumes, the Americans were installing massive ventilation systems so that they could deelectrify their tunnels...

But those are very clearly present-day OHLE stickers...

Well I presume they mean from Scotsman. Personally I would assume they are unless there is evidence otherwise.