GWR signals

[brianusa]

On Most GW signal posts there is usually a white diamond, What is the significance of this please?

 

Brian.

[Eggesford box]

It shows that the track on the approach to the signal is track circuited so the presence of the train is indicated in the signalbox. It is a national thing not solely confined to the Western

[br2975]

On Most GW signal posts there is usually a white diamond, What is the significance of this please?

 

Brian.

 

In basic terms, if a train was held at the signal the crew should contact the signalman either by walking to, or 'phoning the 'box to remind him their train is standing at the signal.

.

The diamond indicates the presence of an electrical  track circuit which informs the signalman of the trains presence, negating the need for the crew to attend or contact the 'box.

.

There are better qualified subscribers to RMweb who could better explain this than I

.

Brian R

[The Stationmaster]

In basic terms, if a train was held at the signal the crew should contact the signalman either by walking to, or 'phoning the 'box to remind him their train is standing at the signal.

.

The diamond indicates the presence of an electrical  track circuit which informs the signalman of the trains presence, negating the need for the crew to attend or contact the 'box.

.

There are better qualified subscribers to RMweb who could better explain this than I

.

Brian R

That's as good as it gets for a simple explanation Brian.  

 

But having understood what it is it might be useful to point out where you won't find it and the most important (and obvious when you think about it) is on a Distant Signal.  Equally I think it's fair to say that track circuits, except possibly through facing points, were rare on most branchlines until, probably, the end of their lives and even on mainlines there were plenty of signals without track circuits in rear well into the 1960s.  You would be most likely to find them where the Signalman had a poor view of the line in rear of the signal and in rear of the Home Signal where block interlinking existed.

 

And finally as far as I can trace they do not appear to have come into use on the GWR until at least sometime in the 1930s.

 

The sign itself, according to dimensions I have is - in 4mm scale - 4mm deep, c.9mm wide over the 'points of the diamond', and 2.34mm wide in the horizontal section

[brianusa]

Thanks gents for all the info.  For years,  I've often wondered why they were there.

 

Brian.