|
|
|
|
|
|
The Great Western Railway had distinctive 'backing signals' with two holes in the arm [3.26 & 3.27]. When cleared, a backing signal indicated that the points were correctly set for a shunting movement over a line in the wrong direction. Once cleared, the signal could not be passed without verbal authority or a handsignal being given. The movement could then proceed as far as the line was clear. No more of these signals were installed after 1949.
 |
 |
|
[3.26] Backing Signal ('on').
Area: GWR Usage: High Status: Historical |
[3.27] Backing Signal ('off').
Area: GWR Usage: High Status: Historical |
|---|
Some companies applied rings to the arms of signals that applied to or from sidings or goods loops [3.28 - 3.31].
 |
 |
|
[3.28] Siding Signal ('on').
Area: GWR / Fur.R Usage: High Status: Historical |
[3.29] Siding Signal ('off').
Area: GWR / Fur.R Usage: High Status: Historical |
|---|---|
 |
 |
|
[3.30] Siding Signal ('on').
Area: LB&SCR / SE&CR Usage: High Status: Historical |
[3.31] Siding Signal ('off').
Area: LB&SCR / SE&CR Usage: High Status: Historical |
An ordinary semaphore signal arm applies to train movements in only one direction. When viewed from the rear, the arm is coloured white and projects to the right of the post. The North Eastern Railway had some semaphore shunting signals that applied in both directions, with an arm coloured red on both sides. This was a rare example of a British semaphore signal whose indication was applicable to approaching movements even though the arm projected to the right of the post [3.32 & 3.33]. A different style of 'both ways' semaphore signal had been used on the Dornoch Light Railway to protect level crossings (see [16.7 & 16.8]).
 |
 |
|
[3.32] 'Both Ways' Shunting Signal ('on').
Area: NER Usage: Low Status: Historical |
[3.33] 'Both Ways' Shunting Signal ('off').
Area: NER Usage: Low Status: Historical |
|---|
|
In November 1883, the London, Chatham and Dover Railway installed fifty electrically operated shunting signals at London Victoria. These signals exhibited a red disc when in the 'on' position, and a red light at night [3.34]. When the signal was cleared to the 'off' position, the disc was rotated out of view, and the colour of the light was changed. Similar signals were installed at a few other locations on the LC&DR. The original examples at Victoria were abolished in 1919. |
|
In 1892, the Board of Trade declared that shunting signals should preferably be in the form of discs, as opposed to semaphore arms.
The recommendation in 1893 that white lights in fixed signals be dispensed with applied not only to main signals (see Section 2) but also to shunting signals. Accordingly, the LNWR began to gradually alter its shunting signals to show a green light when 'off' (see [3.2]).
From 1895, the Great Western Railway introduced its first independent shunting signals, in the form of small semaphores [3.35 & 3.36].
 |
 |
|
[3.35] Shunting Signal ('on').
Area: GWR Usage: High Status: Historical |
[3.36] Shunting Signal ('off').
Area: GWR Usage: High Status: Historical |
|---|
In July 1898, the Glasgow & South Western Railway installed a number of shunting signals at Glasgow St. Enoch, which were in the form of electrical 'banner' signals. These comprised a centrally pivoted arm coloured red, inside a circular frame. When the arm was horizontal [3.37], the signal indicated 'stop', and when inclined through 45° [3.38], the signal indicated 'proceed'. Some of these signals had three-position arms that could rotate either to the left or to the right to indicate the direction of route (see [6.15 & 6.16]). Notably, banner signals were illuminated during darkness, so they gave the same indications by day or by night.
 |
 |
|
[3.37] Banner Shunting Signal ('on').
Area: Various Usage: Medium Status: Historical |
[3.38] Banner Shunting Signal ('off').
Area: Various Usage: Medium Status: Historical |
|---|
Following its formation in January 1899, the South Eastern & Chatham Railway began to replace the discs on its rotating shunting signals with little arms that resembled miniature semaphore signals. One arm was horizontal [3.39], and the other sloped downwards at 45° [3.40].
 |
 |
|
[3.39] Shunting Signal ('on').
Area: SE&CR Usage: High Status: Historical |
[3.40] Shunting Signal ('off').
Area: SE&CR Usage: High Status: Historical |
|---|
Around 1902, the LNWR altered its shunting signals to show a red light when 'on' (see [3.7]), instead of purple.
Concerns over the number of red signal lights visible to drivers at night led some companies to alter their shunting signals to display a white light in the 'on' position, instead of red. The GWR applied this change to its shunting signals [3.41] and backing signals [3.42] in 1904.
 |
 |
|
[3.41] Shunting Signal with White Light ('on').
Area: GWR Usage: High Status: Historical |
[3.42] 'Backing' Signal with White Light ('on').
Area: GWR Usage: High Status: Historical |
|---|
Some companies, such as the South Eastern & Chatham Railway, switched to using ground shunting signals in the form of miniature semaphores [3.43 & 3.44]. These had a white stripe on the arm, similar to a main stop signal.
 |
 |
|
[3.43] Miniature Semaphore Shunting Signal ('on').
Area: Various Usage: High Status: Historical |
[3.44] Miniature Semaphore Shunting Signal ('off').
Area: Various Usage: High Status: Historical |
|---|
|
Some of the shunting signals in the Perth area (Caledonian Railway) displayed a red diagonal target in the 'on' position [3.45]. The target was rotated out of view when in the 'off' position. |
|
In 1914, the railway companies agreed with the BoT that shunting signals reading from sidings or loops onto running lines should show a red light in the 'on' position. All other shunting signals could display a white light when 'on'. The new BoT 'Requirements' issued in the same year reflected that decision. The GWR adopted the policy of using a white light only if a signalled movement could be made past the signal in the 'on' position.
To improve their visibility, the GWR began fitting its shunting signals with white 'disc' backgrounds from c.1914 [3.46 - 3.48]. Shunting signals of similar disc form were subsequently introduced as standard by the other companies.
 |
 |
 |
|
[3.46] Disc Shunting Signal with Red Light ('on').
Area: GWR (subsequently All Areas) Usage: High Status: Current |
[3.47] Disc Shunting Signal with White Light ('on').
Area: GWR Usage: High Status: Historical |
[3.48] Disc Shunting Signal ('off').
Area: GWR (subsequently All Areas) Usage: High Status: Current |
|---|
From c.1915, the LNWR began installing miniature semaphore signals (see [3.43 & 3.44]) as its standard form of shunting signal.
The resignalling of London Victoria (Eastern) (South Eastern & Chatham Railway) in January 1920 included a type of three-position shunting signal that depicted a miniature semaphore arm on a white disc. When the arm was horizontal (or a red light shown) [3.49], the meaning was 'stop'. Like their three-position main signal counterparts (see [2.83 & 2.84]), the arm could be worked to 45° or 90° in the upper quadrant, or a yellow or green light shown at night. With the arm at 45° (yellow light at night) [3.50], the meaning was the same as a two-position shunting signal in the 'off' position, i.e. "proceed as far as the line is clear, or to the next signal only". When the arm was vertical (green light at night) [3.51], the driver was given an assurance that the next signal was exhibiting a 'proceed' indication and that the line was clear at least as far as that signal. The extra confidence this gave to drivers resulted in a speeding up of shunting operations. No other signalling installation in Britain had this type of shunting signal.
 |
 |
 |
|
[3.49] Three-position Shunting Signal ('on').
Area: London Victoria (Eastern), SE&CR Usage: Medium Status: Historical |
[3.50] Three-position Shunting Signal ('off').
Area: London Victoria (Eastern), SE&CR Usage: Medium Status: Historical |
[3.51] Three-position Shunting Signal ('off').
Area: London Victoria (Eastern), SE&CR Usage: Medium Status: Historical |
|---|
The report of the IRSE's Three-Position Signalling Committee published in 1924 (see also Section 2) had suggested that ground shunting signals within three-aspect (or four-aspect) signalling areas should show either a white or a red light when 'on' and a green light when 'off'; however, it also recommended that shunting signals in these areas should preferably take the form of illuminated 'position' signals rather than colour lights.
|
|
|
