Distants and Repeaters

[D Foster]

I think that it was in this thread that I said that "one of the things about this interest is learning something new every day" or words to that effect.
So... I should have guessed that giving braking distance between one Stop signal and the next and providing a 3 aspect for the first would allow the second to be not-interlocked with the Distant.

On the other hand - I did erroneously assume that it was taken for granted that colour light signals (mainly 2 aspect) are interchangeable with semaphores. I really should pay attention! (I have slapped my wrist).

I suspect that at Reigate the Advanced Starter was not braking Distance In Advance of the Starter. I wonder if, in some other cases, an Advanced Starter (or any other Stop Signal) was moved further In Advance from an earlier location to allow for a change to this arrangement with the 3 aspect signal? I'm thinking that with earlier "line-of-sight" signalling with no track circuit a full braking distance could make an Advanced Starter too far out for safe working... (?)

Yes, it was Swinderby. Was the Box area itself an AB Station Limits then? I'd originally heard (maybe misunderstood) that it was TCB right through... Which proves the problem of working on what goes in the ears and gets "digested".

I'm delighted to have done something to conform and improve the image of the great importance of "Route Knowledge". There's no way I would want to treat Driving a train like driving a mere road lorry.
Trains have been known to come through signalboxes...
I had it look like it was going to happen to me one early morning with an ECS failing to drop from line speed to walking pace... I hadn't known that I could leave a Box, clear a fence and vanish down the road so fast... Keeping it polite.

I believe that the recent signalling work on the S&C included Intermediate Block Sections - new I think - but not certain. I'm pretty sure that they use axle counters rather than TCs. (YEUK! I don't like axle counters ) It hadn't occurred to me whether they were In Advance or In Rear (possibly both). I will endeavour to check with my informer (spy) when next I see him (or her).

 

[Railsigns]

I believe that the recent signalling work on the S&C included Intermediate Block Sections - new I think - but not certain. I'm pretty sure that they use axle counters rather than TCs. (YEUK! I don't like axle counters ) It hadn't occurred to me whether they were In Advance or In Rear (possibly both). I will endeavour to check with my informer (spy) when next I see him (or her).

The new intermediate block signals on the Settle & Carlisle are all in advance of their controlling signal boxes and there are instances of two consecutive I.B. sections.

 

[Tomnick]

I wonder if, in some other cases, an Advanced Starter (or any other Stop Signal) was moved further In Advance from an earlier location to allow for a change to this arrangement with the 3 aspect signal? I'm thinking that with earlier "line-of-sight" signalling with no track circuit a full braking distance could make an Advanced Starter too far out for safe working... (?)

That sounds reasonable. I can't think of any semaphore section signal which was simply moved further 'out' in connection with that, but I can certainly think of locations where a three-aspect home signal provided and, at the same time, the section signal replaced with a colour-light and moved to provide braking distance.

Yes, it was Swinderby. Was the Box area itself an AB Station Limits then? I'd originally heard (maybe misunderstood) that it was TCB right through... Which proves the problem of working on what goes in the ears and gets "digested".

I'm sure that the existing installation - at Swinderby itself - has changed very little since it was an Absolute Block box. Nowadays, it does work TCB right through - to the boxes on each side, and therefore through 'station limits' too.