Hand signal dispatch, hand or bat?

[Trainman40083]

Speaking of traditional methods, EMR still use green flags at St Pancras, as do LNER when the driver to guard communication fails on a 225.

I never understood the red lamp on the bat, since you aren't supposed to use it to emergency stop a train.

Maybe the red light was used by platform staff to get the driver of the train to stop in a specific place on a platform.

 

[Sakuradori]

What else would despatch staff use to stop a train at night?

Fair enough, I probably should have clarified, I'm well aware that there's nothing in the rule book against using a dispatch baton's red light to stop a train, but there is something in my TOC's rulebook appendix:

The red aspect that is provided on some dispatch bats must not be used in emergency situations due to the variable light quality of the red aspect leading to confusion.

Strangely, the new batons we were provided with about a month ago still have a red light on them.
One of the options they provide on how to give the emergency stop signal instead states:

Displaying a red light (other than the red light on the dispatch bat).

We're provided hand lamps for this. Can't imagine I'd actually get in any bother if I did use the baton light in an emergency, though.

 

[skyhigh]

Strangely, the new batons we were provided with about a month ago still have a red light on them.

Probably because they are standard equipment, rather than something specially adapted for your TOC's rules.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Here is the baton that is currently en-vogue at my TOC. It is the current Toclite baton with the three LED colours.

Signalling Baton

Tough and durable, highly effective signalling

www.businessimage.co.uk

Using the white light during daylight may seem odd but from a distance the plain white baton can be hard to see, especially during bright sun.

 

[Deepgreen]

It was a nickname for the old BR "double arrow" logo.

Which was inappropriate because the directional arrows symbolised anything but indecision - they show the standard direction of travel on double track railways.