Oil-lit semaphore signals

[181]

Does anyone know whether there are still any of these in use on the national network (or on preserved railways, for that matter), and if so where? If there aren't, does anyone know when and where the last ones were?

 

[Bald Rick]

AIUI all remaining paraffin lit signals semaphore signals on the national network were converted to LED about 3-4 years ago, although no doubt some were missed. Certainly in my bit of the world we had to find other jobs for the lampmen.

For a while some paraffin lit LX gates remained, but I gather they have gone to LED now also.

 

[TDK]

AIUI all remaining paraffin lit signals semaphore signals on the national network were converted to LED about 3-4 years ago, although no doubt some were missed. Certainly in my bit of the world we had to find other jobs for the lampmen.

For a while some paraffin lit LX gates remained, but I gather they have gone to LED now also.

I am not certain but I think some of the ground disc shunt signals at Shrewsbury are still paraffin lit. Most but not all Semaphore mainline signals have been replaced with low wattage standard bulbs, on my patch I have not seen many LED semaphore signals.

 

[John Webb]

At St Albans South box we have paraffin lamps, both signal and hand lamps, set up on open days for demonstration purposes. One ground signal remains paraffin lit to show how weak the light is in daylight. All our other signals have been fitted with LED bulbs to be seen in daylight so the colour change when the signal is operated can be seen.

Interestingly, our multiple-aspect demonstration set up couldn't use the original 24W bulbs because they were too bright at the close viewing range, and we had to alter the bulbs to 5W car tail lamp bulbs - also saved us having to install heavy-duty cable to supply the higher wattage bulbs.

 

[Welshman]

I suppose this also means one of the lens in the remaining semaphore signals has now had to be changed from blue to green?

 

[455driver]

I suppose this also means one of the lens in the remaining semaphore signals has now had to be changed from blue to green?

Would using yellow bulbs work?

 

[John Webb]

I suppose this also means one of the lens in the remaining semaphore signals has now had to be changed from blue to green?

No - we used 'warm white' LED lamps with a yellow filter in front which gives a respectable green through the blue spectacle.

 

[Welshman]

No - we used 'warm white' LED lamps with a yellow filter in front which gives a respectable green through the blue spectacle.

That's interesting. Thank-you.