Old semaphore signals

[MarkyT]

I noticed one of the signals (DS71) on approach to Droitwich Spa station had been replaced with a new one on the opposite site, albeit a very squat one. A picture of the signal in question is here which has been replaced with something akin to the new signals at Banbury (BS27/BS33. The old signal post is still in situ. Can anyone shed some light on why this has happened?

It is probably rather difficult and expensive to fit the modern ladders and safety rails to a tall slender post like this one. The reason the old signal had to be so tall in the first place is at least partly because of its position on the wrong side of the running lines, so it can be seen clearly if another train is passing in the opposite direction, and that position is a legacy of the old right hand driving position of GWR steam locomotives! In the modern world, a shorter post on the correct left hand side probably presents drivers with a much better more standard view on approach, so the complete new structure may have proved a cheaper and better option.

 

[carriageline]

www.signalbox.org/sectionc.php?year=2013
is a useful resource for the planned dates of re-signalling. Click on the dates to see what has/will be happening each year.

Unfortunately, that list is quite out of date now. Going through various years I can see a few boxes that have been bought forward a number of years (some even closing this year), but that hasn't been updated.

As I understand it, the only up to date document is available internally at Network Rail

 

[Class172]

It is probably rather difficult and expensive to fit the modern ladders and safety rails to a tall slender post like this one. The reason the old signal had to be so tall in the first place is at least partly because of its position on the wrong side of the running lines, so it can be seen clearly if another train is passing in the opposite direction, and that position is a legacy of the old right hand driving position of GWR steam locomotives! In the modern world, a shorter post on the correct left hand side probably presents drivers with a much better more standard view on approach, so the complete new structure may have proved a cheaper and better option.

I've managed to find the answer to my query now:

The Droitwich Spa Up Starting signal DS71 was re-positioned on Sunday 19th May 2013. For a long time DS71 was on "the wrong side" being on the Down side in rear of the platform. As Adrian the Rock succinctly puts it, in his description of the signals at Droitwich, it stems back to steam days when the driver on GW engines drove on the right hand side.
The tall elegant post, and I would say very tall, having climbed it a number of times whilst at Droitwich to replace oil lamps, as of yesterday stands forlornly without an arm awaiting removal. The new signal on what appears as a short dumpy post is positioned adjacent but on the Up side.
I'm told the reason for the re-positioning was that drivers of the LM 172 units could not sight DS71 in it's original position due to the unit's gangway protrusion.