Unusual Signal gantry

[Rational Man]

Hi,

I was looking at a very old book about railways in the north west when I cam across an image of Chinley East Junction. This image showed a gantry with three signal posts protecting the junction coming from Sheffield. You can see the gantry in this image https://railphotoprints.uk/p975664815/hB2A00CA2#hb2a00ca2.

Two of the posts have home and distant signals, one for the quarry/main line to London and one for straight on to Manchester. I do not understand the purpose of the third post which has only a single distant signal for (I assume) a third route. Why does it not have a home signal and under what circumstances could a train pass it?

Thanks.

 

[4069]

That structure carries Chinley East Junction's down home signals, routing to Chinley South/London and Chinley North/Manchester (cleared). Below and to the left are the splitting distant signals for Chinley North Junction, which give advance warning of which way the train will be routed there, and the distant for Chinley South Junction (on the right hand post as we look at it). The distant that is cleared indicates that the train will be turned on to the slow line at North Junction, and that all North Junction's stop signals are also cleared. Splitting distant signals were once common and could be on their own, as in the attached example at Apperley Junction, or under stop signals. In such cases, as with any other distant below a stop signal, one or other arm can only be cleared when the associated stop arm is cleared, and that is when a train will pass it as shown in your picture.

 

[Rational Man]

That structure carries Chinley East Junction's down home signals, routing to Chinley South/London and Chinley North/Manchester (cleared). Below and to the left are the splitting distant signals for Chinley North Junction, which give advance warning of which way the train will be routed there, and the distant for Chinley South Junction (on the right hand post as we look at it). The distant that is cleared indicates that the train will be turned on to the slow line at North Junction, and that all North Junction's stop signals are also cleared. Splitting distant signals were once common and could be on their own, as in the attached example at Apperley Junction, or under stop signals. In such cases, as with any other distant below a stop signal, one or other arm can only be cleared when the associated stop arm is cleared, and that is when a train will pass it as shown in your picture.
View attachment 76938

Ah, yes, makes sense now. I was aware of splitting distant signals but got confused by the third post. Thanks.