Southern Railway (UK) Early 1940's

[Driver_Col]

I have been searching the Internet for information on the SR's use (Southern Railway NOT Southern Region) of colour light signalling and have drawn a "blank" with regards to their handling of junctions. Presume a standard 2/3/4 aspect would not have been used without some form of direction indicator.

Any assistance or links to sources appreciated.

Thx. Colin.

 

[Wessex_Electric_Nutter]

I have been searching the Internet for information on the SR's use (Southern Railway NOT Southern Region) of colour light signalling and have drawn a "blank" with regards to their handling of junctions. Presume a standard 2/3/4 aspect would not have been used without some form of direction indicator.

From what I got in my book (SR 150, ISBN-0-7153-1376-2, p.99) shows a photo of one and that has a route indicator. However, it has 3 lights rather than 5 and seems to follow the same tradition of indication as the BR examples. However, CLS would of been rare at the time as most companies were still using good old semephores.

EDIT:
http://mikes.railhistory.railfan.net/r093.html It seems like the signals are random, 2 heads for junctions (as per semephore pratice) or route indications....

 

[stovepipe]

From a quick look through my photos, it would seem the earliest places with colour light signalling were Canon Street, Waterloo, Eastleigh. From what I can see, they were mainly 3-aspect signals with route indicators, often with a shunt disc mounted next to the main signal. I don't have any photos showing junction feathers unfortunately.

Charles

 

[Driver_Col]

From what I got in my book (SR 150, ISBN-0-7153-1376-2, p.99) shows a photo of one and that has a route indicator. However, it has 3 lights rather than 5 and seems to follow the same tradition of indication as the BR examples. However, CLS would of been rare at the time as most companies were still using good old semephores.

EDIT:
http://mikes.railhistory.railfan.net/r093.html It seems like the signals are random, 2 heads for junctions (as per semephore pratice) or route indications....

My understanding (open to correction of course), is that in the Pre-BR days, the SR was quite heavily into colour light signalling however it basically reproduced the semaphore in concept. i.e a combi semaphore would be replaced with a red/amber/green; a home/stop would be replaced with a red/amber. The question then arises, did they use "side by side" light signals for junctions as I thought that the feather idea came in early BR days.

If I understand your comments correctly, the SR did in fact have feathers albeit a 3 lamp row (vs feather 5 lamp row) and your edit supports the two head idea.

Hmmmmmm ......... anybody else like to contribute?

Thx. Colin.

 

[Mike10]

Some snippets of information from "A Pictorial record of Southern Signals".

21st March 1926 - Introduced 4-aspect colour light signals between Holborn Viaduct and Elephant and Castle. (A world first as it happens)
June 1926 - Cannon Street and Charing Cross upgraded to colour light signals.
1928 - extended to London Bridge
1932 - Brighton line converted to colour light signals.

Not too much major signalling upgrading took place after that and it was all stopped by the war, and then came BR.

This is probably the most relevant info for your question and is in relation to the Brighton line upgrades;

"Several new features appeared in the Waterloo re-signalling. The colour lights were fitted with small side aspects (known to Railwaymen as 'Pig's Ears') as an aid to drivers of multiple unit trains, to permit the driving compartment to be drawn up close to the signal.. The practice of providing seperate signals for each diverging route at a juntion, (as in the Brighton scheme), was discontinued in favour of three-light position indicators, except for those on platform ends at Waterloo and the immediate approach to the station, where 'theatre' type route indicators were employed."

Having a thumb through the many books I have relating to the Southern Railway I can find plenty of pictures with colour light signals and the 'theatre' indicator boxes prior to 1960, but have found none of junctions with seperate signals, given this would appear to have been restricted to the Brighton line, and possibly only for a short period, that is perhaps not unsurprising.

I did find a couple of pictures of twin-headed colour light signals but I believe that these are platform starters that are sharing a post on a narrow platform.

Hope that helps.

Mike.

 

[Driver_Col]

Many thx Mike (and other contributors): It would appear to me that to create a junction in SR times using TC3 would dictate an upper quadrant semaphore arrangement as, unless I have missed something completely (it often happens!), there is nothing currently on DLS that would otherwise be appropriate.

I can work with that!

Thx again for the SR education.

Regards. Colin.

 

[teddytoot]

Kitchenside & Williams (Two Centuries of Railway Signalling) have a whole chapter (Ch.10) devoted to the SR colour light signalling. The first picture is of a double headed 4 aspect signal at Blackfriars Junction (March 1926) and the caption states that the two heads were to show track divulgence. As stated above the SR route indicator only used three lights.

 

[Driver_Col]

Kitchenside & Williams (Two Centuries of Railway Signalling) have a whole chapter (Ch.10) devoted to the SR colour light signalling. The first picture is of a double headed 4 aspect signal at Blackfriars Junction (March 1926) and the caption states that the two heads were to show track divulgence. As stated above the SR route indicator only used three lights.

Interesting (and I can remember having a 2-headed signal (2 aspect heads side by side) on my Tri-ang railways of many years ago but, (and correct me if I am wrong), I don't believe there are any multiple head colour light signals on DLS at this time.

Thx for the info.

Regards. Colin.

 

[chrisaw]

"a pictorial record of southern signals" has a picture of the signal at blackfriars junction on page 21.
it's described as a four aspect junction signal (one signal each side of the post), with the colours (from the top) green, yellow, red, yellow. Lower down the post is a two aspect colour light shunt signal.

Chris.