What about an area for anyone wanting to discuss the black art of Signalling? Don't want to be a professional bore, but you never know, somebody apart from myself might be interested!

Seems like a plan to me

Taffchap wrote:

What about an area for anyone wanting to discuss the black art of Signalling? Don't want to be a professional bore, but you never know, somebody apart from myself might be interested!

Ok, we could arrange something...... Not sure where to put it yet though, but leave it with us.....

(You will probably need to remind me though!)

Seems like a good idea. Signals can be very interesting, especially all the semaphores around here.

Modern signalling is very complicated, so it may be good to get it explained by the professionals on here.

andersley wrote:

Seems like a good idea. Signals can be very interesting, especially all the semaphores around here. Modern signalling is very complicated, so it may be good to get it explained by the professionals on here.

Yes, and this may aid some of us modellers too!

I would guess that an awful lot of model layouts have incorrect signalling!

andersley wrote:

I would guess that an awful lot of model layouts have incorrect signalling!

My layout has NO signalling at the moment!

I just put them where they look best.

From what I can glean from railway modelling (or is it train set operation?) we now have the ability to either manage trains by operating points and signals or driving trains. Both are valid modes of operation, and both interest me. I like the concept of setting routes and seeing which train comes, and being as how I have yet to build a layout, I have feet in both camps, but will have to make a decision some time soon.

Yes - not sure what you are getting at there, Phil. Certainly the driving of trains and the control of their movements by the signalling system are different facets of railway operation, but both fall firmly within 'railway operating' realm. You could also say that these two facets are drawing closer with the introduction and spread of 'cab signalling'. Of course forms of cab signalling have been with us for a very long time - the GWR's ATC since 1906 for example; also the standard form of AWS introduced in 1923, I think, but not used for example on the WCML until after Britain's second worst railway disaster at Harrow & Wealdstone in 1952. Since then we have limited ATP on the Chiltern Lines and the GWR main line as far out as Reading; national installation of TPWS and now ERTMS on the new Continental main line and experimentally on the Cambrian line in Wales. As to having 'a foot in both camps' could you explain further? To a non-modeller it sounds as though you can't decide whether to control the movement of your trains or to route them. I would have thought that you would need to do both, or split roles with a friend. either role done in isolation would be a bit boring - I would have thought!!!

Some people like to drive their model railway locos. Just like any driver, this means obeying speed limits and signals, so the model railway train driver would like to see the signals changing. This can lead to a layout being built where the trains operate the signals.

Other people like to operate signals to make trains go - this means that the trains can be controlled by the signals - ergo no train driver.

The different methods of control are often mutually exclusive, in other words, if you design your electrical system around controlling trains, the control of the signals is secondary, whereas if you control the signals such that trains move, the train control is secondary.

Ah! I see why a non-modeller would not understand that. Thanks for explaining it. I don't think I'll be able to help much on model-related issues like this. I can only advise on where we would normally put signals on the big railway and what type!

Taffchap wrote:

Ah! I see why a non-modeller would not understand that. Thanks for explaining it. I don't think I'll be able to help much on model-related issues like this. I can only advise on where we would normally put signals on the big railway and what type!

Very valuable information either way.

Why not have an "Infrastructure" section?

96701 wrote:

Why not have an "Infrastructure" section?

Why not, indeed! Good idea.