Section 13: Permanent Speed Restriction Signs
(Page 1 of 6)
In the early years, most railways did not bother to provide lineside signs at those places where the maximum permissible speed changed, but relied on the drivers' knowledge of the road. Two railways that did, however, were the Great Western and the North British. Both companies provided worded notice boards at the beginning of the restriction stating the maximum permitted speed [13.1 & 13.2]. Boards were also provided at the terminating point of the speed restriction, where normal line speed may be resumed [13.3 & 13.4].
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[13.1] Speed Restriction Board (GWR).
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[13.2] Speed Restriction Board (NBR).
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[13.3] End of Speed Restriction Board (GWR).
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[13.4] End of Speed Restriction Marker (NBR).
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In 1905, the Great Western Railway decided to remove all its speed restriction boards (see [13.1 & 13.3]) because their details were published in the Working Time Tables and Sectional Appendices. From 1908, however, the GWR provided illuminated speed indicators [13.5] at certain places where it was felt desirable to do so, e.g. where there was no distinctive physical landmark to identify the location of the speed restriction. At diverging junctions, two indicators were provided, with the indicator applicable to the lower speed diverging route being bracketed to the left or right of the main indicator as appropriate and mounted lower down. If there was no speed restriction on the main route, the higher indicator was blank [13.6], otherwise it also showed a speed [13.7].
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[13.5] Speed Restriction Indicator (GWR).
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[13.6] Speed Restriction Indicator applicable only to diverging route (e.g. on right) (GWR).
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[13.7] Speed Restriction Indicators applicable to main route and diverging route (e.g. 40 m.p.h. on straight route and 25 m.p.h. on diverging route to left) (GWR).
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The LNER chose to identify all speed restrictions by means of white 'cut-out' figures [13.8]. Where the restriction applied over a diverging line, a white arrow was placed below the figures [13.9], or two arrows where the same speed applied over divergences on either side [13.10].
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[13.8] Speed Restriction Sign (LNER).
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[13.9] Speed Restriction Sign with Directional Arrow (e.g. applicable to left-hand divergence) (LNER).
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[13.10] Speed Restriction Sign with Directional Arrows applicable to divergences in both directions (LNER).
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When King's Cross (LNER) was resignalled in 1932, the lines on the approach to the station became known by the identifications "A" route to "E" route. Certain speed restriction signs in the area carried a letter in addition to the speed [13.11] to make it clear to which line they referred. The letters were also displayed on signals in the area (see [8.6]).
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[13.11] Speed Restriction Sign (e.g. applies to route "B") (King's Cross, LNER).
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In 1949, the Railway Executive considered the question of whether permanent speed restrictions should be marked at the lineside and recommended:
"that indication signs be provided on the lineside at the commencement of restriction at places (1) where there are no landmarks to identify positions and (2) where there has been experience of persistent excessive speeds."
The above recommendation was considered, but not acted upon, although a few illuminated signs were installed to meet special circumstances. On 23 January 1955, a derailment occurred at Sutton Coldfield, causing the deaths of seventeen people. An express train, which had been diverted from its usual route, derailed at a speed of around 60 m.p.h. on a curve restricted to 30 m.p.h. As a recommendation of the Ministry of Transport's report into the accident, British Rail reconsidered the provision of speed restriction signs and decided to adopt the LNER system (see [13.8 - 13.10]) as standard across the whole network.
In 1963, following what had been an exceptionally cold winter, B.R. took the decision to re-paint all cut-out speed restriction signs yellow to improve their visibility in snow [13.12 - 13.14].
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[13.12] Speed Restriction Sign.
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[13.13] Speed Restriction Sign with Directional Arrow (e.g. applicable to right-hand divergence).
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[13.14] Speed Restriction Sign with Directional Arrows applicable to divergences in both directions.
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The special speed restriction signs at King's Cross [13.15] and the terminating point markers on ex-NBR lines [13.16] were also painted yellow at that time.
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[13.15] Speed Restriction Sign (e.g. applies to route "C") (King's Cross).
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[13.16] End of Speed Restriction Marker.
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A 'blanket' speed restriction applies over all lines [13.17].
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[13.17] Blanket Speed Restriction Sign.
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On parts of the Western Region, a variation in the permissible speed for certain classes of trains could be indicated by a yellow triangle placed below the cut-out figures. The triangle pointed up if the variation was higher [13.18] or down if it was lower [13.19].
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[13.18] Differential Permanent Speed Restriction Sign (Western Region).
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[13.19] Differential Permanent Speed Restriction Sign (Western Region).
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