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Section 3; pages:
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2,
3,
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Section 3: Shunting Signals
(Page 2 of 4)
Some companies applied rings to the arms of signals that applied to or from sidings or goods loops [3.23 - 3.26].
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[3.23] Siding Signal ('on') (GWR).
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[3.24] Siding Signal ('off') (GWR).
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[3.25] Siding Signal ('on') (LB&SCR/SECR).
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[3.26] Siding Signal ('off') (LB&SCR/SECR).
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In 1892, the Board of Trade declared that discs were preferable to semaphore arms for shunting signals.
The recommendation in 1893 that white lights in fixed signals be dispensed with (see Section 2) also affected shunting signals. The LNWR then began to gradually alter their shunting signals to show a green light when 'off' (see [3.2]).
From 1895, the Great Western Railway introduced their first independent shunting signals, in the form of small semaphores [3.27 & 3.28].
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[3.27] Shunting Signal ('on') (GWR).
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[3.28] Shunting Signal ('off') (GWR).
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Some electrical 'banner' signals were installed on the Glasgow & South Western Railway at St. Enoch in 1898, as shunting signals. These comprised a red arm inside a circular frame. When the arm was horizontal [3.29], the signal indicated 'stop', and when inclined through 45° [3.30] (in either direction), the signal indicated 'proceed'. Notably, these signals were illuminated during darkness and so gave the same indications by day or night.
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[3.29] Banner Shunting Signal ('on') (G&SWR).
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[3.30] Banner Shunting Signal ('off') (G&SWR).
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Following its formation in 1899, the South Eastern & Chatham Railway began to replace the discs on its rotating shunting signals with little arms that resembled miniature semaphore signals. One arm was horizontal [3.31] and the other sloped downwards [3.32].
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[3.31] Shunting Signal ('on') (SECR).
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[3.32] Shunting Signal ('off') (SECR).
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Around 1902, the LNWR altered their shunting signals to show a red light when 'on' (see [3.6]), instead of purple.
In 1904, the GWR decided to reduce the confusion being caused by having so many red lights in signals. In the 'on' position, a white light would be displayed instead of red, in shunting signals [3.33] and backing signals [3.34].
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[3.33] Shunting Signal with White Light ('on') (GWR).
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[3.34] 'Backing' Signal with White Light ('on') (GWR).
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Some companies, such as the South Eastern & Chatham Railway, switched to using ground shunting signals in the form of miniature semaphores [3.35 & 3.36]. These had a white stripe on the arm, like a main stop signal.
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[3.35] Miniature Semaphore Shunting Signal ('on').
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[3.36] Miniature Semaphore Shunting Signal ('off').
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In 1914, the railway companies agreed with the BoT that shunting signals reading from sidings onto running lines should show a red light in the 'on' position. The GWR adopted the policy of using a white light only if a signalled move could be made past the signal in the 'on' position.
In order to improve their visibility, the GWR began fitting their shunting signals with white 'disc' backgrounds from c.1914 [3.37 - 3.39].
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[3.37] Disc Shunting Signal with Red Light ('on') (GWR).
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[3.38] Disc Shunting Signal with White Light ('on') (GWR).
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[3.39] Disc Shunting Signal ('off') (GWR).
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From c.1915, the LNWR began installing miniature semaphore signals (see [3.35 & 3.36]) as their standard form of shunting signal.
The resignalling of Victoria (Eastern) (South Eastern & Chatham Railway) in 1920 was the only scheme in Britain in which three-position shunting signals were used. These had a miniature semaphore arm depicted on a white disc. When the arm was horizontal (or a red light shown) [3.40], the meaning was 'stop'. Like their three-position main signal counterparts (see [2.74 & 2.75]), the arm could be worked to 45° or 90° in the upper quadrant, or a yellow or green light shown at night. With the arm at 45° (yellow light at night) [3.41] the meaning was the same as a two-position shunting signal in the 'off' position, i.e. "proceed as far as the line is clear, or to the next signal only". When the arm was vertical (green light at night) [3.42], the driver was given an assurance that the next signal was exhibiting a 'proceed' aspect. The extra confidence this gave to drivers resulted in a speeding up of shunting operations.
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[3.40] Three-position Shunting Signal ('on').
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[3.41] Three-position Shunting Signal ('off').
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[3.42] Three-position Shunting Signal ('off').
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The report of the IRSE's Three-Position Signalling Committee published in 1924 (see also Section 2) had recommended that ground shunting signals show either a white or red light when 'on', and a green light when 'off'. However, it also recommended that better practice would be to utilise illuminated 'position' signals rather than colour lights.
