The signallar explained to me that many of the semaphores are motor operated now, after the signalling was upgraded. Same for the points. The furthest mechanical 'pull' from that box is 667yds to signal 20. Can't quite read the lever in my photo. I think 20 is the Down Main Distant Starting signal.
Yes. The layout was made much more flexible by adding "outer" home signals further out than the ones inherited from
BR▸ , which were close to the junction points at each end of the loop (The Western never used the description "outer home". The first stop signal is always simply the "home"). These new home signals, combined with advanced starting signals out on the single line allow shunting operations at Williton to go out onto the single line without a token being drawn and with a train coming towards Williton. There's a clearing distance between the last starting signal out on the single line and the first home signal in the opposite direction (I hope that's clear enough. easier to explain with a diagram or, better still, on site)
I think 20 is the Down Outer Advanced Starting signal. There are no working Distant signals at Williton now. If thee was, it's lever would be coloured yellow
The Western named stop signals that were in rear of the signalbox as home signals, and those in advance of the box as starting signals. Hence home, inner home etc and starting, advanced starting, outer advanced starting etc.
"In rear of" means on the approach to something, such as a signal, a platform, a junction. "In advance of" means something beyond a specific place or object. As in, if you're travelling down the Minehead Branch, the level crossing at Blue Anchor is in advance of the Down Platform, whereas. if you were travelling up the branch, you get to the level crossing first, so it's in rear of the Up Platform. This easy to explain and understand concept has been replaced in modernised rule books by some extremely confusing (to me, at least) "Plain English"
