Where was JayMac today, 30th October 2024?

[whole diary]

[Oxonhutch]

Why are there so many instruments and bells on the shelf?

They are in the main electric lock plungers and repeaters. The bottom row are mainly brass plungers for the electric locks. For mainline passenger running the route ahead of a signal must be proved clear (using track circuits) before the lock will release the lever allowing it to be pulled. There are a lot of track circuits in this layout - check the number of pairs of lamps in the track diagram hanging above.

The layout is also quite large so not every signal and its lamp can be seen from the 'box. The round instrument with the red coloured face-tops are signal arm repeaters telling the signaller if the arm is horizontal (on:stop) or lowered (off:go). The rectangular wooden boxes in the middle are lamp repeaters to show that all the signal lamps are still working.

Two of the three points are motor worked (blue over black levers), and these will have Normal/Reverse indicators on the shelf to show that they have responded correctly. Note that the quadrant plates (on the floor) for these two levers have two notches in the metal that the other levers do not. To move these points the lever is moved to the furthest notch and when the motor has done its job, the indicator will show if the movement has been completed and then the lever can then be moved fully over releasing the locking on the appropriate signals.

The red cabinets left and right facing inwards are the token instruments to prove to the train crew and the signaller that they are the only train authorised to occupy that bit of single line. The bells associated with these instruments are in the top corners of the 'box. Part of the case for the left hand one can just been seen.

[Witham Bobby]

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^▸ (British Rail(ways)), 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"

[Oxonhutch]

This easy to explain and understand concept has been replaced in modernised rule books by some extremely confusing (to me, at least) "Plain English"

The best example I came across was where 'a distant signal' was going to be renamed 'a signal far away'! 

[Mark A]

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"

Thanks for the very helpful description. Embarrassed that I was utterly thrown by it - until thinking of this in terms of the expansion of the universe when for some reason something instantly clicked with me, but it's not good to be thinking 'Yes, the 'In advance of' item is the one that's more red shifted.

Still turning this over in my head... the meaning of 'Advance' as progress, forward movement - to reach the item more distant than whatever is the focus it's necessary to advance further, so the far object is 'In advance of'.... **Breathes again**

Mark

Mark