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Signal lever colours

You are here: Home > Forum > Miscellaneous > The real thing (signalling) > Signal lever colours

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Signal lever colours 13/02/2011 at 10:43 #2420
Haraubrad
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103 posts
Hi There,
Can anyone tell me what a black band on a red lever signifies, I retired 9 years ago and I cannot remember ever coming across this.
Aubrey

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Signal lever colours 13/02/2011 at 10:43 #13623
Haraubrad
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103 posts
Hi There,
Can anyone tell me what a black band on a red lever signifies, I retired 9 years ago and I cannot remember ever coming across this.
Aubrey

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Signal lever colours 13/02/2011 at 12:40 #13624
Simdmuk
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155 posts
A black band on a red lever was usually for goods lines,half red half black, normally for relief lines,so as to differentiate from passenger lines.Red with a white band was normally for starter signals.
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Signal lever colours 13/02/2011 at 13:09 #13625
outofsection
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149 posts
Just to add to that: the white band on a starter signal, IIRC, indicated to the bobby that he had to get Line Clear on his block instrument from the box in advance in order to pull it off (standard practice on A.B. anyway).
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Signal lever colours 13/02/2011 at 15:34 #13626
Late Turn
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697 posts
The white band indicates that it is electrically released by another 'box, or similar wording. Thus a 'free' (from line clear release) starter (such as the Down Goods Starter at Barnetby East) wouldn't have a white band; on the other hand, I've come across a couple of locations where the home signal is released by either line clear from box in advance or berth track occupied (to ensure that any train is brought under control at the home if the starter can't be cleared, as required by the signalling regs) - in at least one case, the home signal lever also carries a white band..
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Signal lever colours 13/02/2011 at 16:24 #13628
Zoe
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252 posts
outofsection said:
Just to add to that: the white band on a starter signal, IIRC, indicated to the bobby that he had to get Line Clear on his block instrument from the box in advance in order to pull it off (standard practice on A.B. anyway).

It wouldn't always be a starting signal, it could also be a home signal.

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Signal lever colours 13/02/2011 at 17:19 #13630
Danny252
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1461 posts
Zoe said:
outofsection said:
Just to add to that: the white band on a starter signal, IIRC, indicated to the bobby that he had to get Line Clear on his block instrument from the box in advance in order to pull it off (standard practice on A.B. anyway).

It wouldn't always be a starting signal, it could also be a home signal.
The joys of the term "Section Signal"!

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Signal lever colours 13/02/2011 at 23:59 #13646
Simdmuk
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155 posts
Danny252 said:
Zoe said:
outofsection said:
Just to add to that: the white band on a starter signal, IIRC, indicated to the bobby that he had to get Line Clear on his block instrument from the box in advance in order to pull it off (standard practice on A.B. anyway).

It wouldn't always be a starting signal, it could also be a home signal.
The joys of the term "Section Signal"!
I was being simplistic but yes to the previous relies.

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Signal lever colours 04/03/2011 at 17:14 #13872
nnr
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170 posts
The best i've got at the moment is that it might be a "permissive" section signal, but my team of experts (!) are still looking in to it.............

N.

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Signal lever colours 04/03/2011 at 19:11 #13873
kbarber
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1738 posts
nnr said:
The best i've got at the moment is that it might be a "permissive" section signal, but my team of experts (!) are still looking in to it.............

N.

I imagine this is going back to the original black band question?

It would make sense as goods lines were often assumed to be permissive & signalled accordingly unless there was a reason not to (a tunnel, or sections so short that permissive working offered no advantage were two I came across, in fact at the same box). But I think the black band is non-standard (perhaps a (G)WR thing?)

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Signal lever colours 05/03/2011 at 11:27 #13874
AndyG
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1842 posts
Any possibility that red+black band indicates a (shunt?) signal lever that also co-works a point, eg trap point or similar?
I can only help one person a day. Today's not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look too good either.
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Signal lever colours 05/03/2011 at 15:06 #13875
NCC1701
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129 posts
Found this on the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway, a "switch lever" (for switching out the box), red with three black bands. This is at Toddington.
[img width=100px height=100px]http://www.broadwaysignalbox.org.uk/photos/toddingtonsbim/DSCF1388.JPG[/img]

Toddington Signal Box
More from Toddington

Signalman Exeter West & Llangollen
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Signal lever colours 06/03/2011 at 13:56 #13883
Danny252
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1461 posts
The same is at Hampton Loade on the SVR, and I believe it's standard. Oddly, the one at Arley is blue/brown (usually some sort of release for ground frames, etc.). Maybe to do with the fact that the siding at Arley can be used with the box switched out.
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Signal lever colours 06/03/2011 at 17:34 #13885
Neil
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23 posts
Some info here:

http://www.signalbox.org/frames/nercolours.htm
http://modratec.com/mud_lev01.php

Regards,

Neil

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Signal lever colours 07/03/2011 at 10:00 #13901
pilotman
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189 posts
Seems there is some variation in "switching out" levers. On the Southern this is known as a "King lever", brown and white stripes
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Signal lever colours 07/03/2011 at 13:45 #13911
NCC1701
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129 posts
Arley's switch lever is interesting. I wonder if it is blue / brown because lever 27, also blue / brown, allows three levers controlling points and shunting discs to be operated when the box is switched out.

[img width=100px height=100px]http://tillyweb.biz/gallery/bb/bewdleynthfrm2.jpg[/img]
Bewdley North, as seen in this picture, has main signals for the Back Road painted red & black and shunt signals painted red with black bands, presumably of the type the OP was asking about.

SVR signal boxes

Signalman Exeter West & Llangollen
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Signal lever colours 07/03/2011 at 16:59 #13916
pilotman
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189 posts
I found a picture (acknowledge Lee Stephens)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/leestephens/5147826107/in/photostream/

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Signal lever colours 08/03/2011 at 14:28 #13936
nnr
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170 posts
Team of experts now down to one, a certain Adrian Vaughan..............i'm sure he'll be able to find out.

N.

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Signal lever colours 15/03/2011 at 12:39 #14059
nnr
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170 posts
Ok all,

From the mouth of AV and the archivist at the SRS...................

"Black bands, or more usually, half black/ half red levers are used to denote Relief lines"

Now we've all learned something!!

Neil

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