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| Any idea what this is? 13/06/2015 at 12:35 #73260 | |
Peter Bennet
5402 posts |
Found this in the attic and think it came from my wife's father who was in the S&T dept at Hitchin. It looks as though it's probably part of the signalling system but what I'm not sure. Peter Post has attachments. Log in to view them. I identify as half man half biscuit - crumbs! Log in to reply |
| Any idea what this is? 13/06/2015 at 12:40 #73261 | |
AndyG
1842 posts 
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Looks like a typical signal repeater, but not sure what the 'GK' would be, assuming 55 is the signal number.
I can only help one person a day. Today's not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look too good either. Log in to reply |
| Any idea what this is? 13/06/2015 at 12:41 #73262 | |
headshot119
4869 posts |
It's a semaphore signal repeater, usually found on the block shelfs in mechanical signs, boxes. It'll show on if the arm is detected at danger. Off if the arm is detected off, Or wrong otherwise. "Passengers for New Lane, should be seated in the rear coach of the train " - Opinions are my own and not those of my employer Log in to reply |
| Any idea what this is? 13/06/2015 at 12:50 #73263 | |
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AndyG
1842 posts
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Some pics from Danny Scroggins's web site, Yeovil Pen Mill has some good examples: http://photos.signallingnotices.org.uk/photo.php?pc=360&p=IMG_1151.JPG I can only help one person a day. Today's not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look too good either. Log in to reply |
| Any idea what this is? 13/06/2015 at 13:15 #73264 | |
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Peter Bennet
5402 posts |
Thanks for that, can't work out where GK could have been (I guess it's not a box reference), as I say he was based in Hitchin till he left the Railways in around 1975 but he looked after the lines all the way from Peterborough Up to Hatfield including some now closed lines in the area. Teresa's now looking up railway auctions and exclaiming at some of the prices things seem to get! There's a load more stuff in our attic and in her mother's. I'll photograph anything else that looks interesting and post. Peter I identify as half man half biscuit - crumbs! Last edited: 13/06/2015 at 13:17 by Peter Bennet Log in to reply |
| Any idea what this is? 13/06/2015 at 16:44 #73290 | |
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Danny252
1461 posts |
GK strikes me as being an interlocking circuit identifier, and looking at http://valleysignals.org.nz/petone/apparatusnames.html (which I'm told accurately reflects UK practice), 55GK quite appropriately translates to "Signal Indicator for 55"
Last edited: 13/06/2015 at 16:46 by Danny252 Log in to reply |
| Any idea what this is? 13/06/2015 at 16:52 #73291 | |
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AndyG
1842 posts
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Danny, that would make perfect sense to me, G being a signal circuit (eg GR is the signal off relay), and K being a locking/indication circuit.
I can only help one person a day. Today's not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look too good either. Log in to reply |
| Any idea what this is? 13/06/2015 at 16:55 #73292 | |
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eddy
45 posts |
The GK is the signalling mnemonic used in signalling G = Signal. K= Indicator this would be used to indicate to the signaller the position of a signal arm Eddy Log in to reply |
| Any idea what this is? 13/06/2015 at 23:50 #73312 | |
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Stephen Fulcher
2084 posts |
GK is indeed S&T terminology for the item of equipment. What is slightly more unusual here though is that the top bit is normally coloured either red or yellow depending on the type of signal it repeats. Log in to reply |
| Any idea what this is? 14/06/2015 at 13:51 #73328 | |
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kbarber
1743 posts |
" said:GK is indeed S&T terminology for the item of equipment. Also unusual in that the 'GK' is shown; in my experience repeaters on the block shelf for the signalman simply had the signal number. So I wonder if this was under the box somewhere, provided for the lineman's benefit? Peter: what was your wife's unmarried name? (PM probably best way to respond.) Her father was certainly active in that part of the world when my father was a signalman down there, so they will almost certainly have come across each other. Sam Barber is the name if there are any stories, he was a senior relief signalman and covered a not-dissimilar area. Log in to reply |
| Any idea what this is? 14/06/2015 at 17:40 #73347 | |
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Danny252
1461 posts |
" said:Also unusual in that the 'GK' is shown; in my experience repeaters on the block shelf for the signalman simply had the signal number. So I wonder if this was under the box somewhere, provided for the lineman's benefitYes, that seems very odd to me as well - especially as the signalman doesn't really need the "GK" to identify that it's a signal repeater, nor is he likely to be able to "translate" it anyway. Log in to reply |
| Any idea what this is? 14/06/2015 at 20:11 #73359 | |
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Forest Pines
525 posts |
" said:GK is indeed S&T terminology for the item of equipment.It's always hard to judge colour from digital photos, but I did think it could possibly be an extremely faded red. Log in to reply |
| Any idea what this is? 14/06/2015 at 22:33 #73368 | |
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TomOF
452 posts |
I'm wondering if it's possible that the backplane is in fact supplied as uncoloured and would be painted to the correct colour when required?
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| Any idea what this is? 15/06/2015 at 09:30 #73392 | |
Izzy
44 posts |
To my mind GK could either be "signal Indicator" as Steven says, or it may have been used as a slot repeater (hence no colour) and GK might be an abbreviation of the signal box next door who shares the slot. Looking at it again, I doubt the slot idea. 55 GK suggests "55 Signal Indication/Indicator". Although it isn't common for the S&T "Signalling Alphabet" to show up like this, is is certainly not unheard of - and the indicator would have been shown as this in the drawings, so they may have just copied the equipment name from these, especially if this was an item used to replace an original that had gone defective. This would also explain why there is no colour representing the signal - these indicators can be used to repeat all sorts of things - slots, lamps (in/out), signals, even track circuits in the really old days, amongst other things. If this was all they had in the stores when it was needed, (bearing in mind there are never many items like this in a signalling store (well, not the places i have worked anyway)) then this is what would have been used to get the signalman his indication back. Another look at the phot - and i'd suggest that the top of the backplate was painted red at some distant point in the past, just extremely faded now. Last edited: 15/06/2015 at 09:44 by Izzy Log in to reply |
| Any idea what this is? 16/06/2015 at 08:21 #73431 | |
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kbarber
1743 posts |
Actually an even closer look suggests the 'backplate' might be a hastily applied paper label complete with grease stains...
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