Really really interesting. I’d love to spend a day in a “proper signal box” with levers and bells to learn about it. I bet some people would think it’s the single most boring thing in the universe but I find it really really interesting. Thanks for sharing it with us!!
Chris, so glad you enjoyed the video. Do take a look at our website to check when we will be able to open again. www.sigbox.co.uk/sigbox/home.eb To learn about the lever frame do consider becoming a member and if convenient, coming along to our members' evenings where you can get hands on training on the lever frame and instruments.
I loved working signal boxes. It wasn’t boring at all. Some boxes were extremely busy and you barely had time to nip to the loo. In the quieter boxes you had a lot of time to study etc and nobody would bother you except the station master when he popped up for a cup of tea!
The Birmingham New Street signal box is being decommissioned soon and I'd love to see it being turned into a demonstrator museum like this. Good stuff! 👍
thank you...as a railroaded from the u.s. the terminology varies ...on the functions...but the functions are still the same! easy to understand...thanks!
God I remember the checkered cloth on the levers , brings back fond memories, I worked as a Signalman from 1968 to 1995 , in this type of boxes including power boxs , but preferred the manual boxs , notice the detonator placers with the black and white chevrons. Nice video well explained , everything was worked in a sequential formate with interlocking .
really intresting video your efforts at this age is appreciate sirr in your voice so positiveness and how polietly you explained its great sirr thank you for making this video
Absolutely fantastic. I’ve seen similar demonstration at Crewe Heritage Centre but there were quite a few people there so it was difficult to get the whole idea properly. I’m a commercial manager on the railway and always interested to learn about all the different technologies we have.
Currently in IST on an AB course. Though it's the same as our simulators, it's so cool to see an actual AB box. Cannot wait to pass out and do this myself!
3-1 still remember the bell codes class 2 passenger , 2 train entering section , 2-1 T O S , bell code 4 was a class one , which was different types of trains but carried the same head code and class 1 status, classes started from cl 1 to cls 9. Great stuff .
Reminds me of Coal Stage signal box at Lithgow NSW (still using levers & bell codes etc), also still in operation, only just, as technology advances. I picked your video up thinking it was St Albans near Melbourne VIC in Australia, silly me! Amazed to see yellow levers controlling lower quadrant signals and black/white lever for "detonators", presuming the signaller has previously left the box to the lay them? I presume white is "spare" lever? Lovely video, and well presented, brings back some memories!
Thanks for your kind comments here. On the detonators, I think they were prepositioned so that the lever just swung them onto the rail when required. I'll check as I am not sure what the protocol was for storage, checking and installation.
Yes, white is spares (often caused by the removal of a signal, point or other feature). If the decision has been made that fog operations are yo be put in place due to deteriorating visibility (which could be due to falling snow and not just fog). If bad enough fogsignalmen would be appointed to go and stand by the signals affected. Each would be equipped with a supply of detonators, a lamp and flags. If the signal is at danger the fogsignalman places 1 or 2 detonators on the same rail in advance of the signal depending in what the rule book says for that signal/line and to show either a red or yellow lamp and flag to the approaching trains. If the signal 8s cleared the detonators must be removed and a green lamp and flag show. At no time must the fogsignalman leave his post even if he runs out of detonators without leaving the signal 0rotected with detonators and a red oy yellow lamp showing. If the signal the fogsignalman show both a stop and caution aspect then he must show a red lamp when the signal shows stop (plus the detonator(s)), a yellow lamp when the stop arm is cleared but the caution arm is still down (no detonator(s)) and a green when both arms are cleared. The druverv4unning over detonators must stop immediately to investigate the reason for the detonators being in place.
Thoroughly enjoyed this demo, in practice though 2-1 wouldn't be sent until the tail light had been seen on the train where there are sections without track circuiting. And of course not forgetting the entries in the train register!
Some of us, and so long as the sprout is well drained, warm and adequately buttered, are not quite sure a sprout can necessarily be overcooked. All this al dente vegetable craze maybe good for teething infants but is not necessarily suited to the leathery gums and pungent taste preferences of life's later years.. 🙂
Yes - we are just west of the line as you leave St Albans heading south for London. We have a pin on Google Maps for St Albans Signal Box Preservation Trust - the charity that looks after the box. Thanks for watching
Information we have is that the 'Catch Handle' is the small handle that releases the catch holding the lever firmly at each end of its travel. An important difference to other lever frames is that the catch handle also works the interlocking rather than the main lever. Trust this helps and do let is know if you discover other terms out there.
@@sigbox Ooh, thank you, that does help. I've been trying to figure out how to succinctly identify these in print, maybe 'catch-handle lever' will work.
I watched Thomas & Friends and wondered what the signalmen were doing, and I had no idea about the interlocking until I watched this. If only you had token machines that were not using metal plates (not sure about carrying a lump of metal all day), then you could demonstrate those as well.
White levers are spares - that is, unused in the current configuration of the lever frame, points and signals. However, in our restored signal box , we use lever 32 (painted white and originally unused) to operate a signal in our garden.
@@sigbox Thank you for the answer, but I meant the white band painted on some red levers (not on all red levers). Thanks again for your availability and collaboration
Luigi - apologies, I missed the intent of your question earlier, The four signal levers with a white band on are 'Section' or 'Starter' signals. When cleared they allow a train to go towards the next station or signal box. Before any of those signals can be cleared the 'Absolute Block System' requires the signaller at St Albans to get permission from the signaller at the next box using the block instruments. Once that signaller has given their permission, the signal is electrically unlocked so the St Albans signaller can then clear the signal. And thanks to John Webb for the details on the answer here, trust this clears it up.
Module TS3 Regulation 3.4.1 states the the line or at a facing junction, the line for which the facing points are set is clear up to and including the clearing point and all points within the clearing points are set for the safety of the approching train. Where is the clearing point in this demonstration out of interest please?
The video is a demonstration of the lever frame and instruments designed for the general public. The precise clearing point (the point to which the line must be clear, in order to accept a train) would, it could be argued, depend on the rolling stock, motive power and track condition. That is, it could perhaps have changed with time and technology. For the purpose of the simulation I think it is safe to assume that Signal 2 would be used as the clearing point. (8.09 minutes in is where the signal numbers are given) Trust this helps. If there is more detail, it will be posted here.
Thanks Shane, The UK is very different to US that for sure. We have also done a demo for single line working you might be interested in.. ua-cam.com/video/5qWIQBGv3Rs/v-deo.html
Really interesting to see how it works/worked in my home country, it's strange though that there's no "route locking" as such, as there is here in Germany, over here (in our mechanical signal boxes that is) the entire route (entry or exit) stays locked until the train has passed completely through, either to the platform or out onto the open line. Until this happens one can't actually move any points or derailers, and it's all locked by a green lever. Maybe it's due to the different models of signal box. On one hand it's safer that it stays locked, so that the points can't move under a moving train, however it does mean everything takes a little longer, especially when having trains cross in the station, as one train has to reach the platform before you can even start thinking about setting the route for the one from the opposite direction.
Alex - most interesting - thank you. I always tend to think that the main difference between UK and continental railways is that in the UK the routes arose from naked commercial interest and competition. This led to duplication of routes and the timetabling of express, suburban and freight services all in competition with each other, all on the same lines. On the continent, because distances are so much greater, speeds and procedures had to be much more standardised. Yes, local interests may have suffered, but the system was much more efficient on a continental scale. Trains ran at consistent speeds and rail workers could expect to operate to consistent rules. The same applies in North America I think.. Indeed, perhaps a US military trope puts it best - "In the UK you equip your soldiers, but in NATO we man the equipment." Perhaps it is the same with railways although today, we rightly refer to people not just men.
Mechanical interlocking between the levers will lock the route. When signals are cleared for a specific route, they will lock the levers that control the points through that route, preventing them from being moved. In more modern boxes in the UK, that interlocking is done electronically.
Oh yes - many heritage railways do and also Network Rail still has mechanical signal boxes too. This link may have too much detail, but has loads of info: www.railwaycodes.org.uk/signal/signal_boxes0.shtm
Very good information but it did not show how hard it is to pull a mile of cable connected to the lever to lift the signal,, My father was a signalman Browney county durham, and I had a go impossible he just threw it into position OMG
Yes indeed - a mile of cable on a winter's morning - that some pull needed! By the time the Box closed in 1979 though, the mechanical distant signals had been replaced with colour light signals. By way of reminding the signaller that the lever did not need to be pulled so hard, the handle at the top of was shortened by half. You can see this on the No1 lever on the frame in this demonstration.
I wanted to know why don’t dig a tunnel and do an extension for the main line Train so they extend the new abandoned underground stations. Why couldn’t they use the part D78 Stock train doors on the sides and also restructure the front face of the A60 and A62 stock that includes the class 313, class 314 and class 315 remix and make them all together and also redesign them an overhead line and also make them into six cars per units and also having three Accessible Toilets on that six cars per units A60 and A62 stock trains and also convert the A60 and A62 stock trains into a Scania N112, Volvo TD102KF, Volvo B10M, Gardner 6LXC, Gardner 6LXB and Gardner 8LXB Diesel Engines and also put the Loud 7-Speed Voith Gearboxes even Loud 8-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Gearboxes in the A60 and A62 stock, class 313, class 314, and class 315 and also modernise the A60 and A62 stock and make it into an 11 car per unit so it could have fewer doors, more tables, computers and mobile phone chargers? A Stock Train and also having 8 DisaAccessiblelets on those A stock trains. why couldn’t we refurbish and modernise the waterloo and city line Triple-Track train tunnel and make it bigger and extend it to bank station, making it into a Triple-Track Railway Line so those 4 European countries such as Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden to convert the waterloo and city line Triple-Track Train tunnel into a High-Speed train? The Third Euro tunnel Triple-Track Train line to make it 11 times better for passengers so they could go from A to B. then put the modernised 11 car per unit A Stock and put them on a bigger modernised waterloo and city line Triple-Track train tunnel so it could go to bank station to those 4 European countries such as Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden. The modernised refurbished 11 cars per unit A stock could be a High Speed The Third Triple-Track Euro Tunnel Train So it is promising and 37 times a lot more possible to do this kind of project that is OK for London Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden. Oh by the way, could they also tunnel the Triple-Track Railway Line so it will stop from Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex so that the Passengers will go to Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden and also extend the Triple-Track Railway Line from Bank to Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex Stations so that more people from there could go to Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden Easily. Why couldn't they extend the Piccadilly line and also build a brand-new underground train station so it could go even further right up to Clapton, Wood Street and also make another brand new tunnel train station in Chingford and could they extend the DLR? All of the classes 150, 155, 154, 117, 114, 105, and 106, will be replaced by all of the Scania N112, Volvo TD102KF, Volvo B10M, Gardner 6LXB, Gardner 6LXC and Gardner 8LXB Diesel Six carriages three accessible toilets are air conditioning trains including Highams Park for extended roots which is the Piccadilly line and the DLR trains. Could you also convert all of the 1973 stock trains into an air-conditioned maximum speed 78 km/hours (48 MPH) re-refurbished and make it into a 8 cars per unit if that will be alright, and also extend all of the Piccadilly train stations to create more space for all of the extended 8 car per unit 1973 stock air condition trains and can you also build another Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive Companies and they can order Every 17 Octagon and Hexagon shape LNER diagram unique minor no.13 and unique small no.11 Boilers from those Countries such as Greece, Italy, Poland, and Sweden, can they make Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive speeds by up to 117MPH so you can try and test it on the Original Mainline so it will be much more safer for the Passengers to enjoy the 117MPH speed Limit only for HS2 and Channel Tunnel mainline services, if they needed 16 Carriages Per units can they use those class 55’s, class 44’s, class 40’s and class 43HST Diesel Locomotive’s right at the Back of those 16 Carriages Per Units so they can take over at the Back to let those Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive’s have a rest for those fascinating Journeys Please!!!!!! oh, can you make all of those Coal Boxes’ 16 Tonnes for all of the 117MPH Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive’s so the Companies will Understand us, passengers!! so please make sure that the Builders can do as they are Told!! And please do something about these very important Professional ideas Please Prime Minister of England, Prime Minister of Sweden, Prime Minister of Germany, Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister of Poland and that Includes the Mayor of London.
Artificial intelligence with syntax dependant phrasing and noun selection could engender meaningful discourse if verb relevance were truly based only on heuristics. But is it? Only time and a larger training set will inform. Still, worth watching.
This is the longest we have, we are sorry to say. We can do more complex demonstrations and simulations, but we do these on member days and we haven't yet had time enough to make videos of them. Perhaps in time, yes, but it is a lot of volunteer effort. Thank you for your enquiry ad encouragement.
Interesting. But this is obviously a saved disconnected signal box. He controlled none of the trains racing by lol. I'd love to see this done and participate even on a preserved line with a SB in the middle of a line controlling 2 trains in either direction or multiple ones at the end of the line. Say a passenger train leaving, some shunting with a goods train and then the other passenger train returning. That would seem line fun. Maybe they should make a lever frame absolute block signal box as a rail simulator instead of just trains you drive. Could be challenging and fun. How about a demonstration of all those lines being busy and trains crossing over etc etc🙂
Hi SteamGent. Many thanks for your comments on the videos. Glad to hear you enjoyed them. Hopefully we will be able to open again this year (check our website www.sigbox.co.uk for information) and you can come and see more. If you are interested in learning and operating the lever frame, do consider becoming a member (sign-up on web site) as we will be able to resume member's operating sessions once social distancing is no longer needed. For now though, here's to happier times and thanks again.
Steam Gent, If you are in the UK, the only places with signal boxes on double track are at Bewdley on the Severn Valley Railway, and almost all of the Great Central Railway in Leicestershire. For really intensive operation with a train every couple of minutes you have to go for a miniature or model railway. The Great Cockrow Railway (7.25" gauge passenger carrying) has trains running controlled by three signal boxes. On their website there are simulations that you can download of each 'box so that you can get a quite reasonable idea of what the job is like. www.cockcrow.co.uk/page22.html
@@BrianLeicester only you missed Severn Bridge Junction with is multiple mainlines and currently the worlds largest remaining signalbox and belongs to network rail. That said its funny you mentioned the Great Cockrow simulators as I just discovered them last night and I'm planning to give them a go. Thanks for the information just the same. Signaling has become a more recent hobby of mine as a Steam Railway Enthusiast. In my younger days 1980s -1990s, I paid it little mind and had absolutely zero interest. It was the discovery of a old film of Teddy Bostons model railway and his explanation along with Mike Arlet of S&D fame on another film discussing signaling that struck my interest into steam era signaling. Its now become a passion of mine along with the locomotives learning it and its different types with regards to pregrouping LMS lines and GWR and GER lines. Many Thanks, SteamGent
@@steamgent4592 I only mentioned the preserved lines as that is what you asked about. All the others have single line working. I do know that there are many areas of NwR with signal boxes, the line from Syston to Peterborough is mechanically signalled with Absolute Block working on double track mainline, often working to capacity. It does include at Ketton the last Midland Railway Lower Quad signal in work on NwR. My wife and I do have a simple 00 layout that we take to exhibitions and the like which is just straight double track with a trailing cross-over but it is fully signalled with a 9 lever frame, which has mechanical and electrical interlocking to prove the position of the points and that there is a Line Clear from th e box ahead. It has full size block instruments which supposedly work to the boxes each side but actually are controlled by a second operator at the side of the layout. We'll signal a train through, then get somone out of the crowd to try to do it themselves. It is quite frightening how many enthusiasts have no idea about how railways work. I worked the Olton Priors layout of Ted's at Cadeby from the age of 8, and I am part of the team that still operates and maintains it at a different location. I am the person in charge of making sure that things are run acording to the correct Rules and Regulations for GWR in August 1935 - they changed in that September. When Covid is under control, we will be able to run it again and we do welcome the occasional visitor. It is certainly a good place to learn block working. Are you within striking distance of Nuneaton in Central England?
@@BrianLeicester sadly I'm not. I heard Teddys OO layout was preserved by a group that knew him. I'm glad it was. It looked to be in my opinion a very special railway keeping to timetables and using what was standard signal box communication between operators. Not many guys do that and the only other I've read about who ran his railway similarly was John Allen of California on his Gorre & Dephetid. Give that a look up on Google it was very impressive. A US Western scenery railway made back in the 1960-70s. I would've gotten on well with Teddy Boston but he was a bit before my time and entry into the hobby and will say you were very lucky to have known him.
Thanks for the question. Hopefully this helps explain: The box has the levers and interlocks and hence is set-up as it was when it closed in 1979. At that time, the adjacent blocks were at Harpenden and Napsbury. North Box had closed in December 1970, by which time it was already operating the IBS (Intermediate Block Signals) that had replaced Sandridge box which itself had closed in January 1962 when the IBS were installed and the up slow to up fast crossover was taken out. Sandridge siding remained in use (or at least operational) until April 1967.
@@sigbox Thanks very much indeed for this information. Very interesting. I'm on the hunt for any photos / images of the old Sandridge Box, which (I presume) was situated between Sandridgebury Lane (rail over road) Bridge and Cheapside Farm (road over rail) bridge on the Down Fast side. No luck with that so far though. Cheers.
On your search for images of Sandridge box, its possible that our members may have some as many live locally and have many photographs of the Midland Railway history. Do contact us directly via the form on our web site at www.sigbox.co.uk/sigbox/contact.eb so we can let our members know of your interest. Many thanks.
@@sigbox Excellent video, thank you. I dimly recall that at Napsbury SB, in addition to standard box-to-box phone circuits, there was a 'special' direct line to the mental hospital up the road for the signalmen to alert authorities when they saw anyone hanging around the railway....
Yes - funny thing colour coding - I recall the introduction of green/yellow (earth), brown (live), blue (neutral) for single phase domestic wiring in UK. It had been green (earth), red (live), black (neutral). Of course, in english, earth (as in soil, mud etc) is usually brown. Maybe the idea was to make fitting a plug a task for an expert and dangerous for the uninitiated.
Thank you for your question. Each of the four lines is separately controlled . Track circuits detected the presence of trains, and the signallers used the block instruments to communicate with each other to allow the train movements. The track circuits, the instruments and the levers themselves were all interlocked to prevent any train being signalled into an occupied block. Tablets were only used for single line working - we have a video on our channel @SIGBOX on how Tyer No 6 instruments were used to do this. I hope this helps but do please ask again if anything needs a better explanation. Have a good day and best wishes to Beijing
@@sigbox Thanks a lot, so each signal box connects with each other to reach the semi-automatic blocking between each signal boxes via track circuit which tests the location of trains. CR's semi-automatic blocking is between each station or junction. I really know little about these ancient rail blocking facilities and systems since CR (Concluding KCR/MTR, Hong Kong) had replaced most of which with electrical/computerized facilities and systems after 1975.
@@金豆理事 yes - in the 1970's with semiconductors, we could make very complex logic circuits and computers quite easily. These systems were very much cheaper and easier to maintain and modify. Electric colour lights were also much more reliable and easily operated over long distances. I was born in 1950, so can remember when the railways were all steam engines and mechanical signalling. I have been lucky to work with electronic technology as it has advanced - today it is remarkable how much design, production, distribution, use and maintenance is done with software running on electronic systems. Burning coal and making everything from steel could not have made the modern world..
The box was retired from railway service in 1980. It became derelict and was restored between 2002 and 2008 by a charitable trust who continue to maintain and operate the box. The demonstration uses a Raspberry Pi computer to simulate signal boxes to the North at Harpenden and to the south at Napsbury. The computer is programmed to simulate train movements on all lines in both directions. The lever frame and instruments are then operated to allow trains to pass through in accordance with real signalling procedures.
hey, guess what, you left hong kong a signal box, that is not a box! it was built in a station and no one was allow to restore it :l anyways, nice to see the demonstration.
Dave - thanks for the question - I'm not a signaller, but I am pretty sure that we are always just have one train per block. I think the big difference between UK and continental railroads is that in UK all the blocks are small - few miles maximum, whereas on continental railroads there can be huge distances between signal boxes..
There are special circumstances when two trains can be signalled in to the same block - one train coming to the assistance of a broken down train, or when two trains need to be coupled together to make a bigger train for example - but the general rule is that only one train can be in a section.
The levers connect to a computer interface that reads the state of the levers (on or off). The computer also has inputs from the tappers and line instruments. It has outputs to the bells, the lights on the track diagram and indicators on the instrument shelf. The levers are interlocked by the original Victorian mechanism of rods and slotted bars. The computer simulates the signal boxes that controlled the adjacent blocks on the 4 track Midland mainline at Napsbury and Harpenden and is programmed to offer and accept trains from our signal box. One lever is connected to heritage signal in the garden around the box, but you are correct that here are no connections to any part of the railway that passes the box (the Midland mainline). Trust this helps explain and thanks for watchng.
there is a child somewhere...that will see this video and will never be the same...many years ago...I was that child...thank you!
Not a child anymore, but I am enjoying the journey of getting hooked on a topic I had as a child never imagined to enjoy.
Extraordinary engineering devised by Victorian engineers. They all deserve medals!
Really really interesting. I’d love to spend a day in a “proper signal box” with levers and bells to learn about it. I bet some people would think it’s the single most boring thing in the universe but I find it really really interesting. Thanks for sharing it with us!!
Chris, so glad you enjoyed the video. Do take a look at our website to check when we will be able to open again. www.sigbox.co.uk/sigbox/home.eb
To learn about the lever frame do consider becoming a member and if convenient, coming along to our members' evenings where you can get hands on training on the lever frame and instruments.
I loved working signal boxes. It wasn’t boring at all. Some boxes were extremely busy and you barely had time to nip to the loo. In the quieter boxes you had a lot of time to study etc and nobody would bother you except the station master when he popped up for a cup of tea!
The Birmingham New Street signal box is being decommissioned soon and I'd love to see it being turned into a demonstrator museum like this. Good stuff! 👍
Excellent! I've passed the box umpteen times on the way into and out of St Pancras, and it's great to know it's a "working" preserved box.
Many thanks - also we are open again after a long Covid lock-down - see our web site at www.sigbox.co.uk for dates and times - free entry to all.
thank you...as a railroaded from the u.s. the terminology varies ...on the functions...but the functions are still the same! easy to understand...thanks!
God I remember the checkered cloth on the levers , brings back fond memories, I worked as a Signalman from 1968 to 1995 , in this type of boxes including power boxs , but preferred the manual boxs , notice the detonator placers with the black and white chevrons. Nice video well explained , everything was worked in a sequential formate with interlocking .
Thanks for the happy memories here. So glad you enjoyed the video.
@@sigboxWish I could turn the clock back and do it all over again ❤
thanks for the kind words here - glad you enjoyed it.
really intresting video your efforts at this age is appreciate sirr in your voice so positiveness and how polietly you explained its great sirr thank you for making this video
and thank you RaVish for your kind comments - they are greatly appreciated.
thank you very much, this is the most detailed intro I've ever seen!
Many thanks for your comments - much appreciated, we also have a video on single line working that you may find interesting.
Absolutely fantastic. I’ve seen similar demonstration at Crewe Heritage Centre but there were quite a few people there so it was difficult to get the whole idea properly. I’m a commercial manager on the railway and always interested to learn about all the different technologies we have.
Many thanks for this, hope you can visit one day when we can all pile in the box again.
I’m not sure how I came to watch this but that man is great. Really well explained
What a wonderful explanation! Off the cuff, clear, slow and beautifully clear. Are you sure this bloke isn't a tutor on the quiet?
Many thanks for the kind comments here - which will be passed on in good heart to our star performer. Glad you found it clear.
Currently in IST on an AB course. Though it's the same as our simulators, it's so cool to see an actual AB box. Cannot wait to pass out and do this myself!
All best wishes to you Jack - steady hand, study hard!
3-1 still remember the bell codes class 2 passenger , 2 train entering section , 2-1 T O S , bell code 4 was a class one , which was different types of trains but carried the same head code and class 1 status, classes started from cl 1 to cls 9. Great stuff .
And class 0 for a light engine.
2-3 or 1-1-3
Brilliant video love how signaling used to be 👍
Thanks for the kind words here - and glad you enjoyed the video - its why we do it - thanks again
Reminds me of Coal Stage signal box at Lithgow NSW (still using levers & bell codes etc), also still in operation, only just, as technology advances. I picked your video up thinking it was St Albans near Melbourne VIC in Australia, silly me! Amazed to see yellow levers controlling lower quadrant signals and black/white lever for "detonators", presuming the signaller has previously left the box to the lay them? I presume white is "spare" lever? Lovely video, and well presented, brings back some memories!
Thanks for your kind comments here. On the detonators, I think they were prepositioned so that the lever just swung them onto the rail when required. I'll check as I am not sure what the protocol was for storage, checking and installation.
Yes, white is spares (often caused by the removal of a signal, point or other feature).
If the decision has been made that fog operations are yo be put in place due to deteriorating visibility (which could be due to falling snow and not just fog). If bad enough fogsignalmen would be appointed to go and stand by the signals affected. Each would be equipped with a supply of detonators, a lamp and flags. If the signal is at danger the fogsignalman places 1 or 2 detonators on the same rail in advance of the signal depending in what the rule book says for that signal/line and to show either a red or yellow lamp and flag to the approaching trains. If the signal 8s cleared the detonators must be removed and a green lamp and flag show. At no time must the fogsignalman leave his post even if he runs out of detonators without leaving the signal 0rotected with detonators and a red oy yellow lamp showing. If the signal the fogsignalman show both a stop and caution aspect then he must show a red lamp when the signal shows stop (plus the detonator(s)), a yellow lamp when the stop arm is cleared but the caution arm is still down (no detonator(s)) and a green when both arms are cleared.
The druverv4unning over detonators must stop immediately to investigate the reason for the detonators being in place.
Thoroughly enjoyed this demo, in practice though 2-1 wouldn't be sent until the tail light had been seen on the train where there are sections without track circuiting. And of course not forgetting the entries in the train register!
Quite so, and many thanks for watching... always more we could do!
This was so engrossing that I have let my brussel sprouts get far too overcooked!
Some of us, and so long as the sprout is well drained, warm and adequately buttered, are not quite sure a sprout can necessarily be overcooked. All this al dente vegetable craze maybe good for teething infants but is not necessarily suited to the leathery gums and pungent taste preferences of life's later years.. 🙂
Very interesting and informative for a novice,Thank you...
Great, simply explained & demonstrated video of the purpose of a signal box and the means of passing trains along a length of line.
This is really interesting. I always wondered how all works. Thanks for this
Thanks for getting in touch - glad you found it interesting.
In some boxes the blue is a king lever to put the box in auto working for for through running. For times when the box can be unmanned.
Nice one guys, very clear!!
I was that child my dad was a signal man, I used to turn the wheel for the gates and pull the levers.
Incredible, when I would go to the UK I’d stay in Harpenden. Took the train into London several times, guess I went past this tower.
Yes - we are just west of the line as you leave St Albans heading south for London. We have a pin on Google Maps for St Albans Signal Box Preservation Trust - the charity that looks after the box. Thanks for watching
Is there a term for the type of levers here, with that hand safety lock?
Information we have is that the 'Catch Handle' is the small handle that releases the catch holding the lever firmly at each end of its travel. An important difference to other lever frames is that the catch handle also works the interlocking rather than the main lever. Trust this helps and do let is know if you discover other terms out there.
@@sigbox Ooh, thank you, that does help. I've been trying to figure out how to succinctly identify these in print, maybe 'catch-handle lever' will work.
Great explanation. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it - and thanks for the comment.
I watched Thomas & Friends and wondered what the signalmen were doing, and I had no idea about the interlocking until I watched this. If only you had token machines that were not using metal plates (not sure about carrying a lump of metal all day), then you could demonstrate those as well.
Did you see "Percy and the signal"? I rewatched it recently even though I'm an adult since i've been learning about semaphores
@@kinkisharyocoasters I haven't seen that episode, but I've seen a video pointing out little mistakes in it. GWR Studios is WAY overdue for a return.
@@ColtonRMagby the GWR actually had "backing signals"
@@kinkisharyocoasters "Backing signals" are probably for single line use only. I don't know.
Good evening, I would kindly like to know the meaning of the white band present on some levers. Thanks again for your availability and collaboration
White levers are spares - that is, unused in the current configuration of the lever frame, points and signals. However, in our restored signal box , we use lever 32 (painted white and originally unused) to operate a signal in our garden.
@@sigbox Thank you for the answer, but I meant the white band painted on some red levers (not on all red levers). Thanks again for your availability and collaboration
Luigi - apologies, I missed the intent of your question earlier,
The four signal levers with a white band on are 'Section' or 'Starter' signals. When cleared they allow a train to go towards the next station or signal box. Before any of those signals can be cleared the 'Absolute Block System' requires the signaller at St Albans to get permission from the signaller at the next box using the block instruments. Once that signaller has given their permission, the signal is electrically unlocked so the St Albans signaller can then clear the signal.
And thanks to John Webb for the details on the answer here, trust this clears it up.
Very good information sir
Module TS3 Regulation 3.4.1 states the the line or at a facing junction, the line for which the facing points are set is clear up to and including the clearing point and all points within the clearing points are set for the safety of the approching train.
Where is the clearing point in this demonstration out of interest please?
The video is a demonstration of the lever frame and instruments designed for the general public. The precise clearing point (the point to which the line must be clear, in order to accept a train) would, it could be argued, depend on the rolling stock, motive power and track condition. That is, it could perhaps have changed with time and technology. For the purpose of the simulation I think it is safe to assume that Signal 2 would be used as the clearing point. (8.09 minutes in is where the signal numbers are given) Trust this helps. If there is more detail, it will be posted here.
definitely learned a few things with this
Thanks Shane, The UK is very different to US that for sure. We have also done a demo for single line working you might be interested in.. ua-cam.com/video/5qWIQBGv3Rs/v-deo.html
Really interesting to see how it works/worked in my home country, it's strange though that there's no "route locking" as such, as there is here in Germany, over here (in our mechanical signal boxes that is) the entire route (entry or exit) stays locked until the train has passed completely through, either to the platform or out onto the open line. Until this happens one can't actually move any points or derailers, and it's all locked by a green lever. Maybe it's due to the different models of signal box. On one hand it's safer that it stays locked, so that the points can't move under a moving train, however it does mean everything takes a little longer, especially when having trains cross in the station, as one train has to reach the platform before you can even start thinking about setting the route for the one from the opposite direction.
Alex - most interesting - thank you. I always tend to think that the main difference between UK and continental railways is that in the UK the routes arose from naked commercial interest and competition. This led to duplication of routes and the timetabling of express, suburban and freight services all in competition with each other, all on the same lines.
On the continent, because distances are so much greater, speeds and procedures had to be much more standardised. Yes, local interests may have suffered, but the system was much more efficient on a continental scale. Trains ran at consistent speeds and rail workers could expect to operate to consistent rules.
The same applies in North America I think.. Indeed, perhaps a US military trope puts it best - "In the UK you equip your soldiers, but in NATO we man the equipment." Perhaps it is the same with railways although today, we rightly refer to people not just men.
Mechanical interlocking between the levers will lock the route. When signals are cleared for a specific route, they will lock the levers that control the points through that route, preventing them from being moved. In more modern boxes in the UK, that interlocking is done electronically.
Good teacher. Thanks.
Great stuff!
Thanks 👍
Great explanation. Are there any heritage railways in the UK still using signal cabins and semaphore signaling?
Oh yes - many heritage railways do and also Network Rail still has mechanical signal boxes too. This link may have too much detail, but has loads of info: www.railwaycodes.org.uk/signal/signal_boxes0.shtm
@@sigbox Thanks!
Very good information but it did not show how hard it is to pull a mile of cable connected to the lever to lift the signal,, My father was a signalman Browney county durham, and I had a go impossible he just threw it into position OMG
Yes indeed - a mile of cable on a winter's morning - that some pull needed! By the time the Box closed in 1979 though, the mechanical distant signals had been replaced with colour light signals. By way of reminding the signaller that the lever did not need to be pulled so hard, the handle at the top of was shortened by half. You can see this on the No1 lever on the frame in this demonstration.
My Dad moved to Seaham station signal box with a level crossing and three tracks in 1974 until he retired 1982@@sigbox
Still got the rule book with the hand updated rules and other memorobillia
I wanted to know why don’t dig a tunnel and do an extension for the main line Train so they extend the new abandoned underground stations.
Why couldn’t they use the part D78 Stock train doors on the sides and also restructure the front face of the A60 and A62 stock that includes the class 313, class 314 and class 315 remix and make them all together and also redesign them an overhead line and also make them into six cars per units and also having three Accessible Toilets on that six cars per units A60 and A62 stock trains and also convert the A60 and A62 stock trains into a Scania N112, Volvo TD102KF, Volvo B10M, Gardner 6LXC, Gardner 6LXB and Gardner 8LXB Diesel Engines and also put the Loud 7-Speed Voith Gearboxes even Loud 8-Speed Leyland Hydra cyclic Gearboxes in the A60 and A62 stock, class 313, class 314, and class 315 and also modernise the A60 and A62 stock and make it into an 11 car per unit so it could have fewer doors, more tables, computers and mobile phone chargers?
A Stock Train and also having 8 DisaAccessiblelets on those A stock trains. why couldn’t we refurbish and modernise the waterloo and city line Triple-Track train tunnel and make it bigger and extend it to bank station, making it into a Triple-Track Railway Line so those 4 European countries such as Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden to convert the waterloo and city line Triple-Track Train tunnel into a High-Speed train?
The Third Euro tunnel Triple-Track Train line to make it 11 times better for passengers so they could go from A to B. then put the modernised 11 car per unit A Stock and put them on a bigger modernised waterloo and city line Triple-Track train tunnel so it could go to bank station to those 4 European countries such as Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden. The modernised refurbished 11 cars per unit A stock could be a High Speed The Third Triple-Track Euro Tunnel Train So it is promising and 37 times a lot more possible to do this kind of project that is OK for London Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden. Oh by the way, could they also tunnel the Triple-Track Railway Line so it will stop from Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex so that the Passengers will go to Germany, Italy, Poland and Sweden and also extend the Triple-Track Railway Line from Bank to Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex Stations so that more people from there could go to Germany, Italy, Poland And Sweden Easily.
Why couldn't they extend the Piccadilly line and also build a brand-new underground train station so it could go even further right up to Clapton, Wood Street and also make another brand new tunnel train station in Chingford and could they extend the DLR?
All of the classes 150, 155, 154, 117, 114, 105, and 106, will be replaced by all of the Scania N112, Volvo TD102KF, Volvo B10M, Gardner 6LXB, Gardner 6LXC and Gardner 8LXB Diesel Six carriages three accessible toilets are air conditioning trains including Highams Park for extended roots which is the Piccadilly line and the DLR trains.
Could you also convert all of the 1973 stock trains into an air-conditioned maximum speed 78 km/hours (48 MPH) re-refurbished and make it into a 8 cars per unit if that will be alright, and also extend all of the Piccadilly train stations to create more space for all of the extended 8 car per unit 1973 stock air condition trains and can you also build another Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive Companies and they can order Every 17 Octagon and Hexagon shape LNER diagram unique minor no.13 and unique small no.11 Boilers from those Countries such as Greece, Italy, Poland, and Sweden, can they make Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive speeds by up to 117MPH so you can try and test it on the Original Mainline so it will be much more safer for the Passengers to enjoy the 117MPH speed Limit only for HS2 and Channel Tunnel mainline services, if they needed 16 Carriages Per units can they use those class 55’s, class 44’s, class 40’s and class 43HST Diesel Locomotive’s right at the Back of those 16 Carriages Per Units so they can take over at the Back to let those Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive’s have a rest for those fascinating Journeys Please!!!!!! oh, can you make all of those Coal Boxes’ 16 Tonnes for all of the 117MPH Mayflower and Tornado Steam Locomotive’s so the Companies will Understand us, passengers!! so please make sure that the Builders can do as they are Told!! And please do something about these very important Professional ideas Please Prime Minister of England, Prime Minister of Sweden, Prime Minister of Germany, Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister of Poland and that Includes the Mayor of London.
Artificial intelligence with syntax dependant phrasing and noun selection could engender meaningful discourse if verb relevance were truly based only on heuristics. But is it? Only time and a larger training set will inform. Still, worth watching.
Awesome
Can we see a longer video of the box in action?
This is the longest we have, we are sorry to say. We can do more complex demonstrations and simulations, but we do these on member days and we haven't yet had time enough to make videos of them. Perhaps in time, yes, but it is a lot of volunteer effort. Thank you for your enquiry ad encouragement.
@@sigbox thank you!
Thank you.
Interesting. But this is obviously a saved disconnected signal box. He controlled none of the trains racing by lol. I'd love to see this done and participate even on a preserved line with a SB in the middle of a line controlling 2 trains in either direction or multiple ones at the end of the line. Say a passenger train leaving, some shunting with a goods train and then the other passenger train returning. That would seem line fun. Maybe they should make a lever frame absolute block signal box as a rail simulator instead of just trains you drive. Could be challenging and fun. How about a demonstration of all those lines being busy and trains crossing over etc etc🙂
Hi SteamGent. Many thanks for your comments on the videos. Glad to hear you enjoyed them. Hopefully we will be able to open again this year (check our website www.sigbox.co.uk for information) and you can come and see more.
If you are interested in learning and operating the lever frame, do consider becoming a member (sign-up on web site) as we will be able to resume member's operating sessions once social distancing is no longer needed.
For now though, here's to happier times and thanks again.
Steam Gent,
If you are in the UK, the only places with signal boxes on double track are at Bewdley on the Severn Valley Railway, and almost all of the Great Central Railway in Leicestershire.
For really intensive operation with a train every couple of minutes you have to go for a miniature or model railway. The Great Cockrow Railway (7.25" gauge passenger carrying) has trains running controlled by three signal boxes. On their website there are simulations that you can download of each 'box so that you can get a quite reasonable idea of what the job is like.
www.cockcrow.co.uk/page22.html
@@BrianLeicester only you missed Severn Bridge Junction with is multiple mainlines and currently the worlds largest remaining signalbox and belongs to network rail. That said its funny you mentioned the Great Cockrow simulators as I just discovered them last night and I'm planning to give them a go. Thanks for the information just the same. Signaling has become a more recent hobby of mine as a Steam Railway Enthusiast. In my younger days 1980s -1990s, I paid it little mind and had absolutely zero interest. It was the discovery of a old film of Teddy Bostons model railway and his explanation along with Mike Arlet of S&D fame on another film discussing signaling that struck my interest into steam era signaling. Its now become a passion of mine along with the locomotives learning it and its different types with regards to pregrouping LMS lines and GWR and GER lines.
Many Thanks,
SteamGent
@@steamgent4592 I only mentioned the preserved lines as that is what you asked about. All the others have single line working. I do know that there are many areas of NwR with signal boxes, the line from Syston to Peterborough is mechanically signalled with Absolute Block working on double track mainline, often working to capacity. It does include at Ketton the last Midland Railway Lower Quad signal in work on NwR.
My wife and I do have a simple 00 layout that we take to exhibitions and the like which is just straight double track with a trailing cross-over but it is fully signalled with a 9 lever frame, which has mechanical and electrical interlocking to prove the position of the points and that there is a Line Clear from th e box ahead. It has full size block instruments which supposedly work to the boxes each side but actually are controlled by a second operator at the side of the layout. We'll signal a train through, then get somone out of the crowd to try to do it themselves.
It is quite frightening how many enthusiasts have no idea about how railways work.
I worked the Olton Priors layout of Ted's at Cadeby from the age of 8, and I am part of the team that still operates and maintains it at a different location. I am the person in charge of making sure that things are run acording to the correct Rules and Regulations for GWR in August 1935 - they changed in that September. When Covid is under control, we will be able to run it again and we do welcome the occasional visitor. It is certainly a good place to learn block working. Are you within striking distance of Nuneaton in Central England?
@@BrianLeicester sadly I'm not. I heard Teddys OO layout was preserved by a group that knew him. I'm glad it was. It looked to be in my opinion a very special railway keeping to timetables and using what was standard signal box communication between operators. Not many guys do that and the only other I've read about who ran his railway similarly was John Allen of California on his Gorre & Dephetid. Give that a look up on Google it was very impressive. A US Western scenery railway made back in the 1960-70s. I would've gotten on well with Teddy Boston but he was a bit before my time and entry into the hobby and will say you were very lucky to have known him.
What about the former Sandridge Box, between St.Albans North & Harpenden????
Thanks for the question. Hopefully this helps explain:
The box has the levers and interlocks and hence is set-up as it was when it closed in 1979. At that time, the adjacent blocks were at Harpenden and Napsbury.
North Box had closed in December 1970, by which time it was already operating the IBS (Intermediate Block Signals) that had replaced Sandridge box which itself had closed in January 1962 when the IBS were installed and the up slow to up fast crossover was taken out. Sandridge siding remained in use (or at least operational) until April 1967.
@@sigbox Thanks very much indeed for this information. Very interesting. I'm on the hunt for any photos / images of the old Sandridge Box, which (I presume) was situated between Sandridgebury Lane (rail over road) Bridge and Cheapside Farm (road over rail) bridge on the Down Fast side. No luck with that so far though. Cheers.
On your search for images of Sandridge box, its possible that our members may have some as many live locally and have many photographs of the Midland Railway history.
Do contact us directly via the form on our web site at www.sigbox.co.uk/sigbox/contact.eb so we can let our members know of your interest. Many thanks.
@@sigbox Very many thanks indeed.
@@sigbox
Excellent video, thank you. I dimly recall that at Napsbury SB, in addition to standard box-to-box phone circuits, there was a 'special' direct line to the mental hospital up the road for the signalmen to alert authorities when they saw anyone hanging around the railway....
funny, in Belgium and Germany blue levers act on the turnouts and black ones do the locking
Yes - funny thing colour coding - I recall the introduction of green/yellow (earth), brown (live), blue (neutral) for single phase domestic wiring in UK. It had been green (earth), red (live), black (neutral). Of course, in english, earth (as in soil, mud etc) is usually brown. Maybe the idea was to make fitting a plug a task for an expert and dangerous for the uninitiated.
Really interesting, but may I ask how it proves that the line is clear on a double/four track line? By rail circuit or tablets?
Thank you for your question. Each of the four lines is separately controlled . Track circuits detected the presence of trains, and the signallers used the block instruments to communicate with each other to allow the train movements. The track circuits, the instruments and the levers themselves were all interlocked to prevent any train being signalled into an occupied block.
Tablets were only used for single line working - we have a video on our channel @SIGBOX on how Tyer No 6 instruments were used to do this.
I hope this helps but do please ask again if anything needs a better explanation.
Have a good day and best wishes to Beijing
@@sigbox Thanks a lot, so each signal box connects with each other to reach the semi-automatic blocking between each signal boxes via track circuit which tests the location of trains.
CR's semi-automatic blocking is between each station or junction.
I really know little about these ancient rail blocking facilities and systems since CR (Concluding KCR/MTR, Hong Kong) had replaced most of which with electrical/computerized facilities and systems after 1975.
@@金豆理事 yes - in the 1970's with semiconductors, we could make very complex logic circuits and computers quite easily. These systems were very much cheaper and easier to maintain and modify. Electric colour lights were also much more reliable and easily operated over long distances. I was born in 1950, so can remember when the railways were all steam engines and mechanical signalling. I have been lucky to work with electronic technology as it has advanced - today it is remarkable how much design, production, distribution, use and maintenance is done with software running on electronic systems. Burning coal and making everything from steel could not have made the modern world..
Trains in Russia are still signalled in a very similar way
Очень похоже на полуавтоматическую блокировку, только с колокольчиками вместо телефона. И конечно с семафорами вместо светофоров.
This is very complicated! 😱
Is this actually still in live service today?
The box was retired from railway service in 1980. It became derelict and was restored between 2002 and 2008 by a charitable trust who continue to maintain and operate the box. The demonstration uses a Raspberry Pi computer to simulate signal boxes to the North at Harpenden and to the south at Napsbury. The computer is programmed to simulate train movements on all lines in both directions. The lever frame and instruments are then operated to allow trains to pass through in accordance with real signalling procedures.
NICE :)
Thanks - all thoughts and any questions are always welcome.
hey, guess what, you left hong kong a signal box, that is not a box!
it was built in a station and no one was allow to restore it :l
anyways, nice to see the demonstration.
Thanks for your comments - interesting to hear of the Hong Kong history - thanks
@@sigbox btw, they don't put the levers on the ground, the lowest of the levers actually are parallel to your hip, unlike BR, your foot
does the british...run trains in sections...1..2 or 3 sections of trains in the same block segments?
Dave - thanks for the question - I'm not a signaller, but I am pretty sure that we are always just have one train per block. I think the big difference between UK and continental railroads is that in UK all the blocks are small - few miles maximum, whereas on continental railroads there can be huge distances between signal boxes..
There are special circumstances when two trains can be signalled in to the same block - one train coming to the assistance of a broken down train, or when two trains need to be coupled together to make a bigger train for example - but the general rule is that only one train can be in a section.
I assume levers aren't connected to anything!
The levers connect to a computer interface that reads the state of the levers (on or off). The computer also has inputs from the tappers and line instruments. It has outputs to the bells, the lights on the track diagram and indicators on the instrument shelf. The levers are interlocked by the original Victorian mechanism of rods and slotted bars.
The computer simulates the signal boxes that controlled the adjacent blocks on the 4 track Midland mainline at Napsbury and Harpenden and is programmed to offer and accept trains from our signal box.
One lever is connected to heritage signal in the garden around the box, but you are correct that here are no connections to any part of the railway that passes the box (the Midland mainline).
Trust this helps explain and thanks for watchng.
Is it uk
Pradip - yes we are in the UK. 20 miles north of London on the Midland Main Line in the city of St Albans.
@@sigbox very good sir, I am indian, but love your country as well
I was in India in 1985 (Deli and Hyderabad). Many happy memories. Great food, kind people and cultural wonders.
@@sigbox thank you sir
No, this was Antarctica.
I really hope that apparatus has been disconnected or God help us all.
10:08