Position Light signalling

[NW Mailing List]

You are correct that signals were generally located to the right of the track that they governed because the engineer was on the right-hand side of a steam locomotive in the US.  In some cases, however, there was insufficient clearance between tracks to place a signal to the right of the track that it governed.  In that case a "bracket" signal was used as shown in the attached pages from the N&W's 1951 operating rule book.  In this case the signal arm (aka head) had to be high enough for the engineer to see it over top of any cars that might be on the track between the engineer and the signal arm governing his track.  That is why bracket signals are higher than most other signals.

I hope the attached illustrations are self-explanatory enough to make up for my inability to describe them better or in more detail.

Gordon Hamilton
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: NW Mailing List 
  To: NW-Mailing-List at nwhs.org 
  Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2012 10:51 AM
  Subject: Position Light signalling


  As a simple Englishman I must admit that I find the sighting and location of Position Light signalling some-what confusing. I am attempting to model a little bit of the N&W here in my attic room in the UK, and with this is a photo of my problem area on the railroad. The point just off screen at the front leads to a single line. All loop roads are reversible direction. The line with the pacific on a mixed consist is a branch line.
     I have studied a good number of N&W books looking at signals and have seen the explanations of the different indications given, but am still puzzled.
    Some two masted signals supported on a single Y shaped post I though indicated where a single road split into two routes, but on further study these are positioned where no such split occurs. I also thought that signals were sighted to the right (Engineer's side) but again not always does this hold true, although those on cantilevered brackets seem to help in this way. Can anyone point me in the right direction on these matters?
      I also see that the heads themselves usually only have lights for a limited number of indications to suit each individual case, the remainder of the positions having blanking plates.
  Can anyone suggest what might be needed in the way of signals on the bit of my layout shown in the attached photo?
  Failing that is there any available literature that is a bit more specific on these topics?
     Many thanks for any assistance. 
  PS.  After my last enquiry the Z1a is now numbered 1338.


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