Colour of a GWR lamp...

you'd need to KNOW the rules in those days as something could well have different meanings in different situations.

 

Are you suggesting you dont now? Your post does not make sense.

Interestingly the rules on handlamp shunting signals are the same today as 1930s. See the shunting module in Railway Group Standards

 

Being as I'm not a Guard or a Shunter, no, I don't know the rules. What's not to understand? I don't get tested on the Rules by the District Inspector every year.
The thing is in those days, you would need to have a through knowledge of the rules and it would be up to you to operate the Railway according to them. None of your H&S nannying in those days! Responsiblility and accountability were self-administered

 

Are the rules on handsignals still the same too?

 

With two exceptions yes they are - the signals are quite clear for those of us who have to use them. There are two small changes. Slow down was moving the hand up and down from the wrist (still used on SVR) whereas the railway group standards indicate whole arm moving up and down. This then results in stop when riding in a vahicle, coach or brake van, which was moving arm uo and down which is shown in RGS as a horizontal arm. IMHO This might not be very visible when shunting in blues.

You may however not observe the signals being used on SVR as in the main shunting is conducted by radios for which there are approved protocols and comunication must be continuous

 

These are the two major ones. NYMR use what is effectively the 1980 BR rulebook which has stop on a moving vehicle as a horizontal arm. In my experience, handsignals from a moving vehicle are quite clear even seven coaches away so it is easy to differentiate between a slow down and stop signal; that is if you have a direct line of sight! However, any planned propelling move is always controlled by radios these days.
One other significant signalling change between the BR 1950 Rulebook and today is the auduble signals where, in 1950, stop was three whistles and today it is one. Do you still use three on the Valley?

 

Steve - RE audible signals we use one for stop as per current RGS. The audible signals also lign up with DMU bell codes so avoids confusion. I still find it odd to comtrol a propelling move sitting down in the drivers seat and using the bells/buzzer.

There is one limitation with audible signals - you can't allways tell who they are for. Train A was setting back to stops at KD - tran B vwas departing from tho other platform. The guard doing the setting back reinforced his stop handsignal with a whistle signal - one long blast - both trains stopped. Well it was the safe option

Dave