Signalling Books/Methods

Hello All,
Not sure if this is the right place to put this but if anyone could suggest any books that detail and explain the different methods of controlling trains on the railway? By methods I mean not just block working but pilot, etc. Or if anyone can outline the differnet methods here than I'd be very grateful!
Many thanks,

Ross

 

You can either look on the rgs site at the rule book

http://www.rgsonline.co.uk/rail/rule_modules.html for the signalling chapters or have a look on the 2nd hand stalls for an OPC book called 'Two centuries of railway signalling' by Geoffrey Kichenside & Alan Williams, which is pretty much a clear and concise beginners guide. There are also a couple of other books that I cannot think of the titles to off hand, and this website http://www.signalbox.org/ is very good

 

The Institution of Railway Signal Engineers published a set of very comprehensive Signalling Practice booklets in the 1950s and 1960s. I used to have a copy of these, but have not seen them recently so probably mislaid them over the years.

Ah, looking on the IRSE website they have republished them as combined volumes - see http://www.irse.org/Documents/CP/PUBLIC ... uly-08.doc - these are very comprehensive guides to all sorts of railway signalling designs. If these are not updated from the 1950s / 1960s guides they are probably dated for modern signalling, but are probably of interest in the comtext of most hertitage operations. Having said that I am not a professional signal engineer - someone else can probably advise on how dated these documents are.

 

There was a 2nd edition of 'Two Centuries of Railway Signalling' published last year by OPC. The authors had previously written a smaller pocket-sized book 'British Railway Signalling' for Ian Allan; this often turns up on second hand bookstalls at model railway and similar exhibitions. The latest Ian Allan pocket-book is the 'BR Signalling Handbook' by Stanley Hall. Other books you may find of interest are 'Traditional Signalling - A brief design history' by Michael A Vanns and by the same author 'Signalling in the age of steam' - another Ian Allan ABC style pocket book.

If you are interested in railway modelling, then the lead book is "Railway Signalling and Track Plans" which explains why the railways laid out stations, junctions and sidings the way they did. Also of use are 'British Railway Signalling in Colour' and 'British Railway Signalling Development in Colour' both by Robert Hendry.

The IRSE combined volumes refered to by stallis are reprints of the 1960s guides and are not updated for modern signalling but are very useful for heritage railways and signal box restorers.

OPC do several books on various regions' signalling styles if you want the really detailed information.

Regards,
John Webb
(Member, St Albans Signal Box Preservation Trust)