Heritage Railway S&T Department Activities

Forgive my naivety, but why would semaphores be replaced like for like at all? I would have presumed that replacement with contemporary coloured light signals would be seen as safer and more practical, unless there was some listed building issue from a planning perspective.

 

The question was why UQ on a former western route, the answer is the route is now on the Wessex region of Network Rail, I’d assume the local S&T are traditionally southern men, some traditions still hold heavy.

 

There is more to it than just replacing with a colour light. There can be power issues and cabling etc. Then interlocking/detection if the signal reads through any pointwork. It's not always that simple. Unlikely to anything to do with planning perspective.

 

Maybe, but I doubt it. Anyone who recognises Southern signals will see that those at Pen Mill bear even less resemblence to the Southern than they do to the Western. They are post privatisation Network Rail structures that make no pretence at following regional or company loyalities (more's the pity).

Peter

 

Wessex stores probably would only have UQ arms in stock perhaps, hence the UQ being used on the renewal.

There other three mechanical signals at YPM are LQ as they didn’t need renewal at the time.

As a point of relates interested, East Usk Junction SB (Newport, South Wales) has its LQ replaced by UQ when renewal was required, deep in Western land way back in the 90s.

May well be the wimp of the project manager which are used, or cost perhaps and availability.

 

Two of the remaining three LQ signals left at YPM.

YPM2 protecting the junction at YPM from the Yeovil Jumction, and YPM1 on the line from Maiden Newton.

The other three all in the DN direction are UQ with new H&S certified metal cage style structures vice traditional BR style posts.

 

A like for like replacement would be a lot cheaper than replacing with a CLS and the testing would be very much simplified.

 

I think a CLS would also offer minimal benefit, when the rest of the installation remains mechanical.

 

...and colour lights stop signals are not supposed to to mixed with semaphore stop signals.

 

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