It's quite a labour intensive system, and not very flexible for higher speeds or frequencies or more complex scheduling and the like, but it does seem like a system that would be highly reliable and not prone to errors. It's even failsafe to a degree by requiring a distinct, active signal to go ahead.
It's incredibly labour intensive, but labour was relatively cheap. Also relatively failure prone so long as everyone has excellent time keeping. That was the crux: keeping to time to maintain the time and spatial intervel.
The first semaphore signals were indeed based on the invention of Monsieur Chappe but they were an 1840s innovation - we'll look at them in the next video!
Good vids. Loads of stuff i didn,t know.I find it interesting that early signal boxes used a lead acid battery to send a signal down wire(to other boxes?).This moved somthing like a compass needle.It was before genorators or bulbs had been invented.Do yòu know any more on this.(that,s my limit lol) Again great vids. cheers mate.
I was a signalman for nearly 50 years , I was always in the old fashioned signal boxes with the big levers . The system used was called Absolute Block system, ABS ) . Which meant only one train on each line between boxes . Although I went on to work sometimes when needed at a more modern Panel Box , ( TSB ). That used a more up to date signaling. Where many trains could safely move on the line between boxes. We had a backup system for powering the controls in the box that used rechargeable batteries . Very much as you would find in a car , but much bigger . I'm told they would last many weeks before failing . In 50 years I never knew of these batteries flat and going out of service . It was only backup to the mains supply , but there was a generator, that would be used before the batteries, which cut in automatically . We never uses electric bulbs to indicate permission for a train to proceed . It was a dial that had three indications on it . That in addition, locked the last signal behind the train at danger , on the Absolute Block system.
American signals were similar to early ones on the Great Western Railway in the UK which used a red ball which was hoisted up and down a signal pole. If you could see it meant proceed and if you couldn't you were to stop. The GWR rule book has the classic line " A Signal Ball will be seen ... when the line is right for the Train to go on. If the Ball is not visible, the Train must not pas it."
@@websitesthatneedanem Why do anyone vandalise or damage anything? Sometimes deliberate sabotage like the Luddites putting stone blocks on the Middleton Railway in Leeds in 1814, or just to be wiflul. The Liverpool & Manchester had a spate of stones and other objects left on the line in the early day. Either out of spite or the heck of it.
OK, thanks. The way you said it, sounded like a particular reason..... maybe it just too hot and reading to much into your Intonations! 😁 ( Also thought it might be to do with the smoke thing you mentioned in another video )
Such fascinating signaling method, they had such creativity back then before modernization and so on.
Thank you for the "switch" clarification.
It's quite a labour intensive system, and not very flexible for higher speeds or frequencies or more complex scheduling and the like, but it does seem like a system that would be highly reliable and not prone to errors. It's even failsafe to a degree by requiring a distinct, active signal to go ahead.
It's incredibly labour intensive, but labour was relatively cheap. Also relatively failure prone so long as everyone has excellent time keeping. That was the crux: keeping to time to maintain the time and spatial intervel.
ROC's aren't the only signal boxes on the network.
There's still quite a few manual signal boxes in the uk left.😁
White for right and red for wrong and green to slowly go along.
How you remember the original signalling colours.
Most signalling in the UK is not in can signalling, and there are still over three hundred signal boxes on the national network.
Was not the first signals influenced by the optical semaphor telegraph system of Monsieur Chappe?
The first semaphore signals were indeed based on the invention of Monsieur Chappe but they were an 1840s innovation - we'll look at them in the next video!
Good vids.
Loads of stuff i didn,t know.I find it interesting that early signal boxes used a lead acid battery to send a signal down wire(to other boxes?).This moved somthing like a compass needle.It was before genorators or bulbs had been invented.Do yòu know any more on this.(that,s my limit lol)
Again great vids.
cheers mate.
I was a signalman for nearly 50 years , I was always in the old fashioned signal boxes with the big levers . The system used was called Absolute Block system, ABS ) . Which meant only one train on each line between boxes . Although I went on to work sometimes when needed at a more modern Panel Box , ( TSB ). That used a more up to date signaling. Where many trains could safely move on the line between boxes. We had a backup system for powering the controls in the box that used rechargeable batteries . Very much as you would find in a car , but much bigger . I'm told they would last many weeks before failing . In 50 years I never knew of these batteries flat and going out of service . It was only backup to the mains supply , but there was a generator, that would be used before the batteries, which cut in automatically . We never uses electric bulbs to indicate permission for a train to proceed . It was a dial that had three indications on it . That in addition, locked the last signal behind the train at danger , on the Absolute Block system.
Did these blue boxes wheeze into existence?
And they were all called old girl, too.
Will you be covering Highball signals?
American signals were similar to early ones on the Great Western Railway in the UK which used a red ball which was hoisted up and down a signal pole. If you could see it meant proceed and if you couldn't you were to stop. The GWR rule book has the classic line
" A Signal Ball will be seen ... when the line is right for the Train to go on. If the Ball is not visible, the Train must not pas it."
Snap. Now that's going to confuse foreigners.
Surprised only 18 died while using Policeman as they couldn't see each other and wouldn't know if s breakdown had occurred around the next corner...
4:54 he looks like he's saluting hitler
lol
Wait is that were the Italians got it from because the Germans got it from the Italians
0:58 - Sabotage ???
Yeah sabotage. Prevent people pulling down fences or placing objects on the track.
But why?
luddites?
@@websitesthatneedanem Why do anyone vandalise or damage anything? Sometimes deliberate sabotage like the Luddites putting stone blocks on the Middleton Railway in Leeds in 1814, or just to be wiflul. The Liverpool & Manchester had a spate of stones and other objects left on the line in the early day. Either out of spite or the heck of it.
OK, thanks. The way you said it, sounded like a particular reason..... maybe it just too hot and reading to much into your Intonations! 😁
( Also thought it might be to do with the smoke thing you mentioned in another video )