Re: [General] Railway language - trivia warning!

["B." <gunzel412@dingoblue.gunzel.net.au>]

Ronald BESDANSKY <ronbest@bigpond.com> wrote in message
N6bz5.56692$c5.158420@newsfeeds.bigpond.com">news:N6bz5.56692$c5.158420@newsfeeds.bigpond.com...
> "Deeg" <galtfd@att.net> wrote in message
> 41=MOc5aoyMdGk6A1x1bvTnqEkRC@4ax.com">news:41=MOc5aoyMdGk6A1x1bvTnqEkRC@4ax.com...
>> On Sat, 23 Sep 2000 16:27:34 +1000, "Ronald BESDANSKY"
>> <ronbest@bigpond.com> wrote:

>>> I am curious as to whether some British railway terms are
>>> being / have been used here:

>>> On / off (of signals)
>>> Bobby (signaller)
>>> Link (driver's table)
>>> Top link ("best" driver's table)
>>> One on (said by flagperson when warning of approaching
>>> train)

>> The only one of these that I find familiar - remembered
>> most vividly from reading L T C Rolt's account of the
>> Hawes Junction disaster - is on/off, meaning signals set
>> at danger/clear. But I wonder if it is still in use even
>> in the UK. Perhaps it has faded away in the era of colour
>> lights?

> Can't see what difference that makes! I don't think "on"
> and "off" are related to the physical position of a
> semaphore. In fact, I don't know where the terms come from.
> Might try uk.rail

With a mechanical semaphore signal, if the view from the signalbox is of the
back of the signal, then the signalman will see the white backlight.  This
is only visible when the signal is on, or at stop.  This light is then not
visible when the signal is off.  I don't know if this is where on/off came
from though.  If the signal is not visible from the box, usually a signal
repeater is provided, on the VR this was a needle indicator which pointed to
a label ON or OFF.

--
B.

Email - gunzel412 at dingoblue dot net dot au
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