Re: Signalling in Victoria

[David Langley <del@ancc.com.au>]

Eddie Oliver wrote:

> MarkBau1 wrote:
>
> > I'm glad Eddie will get to see the sentence:
> >
> > << (b)  Medium Speed Signal.-When the train is to proceed to or from a
> > Running Line diverging from 'the Straight Running Line the Signal to
> > proceed is displayed by the Second Arm or Light >>
>

My reading of it all is that the first rules were based very much on the
fact that medium speed was being used for a junction situation - all the
examples show this. No where in this document does it refer to a medium
speed aspect being used for a straight route. I guess that the medium speed
aspect being used for straight running is first used in the North Melbourne
- Newmarket section (provided 27 Oct 1918 NM-Ken & 17 June 1918 Ken-New &
Ess) but I haven't seen any additional instructions about that although that
is not to say that there weren't any.

So I agree with you that it is very much a matter of interpretation and we
could argue for ever constantly quoting examples. I also agree with you
Eddie that it has been very enjoyable and causes us signalling fans to
scratch the grey matter and contemplate in a profound manner.

My copy of C 8/1915 has a couple of alterations inserted. They are possibly
of interest and so I will mention them here.
1. The diagrams of the three classes of signal as shown in clause 3a, b and
c have been replaced (WN 51/1917) by actual drawings of signals and replaced
the stylised versions.

2. Repeating signals were to be erected "at some distance from the point at
which the first automatic or interlocked 3 pos signal is placed". The
amendment (WN 48/1917) said that repeating signals now MAY be so placed,
thus removing the need to provide one if it was not in fact considered
necessary. The amendment also provided for the repeating signal to be a
light signal in future installations suggesting that the (shortlived) arms
at South Yarra (signalling provided 4 Oct 1915 and referred to as Richmond
to Hawksburn & Prahran) might have been the only ones. Of course we know
that Maldon Junction had them, were they the South Yarra arms reused. The
next 3 pos signals were to Ripponlea on 16 Dec 1917 and I suggest that the
alterations were published just in time for this new section to have light
repeating signals.

I do not have a copy of the 1915 litho (has anyone a copy?) but the 1919
still shows C81 (later F81) as a semaphore repeating signal. The up
repeaters on the Hawksburn section had been replaced by automatic signals
although auto signals beyond Hawksburn would not be provided until 18 Dec
1921.

3. WN 48/1917 contains the instruction that low speed aspects will always be
displayed by a light (i.e. arms will not be used although they were in the
original instructions) and it goes on to explain the uses of the aspect.

4. C 8/1915 provided for a notice board to be erected when entering a two
position area and was lettered

________________________
|                                               |
|            ENTERING                |
|  TWO POSITION SIGNAL  |
|                AREA                      |
_________________________

This was cancelled by an instruction in WN 48/1917 and I doubt that any were
erected at all.

5. The South Yarra installation was also unusual in that what were later
controlled auto signals were actually home signals even thought they did not
protect points. We have now returned to this situation but for a different
reason.

I conclude that the study of the progression of rules can be an interesting
subject.

David Langley