Re: [Melb] Broadmeadows re-signalling

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

Exnarc wrote:

> The reason for Somertons mixture of 2 and 3 position signalling would be the
> result of the Standard Gauge being opened in 1962, whilst the station layout
> is fundamentally a 2 position area, the fact that it has access to cross
> the SG Mainline would have necessitated the use of 3 position signals, note
> that only those BG signals that protect the grade crossing are 3 position.

No, many other places had only two pos sigs and crossed the sg main line. They
all use a crosslock lever arrangement. Somerton was probably signalled in this
manner because it was the thing to do at the time. Prior to the present box
opening, there was no block working at Somerton (previous signal box had closed
on 5 October 1903 shortly after the Upfield line had closed). The present box
opened on 19 July 1959 and as I said above was signalled with 3 pos sigs. There
of course may have been a possibility of the extension of 3 pos sigs right
through to Seymour at this time but lack of finance prevented anything
happening. I have a diagram of Seymour to Mangalore showing proposed 3 pos sigs
including Seymour New Yard.

> The fixing of the Home ex Upfield would be the result of a lack of track
> circiuting, the Calling On indicating that the track section maybe occuppied
> up to the next Dwarf, the home (even fixed) would be purely cosmetic as it
> was (still is)? an Arrival signal on a mainline therefore nothing short of a
> Home would have been acceptable to a (once) rather conservative VR.

This signal is the result of a cheap job i.e. NO gauge detection and thus at
best a calling on arm leading onto a dwarf signal (separate signals for each
gauge at the level crossing) without any advance indication of the aspects was
provided. And as Bob has said, a calling on signal needs to be under a home
signal whether that signal is fixed or not. At Somerton it is fixed as the
arriving trains entered sidings only. If the sg line connected to either No 1 or
2 roads then maybe the arm would have worked.

DEL