Hi, I have the Madison central layout except I have a switch in just past the lake. I need help on where to put my signals as I don't have a clue about signals, I'm either using searchlights or G-types. thank you!! Also if you need more information I can give more!
G types as in signalswith a G sign on the post?
Not at all sure what the website means by g type. The only G type signals I have ever heard about are gradient signals that the train can pass if the track grade is a factor. The ones in the pictures there are permissives due to the nunber boards.
There are a LOT of websites that talk about signaling. Google will list a bunch.
http://www.lundsten.dk/us_signaling/movement.html This explains itway better than I can
Well, before you start placing sighals, you need to know that there are two kinds of signals (regardless of what signal head you are using).
The first type is a HOME or INTERLOCKING signal, these are operated manually by the interlocking tower and they protect the interlocking plant. That is to say it protects all of the switches within a plant. In HO you can simulate these by allowing the switch motor to display the signal aspects. You would put them in such a place that a train will not enter the plant until the sighals are clear. LION uses this method for his various switching plants. Normally the switch motor and the signal would be on separate levers in the tower, but LION does not have that many levers in the tower of him.
NOTE THAT THE NORMAL aspect of an INTERLOCKING signal is RED until the tower operator display a GREEN or YELLOW signal.... IN HO SCALE you probably want to have a GREEN aspect as NORMAL, and RED approaching a switch ligned against you. IF YOU like operating an interlocking plant, then you should wire them "correctly" with RED as normal, and Clearing it separately from the switch alignments.
The second kind of signal is the BLOCK SIGNAL. These are fully automatic and protect the front of your train from running into the tail of the train in front of you. Obviously if you are on a single track line, you would need an INTERLOCKING signal to clear you from the siding to the mane lion.
BLOCK Signals on the route of the Broadway LION, turn red as the train passes them, yellow as the train passes the next detector, and to green when it passes the third detector. These may appear in the middle of nowhere. They are not protecting switcvhes or routes, they are protecting trains.
Out here in North Dakota, the signals may be 3 to 5 miles apart, on the Subway they may be 200 to 500 feet apart. The closer the signals are to each other the more trains per hour you can push down the railroad.
AS far as HO is concerned, you put them where they look best photographically. On layout of LION, him has over 200 relays to enervate the block sighals (and system automation). On a smaller layout, you just use a timer of some sort that will move the signal to red as the train passes it and then it moves to yellow and then green perhaps 30 and 60 seconds into a cycle without real regard to where the train ahead actually is. Perhaps somebody can give us a circuit that will do this.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
By looking at pictures a signal is placed 4'-5' by the track. Clearance on a switch track which looks like 70' or more.
I found this website. It just talks about wiring.
http://www.building-your-model-railroad.com/train-signals.html
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
So another question, for a double track mainline with some cross overs where would i use single, double, and triple headed signals. Also what are the differences?
Note that there are different forms of signaling on real-life railroads, most of which would require much more room than is available on the HO 4X8 Madison Central to be realistic. On that layout, probably the most logical locations for signals would be at the ends of the single passing siding. But they are so close together that it may look odd – that would be up to you to decide.
For small model railroads, “cosmetic” signaling is probably the most common. This involves animating the signals in some way to suggest that they are functional, such as tying them to switch-point movement. Or a commercial product like Logic Rail’s Signal Animator.
BroadwayLionWell, before you start placing sighals, you need to know that there are two kinds of signals
That over-simplification (and the text that followed it) is not correct for many real-life signaling schemes. The link posted earlier on prototype signaling is much more accurate.
CBTSo another question, for a double track mainline with some cross overs where would i use single, double, and triple headed signals.
It depends entirely on the railroad's rule book and what sort of real-life signaling scheme is being represented. Again the Lundsten web pages referenced earlier are a good starting point.
Very generally, multiple-headed signals are used to convey speed or route information.
Railroad signals are not like highway traffic signals, the meaning is not consistent from place to place and over different eras. But for many model railroad situations, signaling is primarily cosmetic.
Byron
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
CBT I'm either using searchlights or G-types.
General Railway Signal Corp. type G
A very interesting and informative booklet is here::
http://www.alstomsignalingsolutions.com/Data/Documents/History.pdf
Amazing that the type G dates to 1925! (pg. 32)
Hope that helps,
Ed
CBTSo another question, for a double track mainline with some cross overs where would i use single, double, and triple headed signals. Also what are the differences?
There are more or less three types of signal systems, ABS/APB (automatic block signals), CTC and interlockings. CTC and interlockings operate in a very similar manner and look similar (except that interlockings tend to have more heads) ABS and CTC have different aspects and the signals are physically positioned differently along the railroad.
Having said that, your signal system is probably going to be more or less a "switch indicator" to show which way the switch is lined as opposed to a block signal. In that case I would suggest a two head signal at the end of the points and single head signals at the clearance points, all the signals face away from the switch. When the switch is lined "normal", the main track route (usually the straight route) the double head signal should be green over red, the normal route single head green and the reverse route single head red. When the switch is lined reverse, away from the main route (usually the curved side) the double head signal should be red over white, yellow or green, the normal route single head red and the reverse route single head green.
At crossovers, on multiple main track, there will be two signals on each track, one on either side of all the crossovers, all the signals facing away from the crossovers. For any signal where you can either go straight or cross over after passing it, it will have two heads. For any signal where you can only go straight after passing it, it will have a single head. The double head signals will be green over read if the crossover is for straight away movement and red over green/yellow for crossover movement. The single head signals will be green if the crossover is straight or red if the crossover is reversed.
If you have a double crossover (universal or a pair of crossovers in series), all the signals will be double head. If all the crossovers are lined normal, then all the signals will be green over red. If the crossover beyond the signal is linedfor movement past that signal, then the signals will be red over green or yellow. If the crossover beyond the signal is lined against movement past that signal, then it will be red over red.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
RMC is currently running a series by Bruce Chubb on signalling that's quite interesting. It's up to part 7 or 8, wonder if they'll eventually reissue it as a book?
wjstixRMC is currently running a series by Bruce Chubb on signalling that's quite interesting. It's up to part 7 or 8, wonder if they'll eventually reissue it as a book?
Railroad Signaling by Brian Solomon is also a great reference.
This website has scans of several class one railroad rulebooks for signals. Some of the information out side of the rulebooks is not completely accurate or is based on assumptions.
http://www.railroadsignals.us/rulebooks/rulebooks.htm
NMRA Hub division signaling committee has several good clinics on signaling:
http://www.hubdiv.org/signalComm.htm
Shows how they did it on a modular layout. Your home layout experience may vary.
Check out NMRA 2014 clinics (if they are still online), 2015 and 2016 clinics. They have great information about signaling.
Also check out:
http://www.rr-cirkits.com/Clinics/Clinics.html
Good clinics about signaling and LCC.
Also please note that some signals are common annode and some are common cathode and require special electronics to mix. Atlas is possibly the only manufacturer that uses common cathode.
South Bend Signals is another manufacturer you could look into.