I bet it was also necessary for the US&S salesman to have an excuse to go to Hawaii!
Pineapple rush, my eye!
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
Generally the comments you have received are correct, there wasn't much need for signalling on most narrow gauge lines. One notable exception was the 3-foot-gauge Oahu Railway in Hawaii, which had Automatic Block Signalling (ABS) with semaphore signals for the busy double-track main line. This was necessary for the pineapple rush, wartime military traffic, etc.
A great book on the Oahu Railway is Next Stop Honolulu by Jim Chiddix and Mac Simpson.
Most of the mainline and the signaling did not last long after WWII.
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
North American narrow gauge lines were generally low-traffic, low-cost operations that didn't go in for automatic signals or interlockings. What are normally taken for train order signals at stations may have been used as manual block signals – some prototype research would be required to determine this, including study of rule books and employee timetables. Andy Dodge's On3 Denver & South Park layout, featured in the 2009 edition of Great Model Railroads, uses a manual block system based on that prototype's operations in the 1880s, but without signals. The two-foot narrow gauge lines in New England were known for using ball signals at crossings and junctions, but again these were manually operated and not interlocked.
So long,
Andy
Andy Sperandeo MODEL RAILROADER Magazine
The Garratt-derivative pictured to the left was built in South Africa this decade. It is 500 mm. gauge, a bit under 20 inches.
Thanks ,Chuck/tomikawa
Sounds quite simple to put together. I see Grandt Line offer a set of 'semaphores' and 'station order boards' I presume these would do the job. Another of my presumtion would be that most lines would be running on a 'one loco in steam' arrangement so no great signaling would be needed. I have a lot to learn that what makes it fun. Apart from the systems, its the terms used. One of my hero's Winston Churchhill said (USA vs Britain) 'two great nation separated by a common language' I grew up in South Africa and worked on the South African Railways a major narrow gauge network with some of the largest narrow gauge loco's in the world in both steam and electric. I work as a fitter on electric traction and as you model Japanese railways we had Japanese designed emu's on our suburban lines 8 coach and 11 coach trains- 4M1,4M2 and 5M2A's(1950's right up todate although being replaced by new Japanese stock) South African mainline guage is 3'6''.
Welcome aboard!
The most probable type of signal system for the kind of US prototype On30 models I've seen would be train order signals (probably lower-quadrant semaphores) at each station. I doubt that any narrow gauge in rural/mountainous areas had automatic block signals, or anything as modern as color light signals.
My own prototype is narrow (1067mm) gauge, but traffic demands and complex trackwork resulted in the use of multi-head color light signals with as many as five lamps per head. During rush hours, 10 car heavy-rail EMU sets ran on two to three minutes headway, interspersed with mainline (locomotive-hauled or DMU) passenger schedules and the occasional freight. Operation was by timetable and train order, and the timetable schedules had the force of Holy Writ! You could set your watch by the departure times of the trains at almost any Japanese railroad station.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I am new to North American railways have switch to On30 two years ago. I am building a two depot layout in my garage am wondering if anyone could guide me on signals for narrow gauge. I know it's a broad brush, to help all my loco's and rolling stock are Bachmann. I have a mountain pass and about 60' foot of mainline. I am also new to model railway forums. Many Thanks