Very strange

[Christian Gründler]

I would like to draw your attention to a topic in the German part of the forum: http://zusiforum.eisenbahn-seiten.de/vi ... php?t=4314

The Signal shown in the first picture is the home signal of Talawakele station in Sri Lanka. The approach to the station lies in a sharp right-hand curve over a bridge. Strange are the white signals away from our viewpoint at right angles to the normal home signals. And there is a distant signal at the same post, which is quite extraordinary too.

Picture 2 shows the station and the starting signals at the other end; the first signal is behind us to the left. The picture has been taken from the second or fourth carriage of the train with telephoto lens, so we may assume that points of the station are lying in the curve (the end of which can be recognized in the foreground).

Picture 3 is a view back over the river; you can see the aforementioned bridge and the curve; the signal is to the left of us.

Picture 4 shows the signal from the other side. In the enlargement below you can recognize the bridge.

Question: what for are the white and black signals, and why is there a distant signal at the same place as the home signals?

Regards,
Christian

[Jason-M]

Hi Christian,

The white and black signals are what is on the reverse of the red and white ones, that is the back colour of the arms, I can only think that as the approach to these signals is on a tight curve that the arms are shown at a side view as well so that drivers can see them from a distance( most places would have banner repeaters).

Regarding the distant signal it is common in the UK to find distant signals on the same post as stop signals if the section ahead is very short.

Hope this makes sense.

[Roland Ziegler]

Christian grouped the signals into A and B, A visible from the distance, B visible from the bridge and also visible from the signal cabin.

Strange thing now is that group B is painted white and black on both sides. So it can't be something like an "inner Home". It may well serve as a some form of a repeater.

The arms of both groups may be mechanically coupled, I can only spot one counter weight per semaphore.

Presumably this whole installaition originates from the construction days of the railway line and rules may have changed since.

[Christian Gründler]

Hello Jason,

obviously I forgot to write here what I wrote in my first long contribution in German: if you carefully compare the two pictures of the signal, you will recognize that the signal arms in question are white and black on both sides!

And if I am not mistaken, in Great Britain there are no distant signals belonging to starting signals. Instead a signalman admitting a train to a station where the starting signal is still at danger will clear the home signal not before the approaching train has nearly come to a standstill in front of it, thus ensuring the driver has been warned and will not overrun the starting signal.

Regards,
Christian

EDIT: Needing more than four minutes to write my contribution, I hadn't seen Roland's reply......

[Jason-M]

Oh I see Christian what you mean now, I did not notice that some signals are black and white both sides, strange.

Yes you are right that usually the distant for the box in advance is on the box in rear's starting signal.

You are right about the fact that you will nearly stop a train on the home if the next signal is 'on' except if there is an entry for that location in the sectional appendix that allows you to disregard that rule.