Branch signaling continued

[NW Mailing List]

no, I am a model railroad hobbiest, installing signals on my layout. I
have a fairly good understanding of signals, I made a breadboard circuit
years ago for a 4 head 2 signal bridge color light, worked but wire wrap
wiring...wow, all the ICs and logic behind it.
 
Today its Digitrax and JMRI, I have a yard ladder I am working on with
signals and I understand the issues making your signaling needs.
For JMRI I literally have to program each head for the aspect I want to
display, that includes 2 heads. I have multi-railroads for the layout and
this includes N&W.
Theres a generality of signal aspects thats clear between all railroads,
but each railroad has their own designs how to apply them and interpret
them.
N&W signals seem to have a stronger reference for the semaphore signals,
its just if you have an aspect display that isnt required on a signal, they
don't use the lamps for the non-aspect that does not get used, saves lamps,
like the bottom head has only the virtical lamps, its not going to need the
angled lamps, or 90 degree lamps.
For the change to color position lights, many signals lost the lower
horizontal lights for the single red lamp, while you get the 2 light angled
amber indication.
How PRR handle signals, C&NW, NYC, Milw road, the application of the
signals varies.
 
In building my layout I have to make decisions what this signal needs to
show for the circumstance, I'm here to learn as well to give advice.

For the figure 5 I hemmed and hawed on it which way it should be, again
its interpretation how you want it to be. If its this aspect you make it
that and put it in your rules what it should be. 
If you wanted the engineer to know the turnout is set for diverging you
would have "Approach Diverging", but the next signal is full red. It is not
advance approach. I understand using the approach indication, as long as
the engineer understands it, and the interpretation is correct. The
decision what that signal should show has a lot to do with the
circumstance. If that train ahead was actually in the next block ahead you
would have the "Clear Diverging" indication. The point is if you are having
this signal relate the turnout indictation, if not, you will not have a 2nd
head on it, only the the single head and can only show clear/approach/stop.

Usually my understanding you only have home interlocking signals relating
turnout situations, previous signals
would only give you 3 aspects unless you need some advance signaling
indications for speed that do not say turnout indications, that never will.

So your figure 5 signal in question actually becomes an advance signal if
you keep the lower head, otherwise you don't need it. Its indication should
be approach, the lower head is dark, but I think you don't need the lower
head unless you have a speed circumstance. I think now this is where we are
getting confused.

this is a followup to  the previous email, I was having a temporary email
prob.


 
cheers
 
-Lynn-
----- Original Message ----- 
From: NW Mailing List 
To: NW Mailing List 
Sent: Friday, November 08, 2013 11:47 AM
Subject: Re: Branch signaling continued


Lynn, I have to ask the question, are you a present or former train
service employee on N&W or NS? 


Both Jeff and Jimmy are former employees, Jimmy retired as an Engineer on
the Shenandoah Division, Jeff retired as a Yard Conductor.


I have to respect their understanding of the rules, as they worked with
them.


Ken Miller


On Nov 7, 2013, at 10:23 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:


for figure 5 the signal in question is about which way the switch is
thrown, its not an advance signal, so we have differrent thoughts on this,
well, its advance to the turnout, but neither indication is intepreted as
an advance signal indication, that would be a signal previous.
 
-Lynn-