Trivia TOC's with no Semaphore Signals on their route

74A · 19 May 2019

In the 2019 I wonder how many TOC's have no Semaphores on their route. Very few I think.

Virgin West Coast maybe though they could encounter some on diversionary routes. Apart from that I can't think of any.

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Melancholia · 19 May 2019

c2c is one, what about Southeastern & Southern?

Bald Rick · 19 May 2019

c2c and London Overgound for starters?

PudseyBearHST · 19 May 2019

74A said:
In the 2019 I wonder how many TOC's have no Semaphores on their route. Very few I think.

Virgin West Coast maybe though they could encounter some on diversionary routes. Apart from that I can't think of any.

Crewe to Chester via Beeston Castle
Also, I’m sure there are some between Chester and Holyhead

iphone76 · 19 May 2019

TfL Rail (both sides)

krus_aragon · 19 May 2019

PudseyBearHST said:
Crewe to Chester via Beeston Castle
Also, I’m sure there are some between Chester and Holyhead

Yes, at the Holyhead end (as far as Gaerwen). And they've got a stay of reprieve now that Network Rail have postponed the second half of the North Wales resignalling.

KingJ · 19 May 2019

Melancholia said:
what about Southeastern & Southern

Does Hastings still have semaphores at the Ore end of the platforms? I've not been down there for a year or so but I couldn't turn up anything about them being recently removed in a quick search.

PudseyBearHST · 19 May 2019

krus_aragon said:
Yes, at the Holyhead end (as far as Gaerwen). And they've got a stay of reprieve now that Network Rail have postponed the second half of the North Wales resignalling.

Interesting, thanks.

duffield · 19 May 2019

KingJ said:
Does Hastings still have semaphores at the Ore end of the platforms? I've not been down there for a year or so but I couldn't turn up anything about them being recently removed in a quick search.

Southern still had semaphores at Littlehampton when I was there on Friday.

Ianno87 · 19 May 2019

Merseyrail? (Although does Ellesmere Port have one at the Helsby end?)

Llama · 19 May 2019

74A said:
Virgin West Coast maybe though they could encounter some on diversionary routes. Apart from that I can't think of any.

Shrewsbury.

godfreycomplex · 19 May 2019

C2C, London Overground, Merseyrail (I don’t think there’s any semaphores at Ellesmere Port but I could be mistaken)
That’s it I think - Southeastern work under them at Deal and Hastings

Spamcan81 · 19 May 2019

Heathrow Express?

godfreycomplex · 19 May 2019

Spamcan81 said:
Heathrow Express?

If we still count that as a separate TOC of course, but sadly after the Heathrow area semaphore absolute block boxes were abolished last year no longer.

Boodiggy · 19 May 2019

Llama said:
Shrewsbury.

Any Euston Drivers will also see them on the Carriage Lines between Harlesden and Wembley....

TheSel · 19 May 2019

godfreycomplex said:
C2C, London Overground, Merseyrail (I don’t think there’s any semaphores at Ellesmere Port but I could be mistaken)
That’s it I think - Southeastern work under them at Deal and Hastings

(Also in response to post #10 from @Ianno87)

The Ellesmere Port situation is an interesting one for the pedants to argue over exactly how this aligns to the question as originally asked!

Facts:

Ellesmere Port is a Merseyrail Station.
Ellesmere Port station has a single semaphore, controlling eastbound departures from platform 2.
Platform 2 is not electrified, and therefore sees no Merseyrail service. Excluding 'specials' and occasional engineering-related runs, it is used solely by Northern's thrice-daily (SuX) Helsby (and beyond) DMUs which terminate / start here.

Photographic evidence - 507010 attached.

thenorthern · 19 May 2019

Pre-Metro operations on the Stourbridge Town branch, I think I read technically its an open-access operator.

jamesst · 20 May 2019

TheSel said:
(Also in response to post #10 from @Ianno87)

The Ellesmere Port situation is an interesting one for the pedants to argue over exactly how this aligns to the question as originally asked!

Facts:

Ellesmere Port is a Merseyrail Station.
Ellesmere Port station has a single semaphore, controlling eastbound departures from platform 2.
Platform 2 is not electrified, and therefore sees no Merseyrail service. Excluding 'specials' and occasional engineering-related runs, it is used solely by Northern's thrice-daily (SuX) Helsby (and beyond) DMUs which terminate / start here.

Photographic evidence - 507010 attached.

View attachment 63239

And an interesting point. Until recently thanks to that one semaphore signal that has nothing to do with Merseyrail on a network that has no absolute block Merseyrail traincrew still had to learn semaphore signalling!!

30907 · 20 May 2019

Are there still semaphores anywhere on the SW trains network? I can only think of Yeovil PM which I still think of as GW...anywhere else?

swt_passenger · 20 May 2019

30907 said:
Are there still semaphores anywhere on the SW trains network? I can only think of Yeovil PM which I still think of as GW...anywhere else?

Can’t think of any on the main SWR routes off hand. It depends how you define a TOC’s network really, I suspect Yeovil PM is a current part of their network, but would it have been when only diversions and ECS route learners went that way?

Alternatively, does a fixed distant on the Ludgershall branch, visible from a train approaching Andover, count as a semaphore signal?

ForTheLoveOf · 20 May 2019

swt_passenger said:
Can’t think of any on the main SWR routes off hand. It depends how you define a TOC’s network really, I suspect Yeovil PM is a current part of their network, but would it have been when only diversions and ECS route learners went that way?

Alternatively, does a fixed distant on the Ludgershall branch, visible from a train approaching Andover, count as a semaphore signal?

SWR has regularly scheduled services to, from and through Yeovil Pen Mill so I'd say it's definitely part of their network, even if the services aren't particularly frequent.

swt_passenger · 20 May 2019

ForTheLoveOf said:
SWR has regularly scheduled services to, from and through Yeovil Pen Mill so I'd say it's definitely part of their network, even if the services aren't particularly frequent.

Yes, that’s why I agreed it should be included.

I think in hindsight as signalling is a Network Rail function the thread’s question should probably have been asked in terms of Network Rail route boundaries, eg I expect Wessex route or Western deals with the Pen Mill question...

Deepgreen · 20 May 2019

30907 said:
Are there still semaphores anywhere on the SW trains network? I can only think of Yeovil PM which I still think of as GW...anywhere else?

Since the down starter at the branch route at Hamworthy was removed, nothing on the 'spine' to Weymouth.

DarloRich · 20 May 2019

74A said:
Virgin West Coast

do they still have them in the depot area at Wembley?

PudseyBearHST · 20 May 2019

DarloRich said:
do they still have them in the depot area at Wembley?

Yes, also mentioned here:

Boodiggy said:
Any Euston Drivers will also see them on the Carriage Lines between Harlesden and Wembley....

DarloRich · 20 May 2019

PudseyBearHST said:
Yes, also mentioned here:

thanks - spotted that AFTER my post (sorry!)

Deepgreen · 20 May 2019

ECML has one (almost at right angles to the railway!) at Doncaster station - not for operational use obviously. The line north from Aylesbury has an impressive gantry adjacent to the line at Quainton Road!

pompeyfan · 21 May 2019

swt_passenger said:
Yes, that’s why I agreed it should be included.

I think in hindsight as signalling is a Network Rail function the thread’s question should probably have been asked in terms of Network Rail route boundaries, eg I expect Wessex route or Western deals with the Pen Mill question...

Yeovil PM is classed as Wessex, as is the route through to Weymouth via Maiden Newton etc. I would assume the boundary is the fringe between YPM box and Westbury box.

swt_passenger · 21 May 2019

pompeyfan said:
Yeovil PM is classed as Wessex, as is the route through to Weymouth via Maiden Newton etc. I would assume the boundary is the fringe between YPM box and Westbury box.

Oh right, and of course that does seem pretty logical then, geographically speaking. Should have realised that the Western wouldn't extend under the Wessex area. :oops:

BS56 · 21 May 2019

In that photo of Ellesmere port I think I can see another semaphore in the distance on the left just before the road over bridge part covered by tree branches .

Trivia TOC's with no Semaphore Signals on their route

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