First colour light Aspect in Great Britain

[jonathan01n]

Where and when is the first colour light aspect signal in Great Britain? I mean the 2,3 or 4 aspect signals. I assume colour light aspect comes along with track circuit so I may wish to know also where and when is the first operational track circuit in Britain.

 

[pdeaves]

Where and when is the first colour light aspect signal in Great Britain? I mean the 2,3 or 4 aspect signals. I assume colour light aspect comes along with track circuit so I may wish to know also where and when is the first operational track circuit in Britain.

I don't think there is a link between track circuits and colour light signals. Yes, colour lights are in track circuit areas, but there are (or were) plenty of places with track circuits and semaphore signals.

 

[EM2]

The very first track circuit in the UK was installed at Brixton on the LCDR in 1864. It was devised by William Sykes, responsible for a number of safety innovations.

The very earliest colour lights used in the UK were on the London Underground in 1898. On a 'mainline' railway, they were first used on the Liverpool Overhead Railway in 1920 (two-aspect). In 1923, they were introduced on the LNER between Marylebone & Neasden (three-aspect), this installation had been planned by the GCR before the Grouping.

 

[30907]

Amazing what 30 seconds on your favourite search engine can throw up.
http://www.modelrailforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3052

The first mainline installation was on the SR in March 1926 at Blackfriars and Holborn Viaduct, closely followed by Charing Cross/Cannon St/Borough Market Jn and a couple of years later by London Bridge.
Some of the 4-aspect signals had lenses arranged in a circle initially.

Edit: well I thought they were the first, but EM2's post says not.

 

[John Webb]

The very first track circuit in the UK was installed at Brixton on the LCDR in 1864. It was devised by William Sykes, responsible for a number of safety innovations.......

According to "Two Centuries of Railway Signalling" (Kitchenside and Williams, OPC) Syke's first track circuit was tried out at Crystal Palace in 1876, with limited success, following the devising of the track circuit in the USA in 1872. He followed this up in 1886 at St Pauls near Blackfriars with more success.
Prior to the track circuit, Sykes had developed treadle switches, first used in 1874, to use the passage of a train to appropriately lock or release block instruments and related signals.