Signal theft at Whittlesea (April 2025)

[Islineclear3_1]

I don't normally subscribe to Rail but this came up on my feed... Old news now but what happens in such a situation?

A semaphore signal arm on the Ely-Peterborough line was stolen in mid-April

Signal theft discovered by staff when trying to clear line for freight train

Signaller discovered fault with missing signal arm confirmed by passing freight driver.

www.railmagazine.com

 

[edwin_m]

A story from a signalling instructor who would work with a simulator to train signallers, himself playing the part of anyone who was phoning in.

When he called in as driver 1 to report standing at a signal, the trainee told him to "take the signal", local slang for passing at danger.

When he called in later as driver 2, he reported that the signal was missing.

 

[John Webb]

The Great Western coloured the signal post finials yellow for a distant signal and red for a stop signal. The LMS gave their 'remote' (ie not on a gantry) distant signal posts white and black bands. In both cases if the driver found an arm missing they knew what sort of signal it was and how it could be passed with safety in accordance with the regulations.

 

[zwk500]

I don't normally subscribe to Rail but this came up on my feed... Old news now but what happens in such a situation?

Presumably it's treated the same as any other unclear/non-displayed aspect.

 

[Annetts key]

If any important part of a signal is defective including parts missing, the driver must treat it as showing its most restrictive aspect. The problem must be reported to the signaller. The signaller will caution any train required to approach the detect signal advising the driver of the reported problem.