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"Standing Ahead Controls"

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4COR

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Platform 1N at Dundee is 96m between signals D755 and D746. Neither signal has standing ahead controls. The total length of 4x mk5 coaches and a class 73 loco is 105.76m. Back to the drawing board.

Split this out of https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/caledonian-sleeper.176365/post-5272955 :

"Standing Ahead Controls" I presume is the ability for a train to shunt onto/leave a platform with the leading end past the platform signal?

I'm fairly sure I've seen this at Swanage when we went there a few years back (with the rebuilt Merchant Navy beyond the starter?), but can anyone explain how this works (both modern day and previous times I guess) and how common it is these days?
 
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MadMac

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The whole idea of “standing ahead” or “standing out” is primarily to enable a locomotive to go on the front of the train, be ahead of the platform signal and still be under the control of that signal. The signal will be fitted with orange background rear indicators showing “Off” and repeating the route indicator(s) where provided. Not really common these days as the vast majority of workings are multiple units/“fixed formation”, but older installations may have the facility.
 

matchmaker

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The whole idea of “standing ahead” or “standing out” is primarily to enable a locomotive to go on the front of the train, be ahead of the platform signal and still be under the control of that signal. The signal will be fitted with orange background rear indicators showing “Off” and repeating the route indicator(s) where provided. Not really common these days as the vast majority of workings are multiple units/“fixed formation”, but older installations may have the facility.
Stirling Middle used to have a red banner for this purpose - on a couple of the bay platforms I think.
 

4COR

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The signal will be fitted with orange background rear indicators showing “Off” and repeating the route indicator(s) where provided. Not really common these days as the vast majority of workings are multiple units/“fixed formation”, but older installations may have the facility.
Thanks for that - I'd assume there is some procedure on the side of the signaller (reminders? Does it ever occur where signals would auto-revert to red with a train in the circuit ahead of the signal, etc? - sorry, I ask as an interested outsider!)

Also, anyone have images of this type of arrangement? I haven't ever seen any, and my Google-foo isn't helping in finding an example!

scrub that,: found at: http://www.railsigns.uk/photos/p_repsig1/p_repsig1.html
 
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MadMac

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Thanks for that - I'd assume there is some procedure on the side of the signaller (reminders? Does it ever occur where signals would auto-revert to red with a train in the circuit ahead of the signal, etc? - sorry, I ask as an interested outsider!)
It's designed such that it's only "in play" if you back something onto a train that's already in the platform which leaves part of the train ahead of the signal - there's directional logic to enforce that. You can't, for example, put a train past a signal if it's too long for the platform and then re-clear the signal to let it move on.
 
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