What is the name of the older types of signals often found in Absolute Block signalling?
Semaphore signals.
What are the yellow (cautionary) signals called?
Distant signal
Distant signals are what colour and what shape?
Yellow, with a black line and a “fish tail”
What is the name for the red semaphore signal?
Stop signal.
What colour is a stop signal?
Red with a white line though it?
When a stop signal or distant signal is at 45 degrees and showing a green light what does it mean?
Line clear, proceed and normal.
When a distant signal is in the horizontal position what colour light will it display? This is especially important in poor visibility/night.
Yellow
Can a distant signal be used to stop a train and why?
No because it only displays a caution aspect (yellow) or proceed (green).
When a stop signal is in the horizontal position what colour light will it display? This is especially important in poor visibility/night.
Red (danger/stop)
AB stands for what?
Absolute Block
In Absolute Block, the track is in block sections. How many trains can be in the section at one time?
Just one.
What does the distant signal tell the driver?
Instructs the driver how to proceed to the next signal (home signal) and cannot show a stop aspect.
What is an “aspect”?
The colour shown by a signal. I.e. Red means stop/danger
What does a Home signal mean/do?
Placed at the entrance to the signal box known as “station limits”. The signaller can see the train entering the section or has an indication of the presence of the train on the panel.
What does section signal mean/do?
Placed at the entrance to the Block Section. The signaller can see the train passing into the BLOCK SECTION or has an indication of the presence of the train on their panel.
What is the definition of “service braking distance”?
The distance it takes for the driver to stop the train.
What is the definition of “Clearing point”?
A 400m safety buffer placed beyond every HOME signal. The train must pass this before another train is authorised to enter the block section.
What is the definition of “station limits”?
The area between the HOME and the SECTION signals controlled by that specific signal box.
