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Found this absolutely fascinating youtube.com/watch?v=UCXav-ptPe…

Why Do We Still Have Semaphore Signals?

Network Rail invited me to take a tour of signalling through the decades, starting with the Littlehampton Signal Box - still operating semaphore signals - th...
YouTube
in reply to Sarah Brown

Sion [main]
Sion [main]
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There's not a lot of signalling on our line. In fact, I think everything along the single track section

is controlled by the driver or guard throwing switches in cabinets on the platforms. I *think* the level crossings are controlled automatically by sensors, but there's at least a manual override on the non-platform side on some consisting of a length of chain, like the old emergency brake onboard, which the driver can reach out and pull.

[* there's a crewed signal box at at least the southern end which includes physical token passing]

in reply to Sion [main]

Alexandra Lanes
Alexandra Lanes
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@Sion [main] NSTR. Basically as you say but the driver needs permission from the signaller to get the token. Level crossings seem to be either user worked, open, or automatic.
in reply to Alexandra Lanes

Sion [main]
Sion [main]
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@ajlanes I think all the open crossings are on private farm tracks. Hit a cow on one once. Messy. Missed advance ticket connection and guard took some persuading that I was trying to use a later train because the service I'd been on had hit a cow.

The working signal box I know with token exchange is Pantyffynnon at the southern end. Then it's all single track north from there, apart from a few double-tracked stations for passing (including here). Which I guess means there must be some point operations as well as signals.

@Alexandra Lanes
in reply to Sion [main]

Alexandra Lanes
Alexandra Lanes
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@Sion [main] There’s a delay attribution code EXT ANIMAL for attributing a delay to “animals not under the control of Network Rail”. This begs a question, obviously.
in reply to Sarah Brown

kæt
kæt
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There's a fascinating video "somewhere on YouTube" showing them building mechanical interlock trays. It's worth a watch, but I can't find it now.
in reply to Sarah Brown

kæt
kæt
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There's a few semaphore signals left on the Hexham line. There's no significant junctions the whole length of the line, but there used to be, and it's double track, so I imagine under normal operation it doesn't need much attention.

A lot of the infrastructure has been reduced to short sidings and the like for engineering work. There's also crossing points between the tracks which spend 99% of their time normal. I suppose if you're at a possession to work, there's no real need to electronic signals.

in reply to kæt

Sarah Brown
Sarah Brown
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@kæt Quite a few at Thetford, I think
@kæt
in reply to Sarah Brown

kæt
kæt
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Wasn't there something about an accident at a Thetford level crossing because that line was on a special, completely different computer system at Cambridge Power Signal box, which everyone hated using and was confused by? Or am I misremembering?
in reply to Sarah Brown

Alexandra Lanes
Alexandra Lanes
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@Sarah Brown @kæt Nope, the whole of the Ely-Norwich line was resignalled with coloured lights a few years ago.
@Sarah Brown @kæt
in reply to Sarah Brown

Alexandra Lanes
Alexandra Lanes
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@Sarah Brown When I was up along the Cumbrian coast with @Ben Harris we got chatting with a signaller somewhere around Drigg. Apparently moves to upgrade the signalling along that route got nixed because it was felt having people on the ground monitoring train movements was better for the security of flask trains. (Both the low level repository and Sellafield are up there.)
@Sarah Brown @Ben Harris
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