This is a question for Ralph Berg or?
In video you showed Ralph on waiting for a train, shows two types of Track Signals. One has Three lights over a Two light signal… Ralph…do know how or what they are telling the Engineer?
Here is a photo clip out off the video…
The bottom signal maybe some type of a block signal or ???
There also same thing on the back ground main line that has them rev. “One light over Three light signal.”
Noel,
The three light signal mast most likely is a tr-color signal Green, Yellow, Red. The two light is either a Green/Red or Yellow/Red/or Yellow/Lunar (white).
With two signal masts, it means that the track is diverging, going from one track to two. The signal on the far left looks to be a signal entering the main, while the one of the right looks to me like the mainline signal.
The different colors of the signals and the locations all mean different things. The easy ones are Green over Red (Clear), Red over Red (Stop), Yellow over Red (Slow down prepared to stop at next signal). Some of the more complicated ones are yellow over flashing green. Signal indications and their meanings are specific to each RR and the track arrangement. So what I know about BNSF signals might not correspond to the NS signals, etc.
Hope this helps.
Craig
This site might help explain better. Good explanations too. http://www.railroadsignals.us/basics/basics4.htm
Tks Craig for posting some of the colors… But still not sure, even after looking at the link on signals. I still trying to understand the two light signal that is under the three light signal on the same post.
Does this mean that if the two light signal, and lite up on top light is maybe a Lunar or yellow or green means that you can proceed to the main line and use the three light signal to determine what you do once on the main line.
Guess just being around the W.P. and S.P. R.R. here in Cal. We didn’t see Signals like these. Guess back in the eastern states signals was lot difference like these and the Penn and NYC had.
The two headed mast on the left is signalling something about a diverging track. It looks to me as if the bottom head is a red/green. This is just an educated guess looking at the picture. If that was the case a signal such as red over green (red on the top tri-head, green on the bottom) it would signal to the engineer that the train is cleared to proceed through the diverging route at maximum speed. Not having any clue of what the track layout is in this location it’s kind of hard to explain what that gives the engineer permission to do.
Bob McCown said:
This will either help, or confuse you more, Noel:
And those are only for RR’s east of the Mississipi. The GCOR is for RR’s operating west of the Mississippi. Even more signal confusion. 
Craig Townsend said:
Bob McCown said:
This will either help, or confuse you more, Noel:
And those are only for RR’s east of the Mississipi. The GCOR is for RR’s operating west of the Mississippi. Even more signal confusion.
…
Now Bob and Craig, how can you say this may be confusing? Just a few target and few lights.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/noelw/Santa_fe/sig%201.jpg)(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/noelw/Santa_fe/sig%202.jpg)
Just because there more than one simple target, Green,Yellow or Red. Still Laf. and still trying to fig. out what the heck and glad i’m not an Engneer on tho lines … Still Laf. sorry. Just have to punt and hope for the best…
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/noelw/Smilies/sideways%20laf.gif)
I’m, going to keep mine simple.
Green = Get te go.
Yellow= The sheriff is in town and have to snick thru. " Don’t make to much noise at night and for god sake don’t hit anybody."
Red = Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa there. Problem ahead.
Sorry still laf. Hope all have some or lots of good humor.
Signals can get complex VERY quickly. Maybe I can explain in steps.
First, lets assume a single track railroad, and three-color signals (the simplest). You’re approaching the end of a ‘block’ where a signal will be. The signal head (this will be a single head) could display one of three ‘aspects’, Clear (green) Approach (yellow) or Stop (red). Clear means you have at least two blocks of ‘clear’ track ahead. Approach means that you have one block of ‘clear’ head, and, well, stop means stop. That’s the basic rule. Now lets throw in a passing siding.
Now is where it gets fun. You’re approaching a passing siding. The signal will have TWO heads on it. The top head governs what you can do with the Normal (straight) piece of track ahead, and the lower head governs what you can do with the Diverging piece of track. Lets say you are OK’d to head onto the siding. The TOP head will be Stop (red) because you can’t go on the main, and the lower head will be either Approach (yellow) or Clear (green) depending on various things like track speed, etc). Lets say its Approach, because your supposed to stop on the siding. Instead of saying all that, we call that Medium Clear (see chart)
That’s about as simple as you can get with simple signals. You can get into all sorts of configurations with three heads (interlockings, etc) and a bunch of other rules.
Signals are fascinating, one of the things I love about RRing.
Now Bob, why didn’t all say that. laf. now we understand. Just was confusing of two difference targets on the same pole and confused us. But all in all tk’s for the come back and I know a lot other wonder also how this worked
While you were post the ans I post the add on to mine and hope you don’t mine the extra way we run our R.R. Simple mine and old guy ways but it all in fun. Tk’s for the time to help… Noel & Jane PLus our Kids/Aminals.
For even more fun, here’s the basics of a CTC layer over your signals.
Tks’ Bob…I have CTC on my Ho r.r. but only use single targets stacked and ground targets on the yard area. Mine work off of Reed and relay to a computer to keep block and targets for the main line running auto. But this stacking on one post of more than one gang sig. kind of thru me.
Garden R.R. we use manual Blocks with targets.
Anyway tks for the time to help us.
