Blackpool Semaphore Signals

Hi all,

I'm not an expert at british semaphore signals, but whilst running a trip from Preston to Blackpool North today (2P51) at Pouton-Le-Fylde there was a horizontal semaphore with a red light just to the left of my track. To me that means stop, but apparently it doesn't.

Anyone have any hints on how to read these signals?

Thanks

 

Please provide a picture. I would presume it was the signal for a different track.

 

Are you talking about this signal?
Two heads on it represent two directions the next switch can be set to. If the route set to the left towards Blackpool South, then left will be green, and right will be red. If the route is set to Blackpool North, then it will look as it does in the picture -- left head is red, right head is green.
This signal is closed only when both heads show red.

 

The branch to Blackpool South diverges at Kirkham & Wesham, not Poulton-le-Fylde. The signal as shown is cleared for the former Fleetwood branch, towards Burn Naze! If you accepted this with a train for Blackpool, you'd be in for tea without biscuits with the boss.

But you are generally correct about the "route signalling" facet of British practice. With semaphore signals, there is usually one arm for each route (though there are exceptions where a "route indicator" is provided instead, most notably for the Blackpool North station throat). The arm mounted highest will be for the main, fastest route - though at Poulton-le-Fylde it seems that the route towards Blackpool has in practice been downgraded to the same speed as the Fleetwood route, it is still a passenger route rather than a freight-only route, and that also counts.

 

Oops, you're right. I haven't quite learned the route yet. Only did few runs on it, and most of them were between Preston and Ormskirk, so I don't really remember northern part very well.

 

I'm pretty sure that the main route is to Blackpool North which is signified by the larger signal which is on the right.
The diverging route to Burn Naze would be the signal on the left and the smaller one.

 

Those signal arms are exactly the same size. If one looks slightly longer to you, remember that the lamp is shining through the green lens which is further from the tip of the arm.

The key is which one is mounted higher.

Also - look at the flippin' map!