More questions about lever frames

[DistantAR3]

I know you can get electric and mechanical signals, but can electric signals also be semaphores with motors attached (if those exist), also are there mechanical and electrical points, FPL and a combination of them in 1 lever?
Also for stop+distant signal combine levers can those be mechanical as well as electric?
And finally, can gate locks/ground frame be electrical?

Something else I'm wondering is can level crossings with barriers be operated from brown levers?

Sorry for 2 posts just rammed with questions, I'm creating a signalling simulator and want it to be as accurate as possible.

 

[High Dyke]

Yes. Some locations have motor worked semaphore signals. Mainly distant signals, but the odd stop signal can be like that.

Electrically worked points have a form of facing point lock in their operation. Ground frames can be electrically released, sometimes these can be remote from the controlling signal box. Then the method of working includes telephone and/or bell codes for the operator.

 

[MarkyT]

I know you can get electric and mechanical signals, but can electric signals also be semaphores with motors attached (if those exist)

Yes semaphore signal machines were quite common in early electric signalling.

, also are there mechanical and electrical points, FPL and a combination of them in 1 lever?

Economical point operation is the term for single lever mechanical point movement and locking. There were a number of patent mechanisms, able to both move the point then engage the FPL bolt in the movement of a single lever, usually by means of a cam arrangements to allow lost motion of the main drive while the bolt is driven first out of the port before movement starts then back in at the end of the stroke. The basic concept is still incorporated in some electric point machines.

Also for stop+distant signal combine levers can those be mechanical as well as electric?

These are for controlling a home signal and its associated separate distant on approach from the same lever. I know of no wholly mechanical implementations of that, although electric machine operation of semaphores could plausibly allow it for one or both of the pair. Not liked traditionally in AB areas due to certain scenarios where regulations require the distant maintained at caution for a degraded acceptance. Useful for an Intermediate Block installation for controlling both IB home and distant. Could also be a semaphore home mechanically operated, also controlling a colour light distant electrically.

And finally, can gate locks/ground frame be electrical?

Yes some ground frames are wholly electric with a small trackside switch panel in a cabinet and electric point machines. Many small gate cabins have had lever equipment replaced by small electric switch panels. In many cases the levers were previously just being used as big switches anyway.

Something else I'm wondering is can level crossings with barriers be operated from brown levers?

Often there's still a gate lock lever in the frame which is operated to release the signals once barriers are observed closed and clear. The barriers are operated from a small control console by the window with a good view over the crossing.

Sorry for 2 posts just rammed with questions, I'm creating a signalling simulator and want it to be as accurate as possible.

Hope that's of help.

 

[John Webb]

.....Also for stop+distant signal combine levers can those be mechanical as well as electric?.....

The original Intermediate Block Signals (IBSs) were motor-worked semaphores, first used on the GWR around 1907. As colour light signals became more common in the 1920s, they were preferred for use as IBSs. British Railways introduced a lot more colour-light IBSs as part of their modernisation plan.

 

[Annetts key]

It should be noted that most levers that only operated an electrical item/equipment were shorter in length. This was a reminder to the signaller that they only needed a "light" amount of effort to operate them.