Pigs ears

[D Foster]

While sorting photos tonight it has occurred to me...

The (relatively) early multiple aspect colour light signals were fitted with "pigs ears" to provide up-close sighting for Drivers standing at the signals. (Maybe this was only on Southern with the MU stock???).
Later MACL were fitted with outer lenses that had a "hot spot" moulded in the configuration that deflected about 1/6 of the beam to the side for the same purpose. (I know that these were fitted all over the country).

So... A couple of things that I'm wondering...

1. I'm pretty sure that old-style searchlight signals were fitted with outer lenses that had hotspots... But - were any ever fitted with "pigs ears"...? Although I can see the technical problems arising from the single lamp if they were.

2. I know that the VMS lightweight searchlights have the LED equivalent of pigs ears... in fact they have facility for up to 3 sets of "side lights" on each side of the standard head.
I also know that the VMS direct replacement MACL LED heads have a hotspot moulded in the clear plastic outer shell.
So - in this case I'm wondering what happens with the other examples of LED searchlights - such as both the Dorman lightweights and "heavyweights"? Do they have some sort of "up-close" sighting arrangement?

Thanks

 

[Railsigns]

I've never seen a searchlight signal with pig's ears but there were odd instances where a separate miniature multi-lens head was provided near driver's eye level for close-up viewing.

Dorman LED signals have an 'eyebrow' - a line of LEDs around the edge of the lens in the appropriate quadrant - for close-up viewing. This applies to both their lightweight and standard heads.

 

[D Foster]

Thanks for that

I didn't think that pigs ears would be practical/possible. Some form of mini multiple aspect makes sense. Do you have any idea where there might have been examples please? Or - better still - know of a picture please?

The Dormans are going to be (yet another) thing I have to look out for. I've been having a whole load of trouble just finding a four aspect I can get a decent shot of.
I have, however, managed to find both lunar lights and subsidiary signals... With a bit of cunning scheming and use of step ladders - outside the boundary!

Thanks again for the reply

 

[John Webb]

We're in the process at St Albans South signal box of setting up a demonstration of LED signal heads, thanks to the generosity of an East Midlands company who gave us some items surplus to their requirements:

These are Dorman heads, so if you are ever down our way, you could always photograph our signals. (They will be running through a set sequence - probably operational by late August.)

 

[D Foster]

Thanks John
I've got loads of "plain" Dorman LED signals - and I gained a bunch more at Chester and at Saltney Junction today. The thing I have to look out for is the "eyebrows" mentioned.

Incidentally - does anyone know whose LED there are at Bicester North? The LED pattern is a hexagon not a circle. Are they possibly an early pattern - or something completely different?

Thanks again

 

[Railsigns]

The 'eyebrows' are fairly apparent in the top two photos:

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Some form of mini multiple aspect makes sense. Do you have any idea where there might have been examples please? Or - better still - know of a picture please?

There were examples at Ipswich and Shenfield. Photos appeared in "The Signalling Record" (the journal of the Signalling Record Society) two years ago.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Incidentally - does anyone know whose LED there are at Bicester North? The LED pattern is a hexagon not a circle. Are they possibly an early pattern - or something completely different?

Signal House LED signals fit that description.

 

[D Foster]

I have definitely not noticed those nice, bright eyebrows... Are there any examples in the Midlands please?

Thanks for the other info as well

 

[Cherry_Picker]

They are all over the Snow Hill lines, Moor St all the way down to Leamington Spa. The 'eyebrow' isn't that visible until you are right underneath the signal so it's not that obvious from the platforms.

There are LED pigs ears at Wolverhampton too.

 

[D Foster]

Thanks I guess that Snow Hill is a tad closer than Penzance...

Are the Wolverhampton pigs ears the type in the VMS signals... Or...?

Someone else advised me of PZ70...

http://www.railsigns.uk/photos/p_clsig2/pic_mcus.jpg

Apparently this "variant" has been done because long trains stand at least right up to the signal - assuming they don't count as "not fully within fixed signals". Meaning that the front end is beyond the signal that applies to it in this case. (I can't recall the bit in Rules/Regs that dealt with this... But I know it was somewhere... Like Out-of-Gauge Loads and Wrong Direction Movements it was one of those things that had to be studied extra hard for exams but hardly ever, if ever, came into your working).

Meanwhile...

Any idea who made the miniature repeater please?

Weirdly it looks like the repeater's aspects are individual LEDs... I wonder why not use a multi-colour single LED?

I like this signal presumably it's similar to the old filament-lamp searchlight signals?
Are there any others lurking around the country??? Hopefully not so far away... (My legs don't like long distances any more :cry

 

[D Foster]

Hmmm...

The new signals on the new Norton Bridge junction arrangement appear to have the eyebrows - and the new ones at Stafford definitely do...

This makes me wonder whether the Dorman LEDs have always had eyebrows and that I have just not achieved the angle necessary to capture them in a photos - or - whether they have been introduced at some point - which would mean that some earlier ones might not have eyebrows...
Any information please?
Thanks

 

[John Webb]

Hmmm...

The new signals on the new Norton Bridge junction arrangement appear to have the eyebrows - and the new ones at Stafford definitely do...

This makes me wonder whether the Dorman LEDs have always had eyebrows and that I have just not achieved the angle necessary to capture them in a photos - or - whether they have been introduced at some point - which would mean that some earlier ones might not have eyebrows...
Any information please?
Thanks

I've a copy of the Dorman Catalogue for 2009, and all their LED main aspect signals had the Eyebrows then, although I appreciate it's not that long ago.

Oh - we got our LEDs working this week at St Albans South:

The eyebrow is fairly clear on the green aspect. The GPL signal is separate from the 4 and 3 aspect signal sequence - there is a theatre display as well, but virtually invisible behind the greenery behind the GPL! (Further information about these signals can be found at http://www.tlr.ltd.uk/sigbox/news/content2016.eb as well as news of other developments at the box.)

 

[Signal Head]

Someone else advised me of PZ70...

http://www.railsigns.uk/photos/p_clsig2/pic_mcus.jpg


Any idea who made the miniature repeater please?

Weirdly it looks like the repeater's aspects are individual LEDs... I wonder why not use a multi-colour single LED?

As far as I know Dorman made the miniature repeater.
I have seen some product approval documentation for it a while back.

It's only possible to get 2 colours in a miniature LED module, which are the same housing,or at least similar, to the ground signal type. They don't use multi-colour LEDS, but an interleaved matrix of the different colours, and I presume there isn't enough room in the miniature module to get enough LEDs in for three colours while maintaining sufficient brightness.
Dorman also make miniature tunnel and close-up signals using this type of module.

Are there any others lurking around the country??? Hopefully not so far away... (My legs don't like long distances any more :cry

Thameslink core uses miniature tunnel signals, the ones on the platforms at St. Pancras low level are easy to see, and there aare miniature co-acting signals at Waterloo, Waterloo East, and Crystal Palace, to my knowledge.

 

[Ploughman]

Away from rail use for a minute.
A new set of Belisha Beacons on a Zebra crossing near me have EYEBROWS.
Are these made by Dorman as well?