Where can the oldest colour light signal on the national network be found?

[Islineclear3_1]

Given that many older colour light schemes are being renewed/replaced with LED's, where is the oldest surviving working example on the national network?

 

[brad465]

Does it count if the signal head is still the same but now there is an LED fitting inside instead of filament bulb? There are plenty of those kicking around.

 

[zwk500]

It's possible the oldest colour light is a unusually far off distant signal for an Absolute Block signal box. It would be an obvious thing to fit in the first instance, but then wouldn't be touched until the wholesale resignalling came around.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Does it count if the signal head is still the same but now there is an LED fitting inside instead of filament bulb? There are plenty of those kicking around.

No, I mean original signal head, post, fittings, signal plate and still using a filament bulb - not LED

 

[John Webb]

I suspect it may well be on a disused siding where it has been left in place to avoid the expense of significant alterations to the interlocking?

 

[Lucy1501]

Distant on old mechanical boxes are the most likely answer as zwk500 suggested.

The oldest signals I know the dates of are at Workington No.2. It has signal 4, a 3 aspect colour light with associated position light 56, alongside 2 ground position light signals 54 and 46. All of these are for the Up Through Siding which is now out of use but all the infrastructure remains in place. These were all commissioned in 1984 with the closure of Workington No.1 signal box.

I’d imagine some of the signals in the Perth area could be quite old, it is seemingly a rather early form of power signalling with double stacked position light signals for route indication and red & white for danger! That being said quite a few have been renewed with LED bulbs.

 

[36270k]

The down home at Ledbury may be a contender.

 

[MadMac]

Distant on old mechanical boxes are the most likely answer as zwk500 suggested.

The oldest signals I know the dates of are at Workington No.2. It has signal 4, a 3 aspect colour light with associated position light 56, alongside 2 ground position light signals 54 and 46. All of these are for the Up Through Siding which is now out of use but all the infrastructure remains in place. These were all commissioned in 1984 with the closure of Workington No.1 signal box.

I’d imagine some of the signals in the Perth area could be quite old, it is seemingly a rather early form of power signalling with double stacked position light signals for route indication and red & white for danger! That being said quite a few have been renewed with LED bulbs.

Plymouth predates the 1962 Perth installation by a couple of years, so that’s another possibility.

 

[a good off]

Pontrilas Down Distant and Henwick up Distant I believe date from the 1950s with rounded tops.

The other contenders are at Furlong Drove between Manea and Black Bank which are now 2 aspect autos controlled by Cambridge PSB. These were originally controlled by Furlong Drove box, then repurposed for control by Black Bank which closed in 1988, then Chettisham until 1992 and then CA.

 

[Milo T.K]

Most of the WAML still uses filament type signals

 

[Bumblerail]

During the 90s I used to drive trains to Dorking. I believe the CLS dated back to the 30s. No idea if and when replaced

 

[MichaelAMW]

If this is still current:

https://signalbox.org/the-blower/topic/oldest-colour-light-signal-on-the-national-network/

 

[12LDA28C]

LU signals between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Amersham on the Met line route used by Chiltern Railways services have been in place I believe since around 1960 or maybe even earlier although they are due to be replaced next year under the 4LM modernisation scheme.

 

[bluegoblin7]

LU signals between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Amersham on the Met line route used by Chiltern Railways services have been in place I believe since around 1960 or maybe even earlier...

Our oldest ones around the Harrow area are c1948, with c1962 once you get up towards Amersham. Most are still filament, although some LEDs are now in use.

That said, stipulation of...

No, I mean original signal head, post, fittings, signal plate and still using a filament bulb - not LED

...would rule them all out, as all the plates were renewed around 18 months ago.

although they are due to be replaced next year under the 4LM modernisation scheme.

I am extremely confident of still working the mechanical frame at Harrow well into 2025, so they'll all be at least another year older.

 

[Deepgreen]

During the 90s I used to drive trains to Dorking. I believe the CLS dated back to the 30s. No idea if and when replaced

Yes, Dorking certainly had some 1930s heads until well into the 90s, if not the 2000s. Also, as an aside, when the down siding was reinstated in the 2000s, the semaphore shunt signal was reinstated too, with what looked like a hand-painted disc (a narrower-than-usual red band)!