Railway signals

[SOOTYBRUM]

Modelling a Scottish highlands scene (N-Gauge) from the 1970s and I need to put railway signals (non-electric) onto the layout. Have read a lot about the different types of signals but am confused. Is there a simple listing of the types used in the 70s. I have 2 stations and a number of junctions. I've seen the Peco kits but not sure which ones I need.
What is Home and what is Distant vis a vis signals?
Brgds

[Bufferstop]

In the 1970s in the Highlands, you could have just about any sort of signal. Semaphores could have been Highland railway, Caledonian, ex LMS or LNER or BR types, you might have got the occasional BR colour lights, or nothing at all working single line with block and token, I think you are a bit too early for the experiments with radio electronic tokens. you need to do a bit of background reading to see what would have been appropriate for your location. Distant signals are the "early warning" with yellow and black fishtailed arms, you are very lucky if you have enough length to actual have a distant signal, but you might just get one underneath the starter, if the next block is relatively short. The home is signal as you enter the block the starter is a similar signal at the end of the platform. Signalling is a whole subject in itself most people don't get much further than a token representation.
Have a look at members layouts and see what they have done re-signalling. Just Google "Railway Signalling" if you want to lose a few hours.

[stuartp]

1970s signals in the Highlands could in theory be anything from pre-grouping lattice post semaphores, their LMS or LNER round post replacements or BR colour lights. Most typical would be lattice post upper quadrant semaphores, but those will be quite tricky in N (they're fiddly enough in OO) but round post upper quadrants will be fine. Both Dapol and Peco do 'LMS round post' signals but I can't see any junction ones. Colour lights would be few and far between away from trunk routes, except for the distants. A lot of distants were converted to colour light from the 1930s as they are much easier to see in fog, their associated home and starter ( later section) signals could and often did remain semaphore.

LMS, LNER and BR round post signals were all fairly similar and universal throughout Scotland.

Single lines worked by token (electric token block) still need signals.

Definitely not seen in the Highlands would be any of the SR or GWR types, or anything similar to them.

[SOOTYBRUM]

thanks info...........

[luckymucklebackit]

For any enquiries about signalling I always direct folk to here https://signalbox.org/. Run by a professional signalman and full ove anything you want to know about theory and practise. There are drawings of actual locations, many in the Highlands that you could use as a basis for your layout.

Jim

[ChrisGreaves]

For any enquiries about signalling I always direct folk to here https://signalbox.org/.

A cruel trick.
As I can attest.
Anyone who is supposed to be assembling his first plastic kit (Pug 0-4-0) in 60 years and painting it (or "painting it and then assembling it", for the purists) will get sucked into the "track layouts" section of the web site and will likely not re-surface until it is time for the afternoon nap, and by then it will be too late to trim/paint/glue/regret etc.

I speak from non-bitter experience.
Cheers, and Thanks
Chris