Britain at Work
A Pictorial Description of Our National Industries

WITH THE RAILWAY SIGNALMEN. 257 Photo: Cassell & Co., Ltd, SIGNAL BOX “ NORTH CABIN,” LONDON BRIDGE. signalman, that places him in charge of main- line and small junction boxes ; and, finally, he is promoted to first-class signalman, which rank carries with it an appointment to the most important junction boxes in London and elsewhere. In order to explain the signalman’s duties, we must conduct the reader into the lofty, well-lighted, and commandingly situated edifice in which he practises his craft. Entering the cabin, we find the lever frame placed parallel with the track, and imme- diately above it is a shelf on which stand the block, telegraph, and bell instruments ; while above the shelf hangs a coloured chart show- ing the tracks, sidings, switches, and signals controlled by this particular cabin. The levers in the frame—the number, of course, varies with the size and importance of the cabin—have each a brass plate inscribed with a number corresponding to that which numerically signifies its position on the chart above ; while on the far side of the frame is a board running parallel, on which is inscribed what each lever is—“ Up home,” “ Down distant,” “ Slocum branch starting,” “ Main line cross-over,” etc. It will be noticed that, with the exception of handle and spring catch, the levers are painted different colours. The following is the standard colour arrangement : — Red for “ home ” semaphores, green for “ distants,” black for switches, white for spare levers, and fancy hoops for anything out of the ordinary. In junction boxes it will further be observed that many of the levers have numbers painted on their sides—not one number only, but in some cases from half a dozen to sixteen. These numbers refer to the interlocking apparatus. Before the numbered lever can be moved, each of the levers to which the numbers refer has first to be moved in the order scheduled. Of the two bell instruments for the up and down tracks respectively, each possesses a different tone, or, rather, the up-line instru- ment sounds a bell, the down one a gong. So many different patterns of block ap- paratus are in use that it would be impossible to describe them all in detail; though, of course, the special instruments by which each is represented have as their object the ocular definition of the empty or occupied condition of the block section, which is achieved either by needles, model semaphore arms, or suit- ably inscribed shutters. The line is divided into sections, varying in length according to the amount of traffic that has to be passed over it—the thicker the traffic the shorter the blocks—and a signal cabin is placed at the termination of each section. Broadly speaking, the dial of a 33