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Signaling Articles

A Railroad Signal Primer Pt. I

This series is started by looking at signal hardware, signal configurations and features, rules, and terminology. Diagrams for the various states are shown with both lighted signals and semaphores.

A Railroad Signal Primer Pt. II

This last installment covers signal types, signaling philosophy, speed, signal aspects, sources of information, and how to model signaling (briefly).

AT&SF Single Ground Signal Location on Battery Cellar

Single-page drawing of the semaphore.

Blue Signal Protection

Describes the removable blue signal to indicate that railroad workers are present.

Building a Semaphore Signal

The author describes how he built a working model for a large-scale layout. Includes detail drawings and close-up photos, as well as scaled drawings of the entire model.

Canadian National Railways Sanmore Subdivision Part 1

The author tackles the most difficult part of building a layout, which is creating and installing a working signaling system. This installment covers the basics, his layout's track plan, and types of signals.

Canadian National Railways Sanmore Subdivision Part 2

Building the CTC machine. Includes many construction photos.

Canadian National Railways Sanmore Subdivision Part 3

The author describes how he scratchbuilds his signals, with a large part of the article covering how to create your own etching setup. Includes many construction and final-installation photos.

Canadian National Railways Sanmore Subdivision Part 4

The author describes how he put the whole system together on his layout, including the physical installation, and the wiring of the system.

Controlling Train Movements Part 2

This last installment covers the automated signaling system that prototype railroads use to manage train traffic, and ideas for simulating that on our model railroads.

Dots and Dashes

Building an actual telegraph for a model railroad to enhance operations of the layout.

GRS Type SA Signal Stories

The author adds General Railway Signal Company type SA signal to his layout which has a complex bit of trackwork in a yard. Includes how he built the parts, created the signals, and used an Arduino to control the system.

Home Made Ground Signals and Searchlight Signals in S Scale

The author made functional signals lights out of Kadee HO-scale coupler pockets. Includes diagrams and photos.

Modular Signals

Using 14-pin header plugs and DIP sockets (used for integrated circuits) to make it easy to remove signals for dusting and layout maintenance without having to worry about the wiring.

Operations

An introduction to signaling. Includes prototype photos and many diagrams for indicating track conditions.

Proceed, Prepared to Stop

This article covers how the prototype uses signals to communicate the state of track ahead.

Prototype View

A photo essay of prototype cantilever signal structures.

Realistic N Scale Signals Part 2

This installment covers how to make the signal targets, how to build the mast, base, platform, and ladder, and how to form and install the LEDs.

S Modeler's Notebook

Scale drawings of grade crossing signals, and right-of-way signals.

Scratchbuild Simple Bi-color Signals

The author used battery-operated Dewdrop Christmas lights as the basis for his Azatrax signals. Includes a sidebar by Mike Dodd about how to do LED back-to-back wiring to eliminate the need for a third wire, providing circuit diagrams for how to power them, and how to control them.

Signaling a DCC Model Railroad

The author shows how he added signaling to his layout. Includes links to his 5-part YouTube videos.

Signaling and Operation on the Canandaigua Southern

The late John Armstrong describes how he built and manages the signals on his O-scale layout. The article includes a trackplan of his layout, several photos, and construction drawings for the signals he uses. He then describes how they use a computer during operating sessions.

Signals on the Wyoming Division Part 1

This article covers how Automated Block Signals function on this large, free-standing, mushroom-design, HO-scale layout. The article includes a full track plan for each of the three levels. It covers how ABS works, and how to deal with special conditions on the railroad.

Signals on the Wyoming Division Part 2

This installment covers how the signals were designed and built, and how they work.

Station Order Boards

The article covers the purpose of train order boards, types of heads, signal colors, and modeling notes. There is a parts diagram of the mast and signal for N-scale.

Suction-operated Semaphore Signals

The author describes his system for using a small vacuum-pump system to trigger the semaphore's operation. Includes a sidebar on how to use levers and fulcrums.

The Roundhouse

How to install and operate the #761 Semaphore.

Train Signals Part 2

This installment covers classification signals for PRR extra trains.

Train Signals Part 3

This installment covers the green classification signals that were used to denote the operation of sections of scheduled trains.

Understanding Railroad Signals

An introduction to railroad signaling. Interlockings, automatic block system, absolute-permissive block system, centralized track control (CTC), signaling timeline.

Understanding Railroad Signals Part 1

The author discusses using C/MRI-based signals to add to the realism of operating your layout. Topics covered in this article are: prototype signaling, braking distance and railroad signaling, accurately modeling prototypical signaling, block signals, interlocking signals, examples of two-head interlocking signals, prototype signaling basics, vital signaling circuitry, non-vital signaling circuitry, prototype's abundant use of relays, signal terminology, speed limits and railroad signaling, train speed as a function of turnout frog number (includes prototype and equivalent modeling tables for speeds through various frogs), in-advance-of, in-approach-to, and in-the-rear-of signaling terminology, signal system implementations, Automatic Block Signaling (ABS), Absolute Permissive Block (APB) Signaling, Centralized Traffic Control (CTC), and interlocking at terminals and junctions.

Understanding Railroad Signals Part 10

This installment covers Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) systems, and methods of train dispatching (TT&TO, TWC, DTC, CTC).

Understanding Railroad Signals Part 11

This installment covers modern CTC, transition-era CTC, and dispatching from remote locations using CMRInet.

Understanding Railroad Signals Part 12

This installment covers turnout control. The first part covers how the prototype does it, and then the rest of the article covers how to simulate that in our model world, including using DCC accessory decoders for this purpose.

Understanding Railroad Signals Part 13

This installment covers protecting hand-operated electric lock switches within signaled territory.

Understanding Railroad Signals Part 2

In this installment, the author covers Signal Aspect, Name, and Indication, ABS Single-head Block Signals, Multi-head Block Signals, Flashing Aspects, APB Single Head Block Signals, and Interlocking Signals. The article is accompanied by drawings as well as photos of some of these implemented on the author's layout.

Understanding Railroad Signals Part 3

This installment covers speed signaling vs. route signaling.

Understanding Railroad Signals Part 4

This installment covers Route Signaling

Understanding Railroad Signals Part 5

This installment covers Automatic Block Signaling (ABS).

Understanding Railroad Signals Part 6

This installment covers programming ABS signals.

Understanding Railroad Signals Part 7

This installment covers Absolute Permissive Block (APB) signaling.

Understanding Railroad Signals Part 8

This installment covers programming APB signals and making the hardware connections.

Understanding Railroad Signals Part 9

This installment covers dealing with simultaneous entry of opposing trains on single track, and modeling APB signaling.

Working Train Order Board

Step by step instructions on how to build working semaphore train order boards. Includes several prototype photos, including up-close ones, and model construction photos.