Signals at Rhyl

21/9/05

Though Rhyl today is a but shadow of it's former glory, when there were four tracks all the way through and a marvellous down homes gantry, it still has semaphore signals and two impressive ex-LNWR signalbox buildings. This is the view from the station towards Abergele, with semaphore starters for the down slow and fast lines. The colour-light advanced starters can be seen in the background, while on the right is the former Rhyl No 2 signalbox.

The lines towards Abergele, taken from the far road bridge in the above picture.
Opposite the convergence of the down fast and slow lines, a pair of TPWS loops can be seen in the up line. These are to stop any trains that are approaching the up home too fast when it is at danger. The maximum permitted speed is determined by the distance between the two loops. If the signal is at red, the first ('arming') loop activates a timer on the train. If it passes over the second ('trip') loop before the timer has run out, emergency brakes are applied. The aim is to stop the train within the safety overlap beyond the signal at danger.

A closer view of the down starters. On the right is the colour-light up home.

The view back to the station from the same road bridge, with the up home on the left.
You can also see that this signal has a second pair of TPWS loops beside it in the track. These have the 'trip' loop right after the 'arming' loop, so any train that passes the signal at danger will be stopped however slowly it is going.
In the down lines, AWS magnets for the colour-light advanced starters are also visible.

Rhyl station from the footbridge in the above photo. It still has lovely station buildings and the nice footbridge.

Down train signalled while up train arrives

A train is signalled through the down platform, while another one arrives on the up.

A rear view of the down starters.

This is the eastern end of the station, looking towards Chester. A pair of sidings on the down side remain, and the space formerly occupied by the up fast line is clearly apparent.

These ground discs control reversing moves from the down slow line into the sidings. Note the white lozenges imprinted on the red bars to inform the driver that the platform line is track-circuited and he need not send his guard to the signalbox if the train is held at the signal, a procedure that was formerly known as Rule 55.

The up platform starter. The disc at its foot controls shunting moves across the facing crossover to the down line. This signal has a standard-size Rule 55 exemption plate.

A closer view of the down sidings. The trap point protecting their junction with the down slow line is clearly visible.

A wide-angle view of the layout at the east end of the station, taken from the road overbridge, revealing the signalbox and the facing crossover.

The same station approaches viewed from the far road bridge.

Rhyl No 1 signalbox now controls the entire layout.

The up advanced starter, the other side of the road bridge. Beside the down line is a position-light limit-of-shunt marker.

This colour-light replaced the marvellous down homes gantry that formerly stood here. Trains can be signalled into either platform by way of the 'feathers'.