A useful source of information comes from the IRSE in the form of a series of Green Booklets written in the 50s and 60s for student members.
Peter Kay published reprints of these booklets, these have now been taken over and extended by the Institution who can supply copies to non-members. An order form with current prices can be downloaded from the IRSE site.
The combined volumes are as follows:
1. Mechanical, nos 1, 2, 3 and 10.
2. Electrical, nos 7, 9 and 11.
3. Signalling Instruments, nos 4, 12 and 13.
4. Signalling relays and circuits, nos 5, 6, 8 and 17.
5. Multiple aspect signalling, nos 14, 15, 16 and 27.
6. Interlocking principles & systems, nos 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 28 and 29.
7. AWS, Level crossings and Remote control systems, nos 24, 25 and 26.
( For modellers using semaphores booklets 1 and 2 will be of most use.)
No. 1 Principles of the Layout of Signals (British Practice) W. H. CHALLIS
(Third Edition-Reprinted 1950)
The basics of signal placement for mechanical signalling with manual block and
colour light signalling with automatic block.
No.2 Principles of Interlocking (British Practice) W. H. SUCH
(Second Edition Reprinted 1956)
Deals with the production of a signalling plan, numbering the levers and
producing an interlocking table, for lever frame installations only, the largest example
given is 25 levers.
No.3 Mechanical and Electrical Interlocking, W H Such,
(Second edition, reprinted 1956. 48 pages, 82 figures.
Covers design and layout of mechanical interlockings, tappet locking, and also electrical
interlocking of lever frames using circuit controllers and electric locks. Could be of
value to someone wanting to build an interlocked frame.
No. 4 Single Line Control, P C Doswell,
Second edition, reprinted 1957. 30 pages, 20 figures.
Covers use of Token Staff and Tablet instruments for Single lines. Illustrations could be
of use to someone doing signal box interiors.
No. 5 Principles of Power Point Control and Detection, H W Hadaway,
Second edition, reprinted 1958. 43 pages, 46 diagrams.
Third edition, revised 1968. 48 pages, 49 diagrams.
Covers mechanical principles and circuitry for Electric and Electro-pneumatic point
machines.Third edition had the LT chairlock added.
No. 6 Signalling Relays, J F H Tyler,
Second edition, reprinted 1958. 67 pages, 32 figures.
Detailed design of traditional Railway signalling relays, both DC and AC types.
No. 7 Signal Control Circuits, J P Loosemore,
Second edition, reprinted 1958. 40 pages, 33 figures.
Details of operating circuits for various types of electrically operated signals.
No. 8 Typical Selection Circuits, J P Loosemore,
Second edition, reprinted 1958. 31 pages, 23 figures.
Details of circuits for point detection and track circuit proving as applied to lever
frame interlockings.
No. 9.Track Circuits, W H Challis,
Second edition, reprinted 1957. 28 pages, 18 figures.
Design and application of various types of DC and AC Track circuits.
No. 10.Mechanical Signalling Equipment, Donald L Champion,
Second edition, reprinted 1957. 36 pages, 30 diagrams.
Covers Signals, cranks and wires, Point rodding, compensation and connections, level
crossing gates. Point connection section covered by S4 Digest 23.6.5
No. 11 Railway Signalling Power Supplies, D L Mitchell,
Second edition, reprinted 1958. 38 pages, 20 figures.
Design of power supplies for signalling, probably the only modelling interest is one page
on lineside distribution via the pole route.
No. 12 Block Instruments, J H Currey,
Second edition, reprinted 1958. 30 pages, 16 figures.
Wiring intricacies of various types of block instrument.
No. 13 Train Describers, J E Mott,
Second edition, Reprinted 1958, 37 pages, 23 figures.
Design of early train describers, mainly Southern Region.
No. 14 Multiple Aspect Signalling, A Cardani,
First edition 1958. 48 pages, 8 figures.
Theory for layout of colour light signals in multiple aspect areas.
No. 15 Circuits for Colourlight Signals.
details not known.
No. 16 Holding the Route, W H Challis,
First edition 1964, 26 pages, 13 figures.
Circuit designs for holding route locking after the signal is replaced, applied to lever
and relay interlockings.
No. 17 Track and Lineside Signalling Circuits in AC Electrified Areas,
J E Candler, G I Foster, W M Sweetenham,
First edition 1962, 45 pages, 17 figures.
How to protect signalling circuits from traction current interference.
No. 18 Principles of Relay Interlocking and Control Panels, N Marshall,
First edition 1961. 44 pages, 17 figures.
General description of the evolution of Control panels through to the early NX panels and
principles of interlocking needed to replace levers.
No. 19 Route Control Systems (LT Practice), H Firminger and others,
First edition 1963. 52 pages, 47 figures.
Detailed circuit design for LT including the air operated mechanical interlocking and the
paper roll type programme machines.
No. 20 Route Control Systems (W B & S Co.), J E Hawkes,
First edition 1961, 35 pages, 23 figures.
Circuit principles of the WBS OCS (One Control Switch) system, brief mention of change to
NX.
No. 21 Route Control Systems AEI - GRS, A C Wesley,
First edition 1961, 20 pages, 11 figures.
Circuit principles of GRS NX system.
No. 22 Route Control Systems:- The S G E 1958 Route Relay Interlocking System,
J V Goldsbrough,
First edition 1961. 24 pages, 10 figures.
Circuit principles of the SGE entrance-exit system.
No. 23 Mechanical Control of Points and Signals. (No information on this one).
No. 24 Automatic Warning Systems of train control and Trainstops, J H Currey,
First edition 1964. 82 pages, 37 figures.
Covers LT trainstops, GWR type AWS and BR AWS, some of illustrations could be useful to
modellers wanting to show these features.
No. 25 Level Crossing Protection, P A Langley,
First edition 1961, 98 pages, 53 figures.
Much on mechanical operation of gates from the crossing box, also covers Half barriers and
full barriers. More detail than covered in book 10.
No. 26 Remote Control of Railway Signal Interlocking Equipment, B H Grose,
First edition 1967. 78 pages, 30 figures.
Details of early electronic remote control systems, mainly Westronic Time Division
Multiplex, also a section on the Reed system for Frequency Division Multiplex.
No. 27 Signalling the Layout British Railways Practice, R Pope,
First edition 1975, 55 pages, 37 illustrations.
How to layout colour light signals, updates and expands on book 14.
No. 28 Route Control Systems (LT Practice),
details not known.
No. 29 Solid State Interlocking, D H Stratton,
First edition 1988, 20 pages, 9 figures.
Details on design, development and application of SSI (Solid State Interlocking) on
British Rail.
Copyright Keith Norgrove.
Last revised: November 23, 2007.