SREmG

SR Steam Locomotive Headsignals 1944

After the 1923 grouping that gave birth to the Southern Railway all the different headlamp signals used by the constituent companies were combined into one standard six-position code.
A white disc is shown during daylight hours, and a white lamp during darkness, to designate the following routes/special workings as used from 1944 onward:-
§ Includes Charing Cross, Cannon Street and Holborn via London Bridge
Headcode
1
Headcode
2
Victoria and Dover via Herne Hill or Catford Loop and Chatham
Victoria and London Bridge via South London line
Brighton and Portsmouth
Brighton and Hastings direct
Horsham and Three Bridges
Victoria or Battersea Yard and Norwood Yard via Selhurst
Wimbledon and Sutton via St Helier
Purley and Caterham
Light Engines New Cross Gate or Forest Hill to Norwood Junction Loco
Holborn, Herne Hill and Orpington (local trains)
Victoria and Crystal Palace (HL)
Loughborough Sidings to Holborn
Ashford and Hastings
Reading and Margate via Redhill
Waterloo and Waterloo via Kingston
Eastleigh and Bulford via Chandlers Ford and Andover Junc
Southampton Terminus and Brockenhurst and Weymouth via Wimborne (passenger trains)
Southampton Docks and Brockenhurst and Dorchester via Wimbourne (goods trains)
Weymouth and Portland and Easton (passenger trains
Plymouth Friary and Tavistock North
Woking and Chertsey and Reading via Virginia Water curve
Exeter Central and Ilfracombe
Bodmin and Wadebridge
Petersfield and Midhurst
Botley and Bishops Waltham
Exeter Central and Exmouth
Salisbury (Fisherton) and Salisbury (Milford) (light engines and transfer trips)
§ London Bridge or Bricklayers Arms and Portsmouth via Quarry line and Horsham
Via Mid Kent line and Beckenham Junc
Victoria, Stewarts Lane and Clapham Junc to Holborn (L.L.)
Ashford and Eastbourne direct
East Croydon and Holborn via London Bridge
Waterloo or Nine Elms and Southampton Terminus vis main line (except boat trains)
Willesden and Feltham Yard via Gunnersbury
Waterloo or Nine Elms and Windsor via Twickenham
Southampton Central to Lymington (through trains)
Yeovil Junc and Yeovil Town
Seaton Junc and Seaton
Barnstaple Junc and Torrington
Halwill and Bude

Headcode
3

Headcode
4
Victoria or Battersea yard and Brighton via Redhill
Earlsfield or Wimbledon and Brighton via Raynes Park, Epsom and Steyning
Oxted and Eastbourne via Eridge
§ London Bridge and New Cross Gate via Bricklayers' Arms Junction
Holborn, Holborn (LL), Victoria, Stewarts Lane, Crystal Palace (HL) to Loughborough Sidings
Horsham and Brighton
Via Crayford Spur line
Chessington line or Feltham and Stewarts Lane via Clapham Junction
Nine Elms and Stewarts Lane or Battersea Yard via Clapham Junction
Nine Elms to Raynes Park Goods, (light engines)
Nine Elms and Stewarts Lane or Battersea Yard via Clapham Junc
Earlsfield or Wimbledon and Brighton via Raynes Park and Epsom
Reading and Esher via Weybridge
Brookwood and Bisley Camp
Alton and Fareham
Bentley and Bordon
Portsmouth Harbour or Portsmouth and Southsea to Portsmouth and Southsea Turntable
Hamworthy Junc and Hamworthy
Salisbury and Bulford
Axminster and Lyme Regis
Tipton St John's and Exmouth
Plymouth Friary and Cattewater
Chessington line or Feltham and Stewarts Lane via Clapham Junc
Wareham and Swanagebr> Ascot and Woking via Frimley
Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier
Bere Alston and Callington
Stations Petersfield to Guildford inclusive and Waterloo
Exeter Central to Exeter St Davids (light engines for banking)
To GWR via Shawford Junction and Winchester (Cheesehill)
London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Dover or Ramsgate via East Croydon, Oxted and Tonbridge
Cannon Street or Charing Cross and Southwark Depot
Holborn and Crystal Palace (HL)
Tonbridge and Hawkhurst
Victoria (Central) and Battersea Yard via Stewarts Lane
Brighton and Bognor Regis direct
Battersea Yard and Kensington
Three Bridges and Tunbridge Wells West
Waterloo or Nine Elms and Reading via Twickenham
Willesden and feltham Yard via Kew East Junc
Weybridge and Virginia Water
Guildford and Bordon via Tongham
Exeter Central and Sidmouth
Plymouth Friary and Turnchapel
Waterloo and Virginia Water via Weybridge
Eastleigh or Southampton and Fawley
Bournemouth Central and Brockenhurst via Wimborne
Light engines Eastleigh Loco Depot and Stockbridge
Torrington and Halwill

Headcode
5

Headcode
6
§ London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Purley and Tattenham Corner Branch
Victoria, Battersea Yard or Stewarts Lane and Clapham Junc
Oxted and Tunbridge Wells West via East Grinstead (H.L.)
Brighton and Kemp Town
Barnham and Bognor Regis
Ford and Littlehampton
Pulborough, Midhurst and Chichester
Havant and Hayling Island
Beckenham Junc and Crystal Palace (LL)
Brighton and Eastbourne
Deptford Wharf and Old Kent Road
Peckham Rye and stations below to New Cross Gate via Old Kent Road
Horsham and Dorking North
West Croydon and East Croydon
§ London Bridge and Bricklayers' Arms
Tonbridge and Maidstone West
Ashford (Kent) and Dover via Minster and Deal
Elham Valley line
Ash and Aldershot (local trains)
Elmers End and Hayes
Victoria, Holborn, Loughborough, Herene Hill or Crystal Palace (LL) to Stewarts Lane
Stewarts Lane to Victoria
Southampton Docks and Nine Elms via main line (market goods, fruit or potato train)
Light engines to Nine Elms
Havant and Hayling Island
Guildford and Bordon via Ash
London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Brighton via Quarry line
Victoria or Battersea Yard and Epsom Downs via Mitcham Junc
Horsham and Bognor Regis (Up trains going beyond Horsham to carry Portsmouth destination code)
Tonbridge and Brighton via Eridge
§ London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Addiscombe
Hastings via Mid Kent line, Oxted, Crowhurst Junc and Tonbridge
Dunton Green and Westerham
Otford and Sevenoaks (TH)
Ashford and Margate via Canterbury West
Lydd Branch
Canterbury West and Whistable Harbour
Sandling Junc and Hythe
Folkestone Junc and Folkestone Harbour
Crowhurst and Bexhill
Swanley and Gravesend West Street
Sittingbourne and Sheerness
Queenborough and Leydown
Deal and Kearsney
Strood and Gillingham (Kent)
Gravesend Central and Allhallows-on-Sea or Port Victoria
Victoria, Stewarts Lane or Clapham Junc to Holborn
Holborn to Victoria
Beckenham Junc to Norwood Junc
All stations to Feltham (except Mortlake)
Weymouth and Portland and easton (goods trains)
Bournemouth West and Brockenhurst via Wimborne

Headcode
7

Headcode
8
Victoria or Battersea Yard and Portsmouth Harbour via Quarry line and Horsham
Via Maidstone East line to Victoria or Holborn
§ London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Grove park or Bromley North
Waterloo and Wimbledon via main line
Waterloo or Nine Elms and Southampton Docks via Brentford, Chertsey and Woking
Salisbury and Dorchester via Wimborne
Wimbledon or Durnsford Road Sidings and Waterloo via main line (empty trains or light engines
Willesden or Neasden or Brent to main line stations beyond Woking via Kew East Junc and Chertsey (change at Woking or Basingstoke to headsignal for destination)
§ London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Brighton via Redhill
Oxted and Brighton via East Grinstead (LL) and Lewes
West London line to Norwood Yard via Thornton Heath
Portsmouth Harbour or Portsmouth & Southsea to Fratton Loco
Old Kent Road Spur and Brighton via Mitcham Junc, Horsham and Steyning
Victoria or Holborn to Dover via Nunhead line and Maidstone East
Charing Cross and Cannon Street
Charing Cross or Cannon Street and London Bridge
Parcels and empty trains Waterloo to Clapham Junc (Kensington sidings)
Feltham Yard and Neasden via Kew East Junc
Portsmouth Harbour or Portsmouth and Southsea to Fratton Loco Depot
Exeter Central and Exmouth Junc
Bournemouth West to Dorchester
Clapham Junc and Guildford via East Putney and Cobham
Southampton and Salisbury via Redbridge
Alton and Eastleigh or Southampton Terminus (pull and push trains)
Southampton or Salisbury to Neasden via Chertsey (as from Basingstoke)
Reading to Neasden via Kew East Junc

Headcode
9

Headcode
10
Victoria, Stewarts Lane or Holborn to Ramsgate via Nunhead line, Chislehurst and Chatham
Victoria and London Bridge via Balham and Tulse Hill
§ London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and North Kent line via Greenwich
Victoria and Kensington via Stewarts Lane
Via Streatham Spur
Feltham Yard and Brent Via Kew East Junc
Reading to Brent via Kew East Junc
Waterloo or Nine Elms and Guildford via Cobham
Guildford and Godalming Goods
Ascot and Farnham
Portsmouth and Southsea to salisbury via Redbridge
Southampton or Salisbury to Brent via Chertsey (as from basingstoke)
Victoria or Battersea Yard and Portsmouth via Redhill and Horsham
Via Dartford Loop line
Victoria or Holborn and hastings Branch via Orpington Loop and Tunbridge Wells Central
Bricklayers' Arms and Guildford via Leatherhead and Effingham Junc
Waterloo to Waterloo via Twickenham and Whitton Junc
Waterloo or Nine Elms and Southampton Terminus via Alton
Salisbury and Bournemouth West via Wimborne
Fareham and Gosport
Ballast trains to Meldon Quarry from Exeter Central and stations west thereof
Windsor and Ascot via Staines Curve

Headcode
11

Headcode
12
Victoria or Battersea Yard and Eastbourne or Hastings via Quarry line
London Bridge, New Cross gate or West Croydon and Wimbledon
Brighton and Littlehampton direct
London and Hither Green Sidings
Victoria and Folkestone Harbour or Dover Marine via Swanley, Otford and Tonbridge
Waterloo or Nine Elms and Plymouth
Bournemouth Central and Dorchester goods trains
Light engines eastleigh Loco depiot and Dean
Battersea Yard and Brent via New Kew Junc
Southampton Terminus and Portsmouth Harbour via Netley
Brockenhurst and Poole (not stopping at Bournemouth)
Feltham to Salisbury via Chertsey
Victoria or Battersea Yard and Portsmouth Harbour via Mitcham Junc
§ London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Eastbourne or Hastings via Redhill
Herne Hill, Tulse Hill and Norwood Junc
North Kent line via Blackheath
Victoria, Stewarts Lane or Holborn to North Kent line via Nunhead line
Southampton Docks and Salisbury via Eastleigh
Nine Elms and Feltham via Mortlake
Exeter Central to Nine Elms (market goods and fish)
Down main line goods terminating at Woking
Light engines from Waterloo station to Waterloo Loco sidings
Temple Mills or Victoria Docks to Brentford or Feltham via Victoria Park and Kew East Junc

Headcode
13

Headcode
14
Victoria and Newhaven Harbour
§ London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Epsom Downs via Norwood Junc
Victoria or Holborn to Ramsgate via Nunhead line and Maidstone East
Waterloo and Nine Elms and Portsmouth via Woking and Guildford
Southampton Docks and Bournemouth via Sway
Romsey to Romsey via Eastleigh and Redbridge
Light engines from all stations to Feltham Loco
Light engines from all stations west of Basingstoke to Eastleigh loco
Victoria and Norwood Junc via Selhurst
London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Crystal Palace (LL) via Forest Hill
Via Bexleyheath line
Victoria, Stewarts Lane or Holborn via Nunhead line and Bexleyheath
Earlsfield or Wimbledon and Bognor Regis via Raynes Park and Epsom
Oxted and Brighton via Haywards Heath
Waterloo or Nine Elms and Reading via Loop line
Clapham Junc and Kensington
All trains terminating at Portsmouth and Southsea (trains from Salisbury to carryNº17 to Eastleigh)
Exeter Central and Padstow
Light engines Bournemouth Central or Bournemouth West to Bournemouth Central via triangle to turn
Light engines Eastleigh Loco to Portsmouth and Southsea
Portsmouth and Southsea to Waterloo
Light engines to Guildford Loco via Woking (except via Staines)
Brent or Neasden or Willesden to Reading via Kew East Junc
Temple Mills or Victoria Docks to Reading via Victoria Park and Kew East Junc

Headcode
15

Headcode
16
§ London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Tonbridge or Reading via East Croydon and Redhill
Brighton and Hove via Preston Park spur
Three Bridges and Eridge
Victoria or Holborn and Folkestone or Dover via Orpington Loop, Tonbridge and Ashford
§ London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Gillingham, Faversham, Ramsgate or Dover via Chislehurst Loop and Chatham
Waterloo and Clapham Junc (empty trains and light engines)
Nine Elms Loco depot to Clapham Junc
Clapham Junc and Hampton Court via east Putney
Southampton or Salisbury to Eastern Section via Chertsey, Brentford and Clapham Junc (as from Basingstoke)
passenger trains, Bournemouth Central and Weymouth
Bournemouth West and Oxford, GWR
Exmouth Junc Loco to Exmouth Junc Yard
Light engines Fratton and Eastleigh
Willesden or Neasden or Brent to main line stations beyond Woking via Gunnersbury and Chertsey (change at Woking or Basingstoke to headsignal for destination)
London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Portsmouth via West Croydon
Victoria or Battersea Yard and Eastbourne or Hastings via Redhill
New Cross Gate and Wimbledon via Peckham Rye
Oxted and Brighton via Eridge
§ London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Ramsgate via Tonbridge and Canterbury West
§ London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Tonbridge or Reading via East Croydon and Redhill
Holborn to Clapham Junc
Waterloo or Nine Elms and Woking via Richmond and Chertsey
Waterloo or Nine Elms and Hampton Court
Eastleigh Loco Depot to Bevois Park sidings
Milk and empty trains to Clapham Junc via Byfleet curve and Richmond
Bournemouth West and Havant via Netley and Cosham (through trains to and from Waterloo to carryNº13 between Waterloo and Havant)
Exeter or Plymouth and GW line via Lydford

Headcode
17

Headcode
18
Victoria or Battersea Yard and Brighton via Quarry line
London Bridge or New Cross Gate and Norwood Yard
Tunbridge Wells West and Eastbourne
Charing Cross or Cannon Street and Holborn
Victoria or Holborn and Ramsgate, Dover or Hastings via Nunjead line and Tonbridge
Horsham and Guildford
Waterloo and Nine Elms via East Putney
Twickenham and Shepperton
Salisbury and Portsmouth Harbour via Eastleigh
Portsmouth and Southsea to Salisbury via Eastleigh
Reading or Feltham or Brentford to Temple Mills or Victoria Docks via Kew East Junc and Victoria Park
Exeter and Wadebridge via Lydford and Launceston GWR
§ London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Eastbourne or Hastings via Quarry line
Horsham and Littlehampton (Up trains going beyond Horsham to carry Portsmouth to destination code)
Victoria (Cent or Eastern) or Stewarts Lane and Eardley Sidings via Herne Hill or Clapham Junc
Victoria or West London line and Ramsgate via Herne Hill or Catford Loop
§ London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Hastings via Chislehurst and Tunbridge Wells Central
West London line to East Croydon via Crystal Palace (LL)
Special boat trains Waterloo and Southampton Docks via Northam
Special boat trains from Southampton Docks to Waterloo via Millbrook
Nine Elms Loco Depot and Nine Elms Goods Yard via Engine line or Queen's Road
Waterloo and Nine Elms Goods Yard (coal train)
Light engines Eastleigh Loco to Southampton Docks
Southampton and Andover via Redbridge
Exeter or Devonport Junc and GWR lines via St Budeaux

Headcode
19

Headcode
20
§ London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Portsmouth via Redhill and Horsham
Victoria or Battersea Yard and Norwood yard via Crystal Palace (LL)
London Bridge and New Cross Gate to Eardley Sidings via Peckham Rye
Deptford Wharf and New Cross Gate
East Vroydon or West Croydon and Battersea Yard
§ London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Folkestone or Dover via Chislehurst, Tonbridge and Ashford
Victoria and Herne Hill or Orpington (local trains)
Dover and Margate via Deal and Minster Loop
Special boat trains Waterloo to Southampton Docks via Millbrook
Light engines Eastleigh to Southampton Docks via Millbrook
Eastleigh Loco to Carriage sidings west end
Basingstoke to Waterloo via Frimley and Twickenham
Empty coaching stock trains Waterloo to Walton via Chertsey
London Bridge and Portsmouth via Mitcham Junc
Oxted and Lewes or Seaford or Eastbourne via Haywards Heath and Keymer Junc (Change toNº5 orNº21 code at Lewes)
Victoria and Sutton via Thornton Heath
Holborn and Wimbledon
§ London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Dover via Chislehurst Loop and Maidstome East
Waterloo and Nine Elms and Brockenhurst and Bournemouth West via Sway
Waterloo or Nine Elms and Waterloo via Brentford

Headcode
21

Headcode Headcode
Central & Eastern  22  Western sections
§ London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Dover, Ramsgate or Hastings via Chislehurst, Swanley, Otford and Sevenoaks
Victoria, Oxted and Tunbridge Wells West via Hever
West Croydon and Brighton
Clapham Junc and Crystal Palace (LL) via Herne Hill and Tulse Hill
Brighton and Newhaven or Seaford
London Bridge and New Cross Gate via Old Kent Road
Holborn and Ramsgate via Herne Hill or Catford Loop
New Cross Gate and Selhurst (change toNº14 at Norwood Junc)
Waterloo and Clapham Junc (Park sidings)
Clapham Junc and Wimbledon via East Putney
Light engines and trains requiring to run to up main loop Clapham Junc from stations westward
Light engines Feltham to Clapham Junc
Southampton and Andover via Eastleigh
Goods trains Millbrook and Bevois Park to Fareham
Light engines or engines with vehicles attached running round the triangle at Bournemouth West to turn
Willesden or Neasden or Brent to Woking via Gunnersbury and Chertsey
West London line to Brighton
Windsor and Dover (Excursion trains) as between Redhill and Dover
Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour via Eastleigh
Feltham and Brent via Richmond

Headcode
23

Headcode Headcode
Central & Eastern  24  Western sections
Brighton and Salisbury via Southanpton Central
Windsor and Hastings (Excursion trains)
Windsor and Margate or Dover (Excursion trains)
Nine Elms and Willesden via New Kew Junc
Eastleigh and Micheldever or Basingstoke (light engines for testing)
To GWR via West London line
Via Preston park Spur (Down Goods trains)
Waterloo and Guildford via Leatherhead (except light engines Nine Elms to Raynes Park Goods)
Southampton and Willesden via Richmond and Gunnersbury
Southampton or Salisbury to Willesden via Chertsey and Kew East Junc (as from Basingstoke)
Reading to Willesden

Headcode
25

Headcode
26
Breakdown Van trains Royal train

Headcode
27

Headcode
28
To LMSR via West London line
Brighton and Salisbury via Eastleigh
Windsor and Bognor Regis (Excursion train)
Nine Elms and Brent via New Kew Junc
Kingston and Shepperton
Portsmouth and Brighton
Waterloo and Wimbledon Park Sidings via East Putney (empty trains and light engines)
Merstham and Staines Moor via Guildford, Byfleet Junc and Staines

Headcode
29

Headcode
30
Hither Green Sidings and Feltham via Brentford Hither Green Sidings and Feltham via Richmond

Headcode
31

Headcode
32
Hither Green Sidings and Feltham via Brentford
Plumstead and Feltham via Brentford
Plumstead and Feltham via Richmond

Headcode
33

All stations to Aldershot Government Sidings  

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This page was last updated 22 July 2004