SR Steam Locomotive Headsignals 1936

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 that remains in force, subject to some modifications, until the present day, (where the route remains) although when used on the main line today it is in combination with a high intensity headlamp. A white disc was shown during daylight hours, and a white lamp during darkness, to designate the following routes/special workings as used from 1936 onward:-
§ Includes Charing Cross, Cannon Street and Holborn via London Bridge
µ Trains passing over the G.W.R. below Devonport must carry the prescrived G.W.Co's head signals from the last stopping station on the S.R. to the first stopping station after leaving the G.W.R., where the head signals must be changed for those applicable to the S.R.
¶ Down trains proceeding beyond Dorchester and not stopping at that station must carry the prescribed head signals for the G.W.R from the last stopping station on the S.R.; and in like manner up trains from Weymouth not stopping at Dorchester must carry the prescribed head signals for the G.W.R from Weymouth to the first stopping station on the S.R., where the head signals must be changed.
Light engines from Clapham Junc, Nine Elms Loco Depot and Waterloo "B" box Loco Depot to Waterloo must carry the head signals of the trains they are booked to work from Waterloo. When two or more engines are coupled together, each engine must carry its distinctive head signal but only the last engine must carry a tail lamp Engines following out-going trains from Waterloo must carry the head signals for their next services. When two or more engines leave Wimbledon Park for Waterloo and Nine Elms coupled together, the leading engine must carry the Nine Elms Loco Depot head signal. Light engines from Fratton Loco Depot to Portsmouth and Southsea or Portsmouth Harbour must carry the head signals of the train they are booked to work.
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Central and Eastern Sections 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 Western Section: Waterloo and Wimbledon Park Sidings via East Putney (empty trains and light engines) 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, 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	Central and Eastern Sections § 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 Western Section: 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
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Central and Eastern Sections 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 Western Section: 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 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)	Central and Eastern Sections 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 Western Section: 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
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Central and Eastern Sections § 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 Brighton and The Dyke 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 Western Section: 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 and Aldershot	Central and Eastern Sections 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 Western Section: All stations to Feltham (except Mortlake) Weymouth and Portland and Easton (goods trains) Bournemouth West and Brockenhurst via Wimborne
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Central and Eastern Sections 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 Western Section: 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	Central and Eastern Sections § London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Brighton via Redhill Oxted and Brighton via East Grinstead (LL) and Lewes Three Bridges and Tunbridge Wells West 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 Western Section: 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)
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Central and Eastern Sections 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 Western Section: Feltham Yard and Brent Via Kew East Junc Waterloo or Nine Elms and Guildford via Cobham Clapham Junc and Kensington Guildford and Godalming Goods Ascot and Farnham Portsmouth and Southsea to Salisbury via Redbridge Salisbury Portsmouth Harbour via Redbridge	Central and Eastern Sections 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 Western Section: 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 Bricklayers' Arms and Guildford via Leatherhead and Effingham Junc
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Central and Eastern Sections 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 Western Section: µ Waterloo or Nine Elms and Plymouth Windsor and Ascot via Staines curve ¶ Bournemouth Central and Dorchester goods trains Light engines Eastleigh Loco depot and Dean Battersea Yard and Brent via New Kew Junc Southampton Terminus and Portsmouth Harbour via Netley Brockenhurst and Poole (not stopping at Bournemouth)	Central and Eastern Sections Victoria or Battersea Yard and Portsmouth 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 Western Section: 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
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Central and Eastern Sections 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 Western Section: 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	Central and Eastern Sections Victoria and Norwood Junc via Selhurst London Bridge or Bricklayers' Arms and Crystal Palace (LL) via Forest Hill Via Bexley Heath line Victoria, Stewarts Lane or Holborn via Nunhead line and Bexley Heath Earlsfield or Wimbledon and Bognor Regis via Raynes Park and Epsom Oxted and Brighton via Haywards Heath Western Section: Waterloo or Nine Elms and Reading via Loop line Earlsfield or Wimbledon and Bognor Regis via Raynes Park and Epsom 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)
15	16
Central and Eastern Sections § 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 Western Section: Waterloo and Clapham Junc (empty trains and light engines) Nine Elms Loco depot to Clapham Junc Clapham Junc and Hampton Court via east Putney Passenger trains, Bournemouth Central and Weymouth Bournemouth West and Oxford, GWR Exmouth Junc Loco to Exmouth Junc Yard Light engines Fratton and Eastleigh	Central and Eastern Sections 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 Holborn to Clapham Junc Western Section: 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)
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Central and Eastern Sections 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 Nunhead line and Tonbridge Horsham and Guildford Western Section: Waterloo or Nine Elms and Southampton Docks via East Putney Twickenham and Shepperton Salisbury and Portsmouth Harbour via Eastleigh Portsmouth and Southsea to Salisbury via Eastleigh Guildford and Horsham	Central and Eastern Sections § 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) Western Section: 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
19	20
Central and Eastern Sections § 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 Croydon 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 Western Section: 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 Feltham to Wimbledon and Durnsford Road via Chertsey	Central and Eastern Sections 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 Western Section: Waterloo and Nine Elms and Brockenhurst and Bournemouth West via Sway Waterloo or Nine Elms and Waterloo via Brentford
21	Central & Eastern 22 Western sections
Central and Eastern 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) Western Section: 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	Central and Eastern Sections Down Trains West London line to Brighton Western Section: Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour via Eastleigh Feltham and Brent via Richmond
23	Central & Eastern 24 Western sections
Central and Eastern Sections Brighton and Salisbury via Southanpton Central Western Section: Nine Elms and Willesden via New Kew Junc Brighton and Salisbury via Southampton Central Eastleigh and Micheldever or Basingstoke (light engines for testing)	Central and Eastern Sections Up Trains to GWR via West London line Western Section: Waterloo and Guildford via Earlsfield and Leatherhead Southampton and Willesden via Richmond and Gunnersbury
25	26
All Sections Breakdown Van trains	All Sections Royal train
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Central and Eastern Sections Up Trains to LMSR via West London line Brighton and Salisbury via Eastleigh Western Section: Nine Elms and Brent via New Kew Junc Kingston and Shepperton Brighton and Salisbury via Eastleigh	Western Section: Waterloo and Guildford via East Putney and Leatherhead
29	30
Central and Eastern Sections Brighton and Bournemouth through trains Western Section: Waterloo and Waterloo via Kingston Bournemouth and Brighton	Western Section: Race Meeting Train
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Western Section: Race Meeting Train	Western Section: Race Meeting Train
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Western Section: Race Meeting Train	Western Section: Race Meeting Train
Shunt	Nine Elms Shunt
All Sections: Shunt Engine * # (not Nine Elms)	Coal Road #
Nine Elms Shunt	Nine Elms Shunt
Central Yard #	Bank #
Nine Elms Shunt	Nine Elms Shunt
Top Yard #	Hay Yard #
* Shunting engines employed exclusively in station yards (except Nine Elms Yard) and sidings, and when travelling on the running lines from one yard to another at the same station, must, after sunset or during fog or falling snow, carry one red and one white light, both at the front and rear. The positions for these lights will be as shown, viz.: one red light in the centre at the top, and one white light on the right hand side of the smokebox, tender or bunker, as the case may be. # Shunting engines must not carry a head signal during daylight

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This page was created 18 June 2007