Please be aware of our copyright notice. If you have a good reaon for using a photo from this site ask permission from first - it is frequently given.
Bell Codes
| One of the "Sounds" of the railways of
yesteryear (and still some today, in a few instances) was the ringing of bells.
Bells were a very important form of communication and were used extensively for
the Signalman to communicate quickly and efficiently with both his fellow
Signalmen and, if sited at a station, the Platform Staff.
Probably the most frequent to be heard by passengers on a station were the Platform Bells. By this means the Signalman can inform the Station Staff of various matters they need to know. In a couple of seconds he can send his message which will be heard by all those on the Station, saving the need for someone to answer a telephone and pass the message on. The type of message sent this way will be to inform that an expected Train has entered the Block Section, later that its arrival is imminent and, where appropriate, which Platform it will arrive in. A further use of the Platform Bell is to quickly summon someone to attend the Signalbox, should that be necessary. |
| Example Platform Bell Signals (these will vary from station to station according to need) | ||
| Next up train left adjacent down station: | 3-1 | |
| Next down train left adjacent up station: | 1-3 | |
| Train approaching | ||
| Platform 1: | 1 | |
| Platform 2: | 2 | |
| Attend at Signalbox: | 6 | |
| The main use of the bells however is for box to box
communication to assist in the passage of trains from one block post to the
next. Note that in the codes shown below the hyphen indicates a pause, i.e. 3 -
1 is three rings, pause, then one ring of the bell. Where a train was to run
down a branch line Branch Train Entering Section had to be given by the second
Signalbox in rear of a junction with Branch Is Line Clear and Branch Train
Entering Section being given by the first Signalbox in rear of a Junction. The
Branch Line Bell Codes were not used for Trains running on the Branch Line. The Bell Codes used on the Southern Railway, as at 1st August 1931, were as follows:- |
| Double Lines | |
| DESCRIPTION OF SIGNAL | HOW TO BE GIVEN |
| CALL ATTENTION SIGNAL | 1 |
| IS LINE CLEAR FOR | Passenger Train or Breakdown Van Train not going to clear the Line | Main Line Branch |
3 - 1 1 - 3 |
| Breakdown Van Train going to clear the Line, or Light Engine going to assist disabled Train | Main Line Branch |
2 - 2 4 - 4 |
|
| Fish, Meat, Fruit, Horse, cattle, Milk or Perishable Train composed of coaching stock | Main Line Branch |
4 - 2 - 2 2 - 2 - 4 |
|
| Empty Train | Main Line Branch |
2 - 2 - 1 1 - 2 - 2 |
|
| Goods or Through Ballast Train or Engines and Brakes | Main Line Branch |
3 - 2 2 - 3 |
|
| Light Engine or Light Engines coupled together | Main Line Branch |
4 - 1 1 - 4 |
|
| IS LINE CLEAR FOR | Ballast Train requiring to stop in Section or Goods Train Working at Intermediate Sidings | 5 consecutively | |
| IS LINE CLEAR FOR | Trolley requiring to pass through Tunnel | 2 - 2 - 2 | |
| IS LINE CLEAR FOR | Power-worked Inspection Car or mechanically or power-worked Trolley | Through Required to stop in Section |
1 - 2 - 1 1 - 3 - 1 |
| TRAIN ENTERING SECTION | Main Line Branch |
2 consecutively 4 consecutively |
| SECTION CLEAR BUT STATION OR JUNCTION BLOCKED | 3 - 5 - 5 | |
| BANK ENGINE IN REAR OF TRAIN | 1 - 4 - 1 | |
| TRAIN OUT OF SECTION OR OBSTRUCTION REMOVED | 2 - 1 | |
| ENGINE ARRIVED | 2 - 1 - 3 | |
| TRAIN DRAWN BACK CLEAR OF SECTION | 3 - 2 - 3 | |
| OBSTRUCTION DANGER | 6 consecutively | |
| BLOCKING BACK | Inside Home Signal | 2 - 4 |
| Outside Home Signal | 3 - 3 |
| STOP AND EXAMINE TRAIN | 7 consecutively | |
| CANCELLING "IS LINE CLEAR" OR "TRAIN ENTERING SECTION" SIGNAL | 3 - 5 | |
| LAST TRAIN SIGNALLED INCORRECTLY DESCRIBED | 5 - 3 | |
| TRAIN PASSED WITHOUT TAIL LAMP | To Box in Advance | 9 consecutively |
| To Box in Rear | 4 - 5 |
| TRAIN DIVIDED | 5 - 5 | |
| SHUNT TRAIN FOR FOLLOWING TRAIN TO PASS | 1 - 5 - 5 | |
| VEHICLES RUNNING AWAY ON WRONG LINE | 2 - 5 - 5 | |
| VEHICLES RUNNING AWAY ON RIGHT LINE | 4 - 5 - 5 | |
| OPENING OF SIGNALBOX | 5 - 5 - 5 | |
| CLOSING OF SIGNALBOX | 7 - 5 - 5 | |
| TESTING BLOCK INDICATORS AND BELLS | 16 consecutively | |
| SHUNTING BETWEEN SIGNALBOXES WITHIN STATION LIMITS IN RIGHT DIRECTION | Is Line Clear for Shunt Movement on Down Line? | 4 - 2 |
| Is Line Clear for Shunt Movement on Up Line? | 4 - 3 | |
| Shunt Movement Entering Section | 2 consecutively | |
| Shunt Movement out of Section | 2 - 1 | |
| Release Slot for Shunting | 2 - 1 - 2 | |
| Cancelling "Is Line Clear for Shunt Movement?" or "Shunt Movement Entering Section" Signal | 3 - 5 - 1 | |
| SHUNTING BETWEEN SIGNALBOXES WITHIN STATION LIMITS IN WRONG DIRECTION | May Shunt Movement be made on Wrong Line | 1 - 2 |
| Wrong Line Shunt Movement clear of Section at Box in rear | 2 - 3 - 2 | |
| Wrong Line Shunt Movement clear of Section at Box in advance | 2 - 1 |
| Single Lines | |
| DESCRIPTION OF SIGNAL | HOW TO BE GIVEN |
| CALL ATTENTION SIGNAL | 1 |
| IS LINE CLEAR FOR | Passenger Train or Breakdown Van Train not going to clear the Line | Main Line Branch |
3 - 1 1 - 3 |
| Breakdown Van Train going to clear the Line, or Light Engine going to assist disabled Train | Main Line Branch |
2 - 2 4 - 4 |
|
| Fish, Meat, Fruit, Horse, cattle, Milk or Perishable Train composed of coaching stock | Main Line Branch |
4 - 2 - 2 2 - 2 - 4 |
|
| Empty Train | Main Line Branch |
2 - 2 - 1 1 - 2 - 2 |
|
| Goods or Through Ballast Train or Engines and Brakes | Main Line Branch |
3 - 2 2 - 3 |
|
| Light Engine or Light Engines coupled together | Main Line Branch |
4 - 1 1 - 4 |
|
| IS LINE CLEAR FOR | Ballast Train requiring to stop in Section or Goods Train Working at Intermediate Sidings | 5 consecutively | |
| IS LINE CLEAR FOR | Trolley requiring to pass through Tunnel | 2 - 2 - 2 | |
| IS LINE CLEAR FOR | Power-worked Inspection Car or mechanically or power-worked Trolley | Through Required to stop in Section |
1 - 2 - 1 1 - 3 - 1 |
| TRAIN ENTERING SECTION | Main Line Branch |
2 consecutively 4 consecutively |
| SECTION CLEAR BUT STATION OR JUNCTION BLOCKED | 3 - 5 - 5 | |
| BANK ENGINE IN REAR OF TRAIN | 1 - 4 - 1 | |
| TRAIN OUT OF SECTION OR OBSTRUCTION REMOVED | 2 - 1 | |
| OBSTRUCTION DANGER | 6 consecutively | |
| RELEASE TABLET OR STAFF FOR SHUNTING | 5 - 2 | |
| SHUNTING COMPLETED - TABLET OR STAFF REPLACED | 2 - 5 | |
| BLOCKING BACK | Inside Home Signal | 2 - 4 |
| Outside Home Signal | 3 - 3 |
| STOP AND EXAMINE TRAIN | 7 consecutively | |
| CANCELLING "IS LINE CLEAR" OR "TRAIN ENTERING SECTION" SIGNAL | 3 - 5 | |
| LAST TRAIN SIGNALLED INCORRECTLY DESCRIBED | 5 - 3 | |
| TRAIN PASSED WITHOUT TAIL LAMP | To Box in Advance | 9 consecutively |
| To Box in Rear | 4 - 5 |
| TRAIN DIVIDED | 5 - 5 | |
| SHUNT TRAIN FOR FOLLOWING TRAIN TO PASS | 1 - 5 - 5 | |
| VEHICLES RUNNING AWAY | 2 - 5 - 5 | |
| OPENING OF SIGNALBOX | 5 - 5 - 5 | |
| CLOSING OF SIGNALBOX | 7 - 5 - 5 | |
| TESTING BLOCK INDICATORS AND BELLS | 16 consecutively | |
| TRANSFERENCE OF TABLETS OR STAFFS BY LINEMAN | 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 | |
Index to pages
This page was created 1 December 2003
