BLOCK TELEGRAPH WORKING - QUESTION

At a station like (say) Junee, where double-line block telegraph ended and
single-line working commenced (using OTS or electric staff), how could a
train be accepted from the last box but one on the double track, given that
the usual requirement for the line to be clear for a quarter of a mile
beyond the starting signal would be difficult to achieve, as this would be
somewhere out on the single line. Or was there always sufficient
double-track beyond the last box on the double line to provide this
clearance requirement?

I'm building a model railway with the principal feature being a station like
Junee where double track becomes single. Perhaps Junee isn't a good example,
as it was a big place. There must have been many smaller stations where this
change of working occurred.

Thanks

Erewhon

Junee is not a good example beacuse the automatic signaling was
installed when the line was duplicated between Cootamundra and Junee
North.

Secondly, the ETS started at Junee South (for Harefield section). The
yard where moves on main line tracks are permissive between both the
boxes would act as a buffer.

I think outer home signals were used at the end of block sections to
create stopping and braking distances when approaching any single
track section beyond the station or signal box. This is also
appropriate where single-line branches from double line tracks, e.g.
Joppa Junction.

Best regards...........PP

"Ronald Besdansky" <rbesdansky2@bigpond.com> wrote in message news:<cCARc.41409$K53.33569@news-server.bigpond.net.au>...
> At a station like (say) Junee, where double-line block telegraph ended and
> single-line working commenced (using OTS or electric staff), how could a
> train be accepted from the last box but one on the double track, given that
> the usual requirement for the line to be clear for a quarter of a mile
> beyond the starting signal would be difficult to achieve, as this would be
> somewhere out on the single line. Or was there always sufficient
> double-track beyond the last box on the double line to provide this
> clearance requirement?
>
> I'm building a model railway with the principal feature being a station like
> Junee where double track becomes single. Perhaps Junee isn't a good example,
> as it was a big place. There must have been many smaller stations where this
> change of working occurred.
>
> Thanks
>
> Erewhon

Ronald Besdansky wrote:

> At a station like (say) Junee, where double-line block telegraph ended and
> single-line working commenced (using OTS or electric staff), how could a
> train be accepted from the last box but one on the double track, given that
> the usual requirement for the line to be clear for a quarter of a mile
> beyond the starting signal would be difficult to achieve, as this would be
> somewhere out on the single line. Or was there always sufficient
> double-track beyond the last box on the double line to provide this
> clearance requirement?

In NSW, the double-line requirement is simply for there to be an overlap
of appropriate length. Clearing points were established for each
location with manual signalling. You seem to be thinking of British
practices (even then rather inaccurately, I fear - e.g. sometimes the
clearing points were a quarter mile past the HOME signal), but I cannot
think of any location in NSW where the clearing point was "a quarter of
a mile beyond the starting signal", although it was very commonly the
starting signal itself. In your context of a major yard (but not
specifically at Junee, as PP has explained) there would have been an
outer home, and the clearing point for block acceptance would typically
be the next home signal.