
1842
SEMAPHORE SIGNALS
The first semaphore signals were erected on the London and Croydon Railway at New Cross in 1842 by Charles Hutton Gregory on the newly enlarged layout which accommodating the South Eastern Railway. John Urpeth Rastrick claimed to have suggested the idea to Charles Hutton Gregory.
The semaphore signal was rapidly adopted as a fixed signal throughout Britian and superseding all other types of in most uses by 1870 Such signals were widely adopted in the U.S. after 1908
In August 1872 a new style of distant signals appeared at Norwood Junction, Both the distant and home signals had the same appearance and to avoid any confusing the two. Mr. W.J. Williams come up with idea of cutting a notch out of the end of the arm.
In the 1920s, the British railway companies began to colour their distant signal arms yellow to better distinguish them from red stop signals.
BRIGHTON BOILER EXPLOSION
DECEMBER 1842
INVOLVING BRIGHTON DRIVER
WILLIAM CAVAN
Extracted & adapted from the Railway Magazine October 1955