Italian semaphore signals

[stevej]

G'day, I am curious about grouped Italian railway semaphore signals.
I have managed find some documentation.
I can envisage the principle.
A home blade directly infront of a distant blade on the same post.
The home spectacle plate with a red lens and clear lens.
The distant spectacle plate with a yellow lens and green lens.
But, I would imagine that when both blades are horizontal, at stop, the combined yellow lens and red lens would not provide a distinct red light.
Possibly more like a muddy brown light.
Does anyone know if any of these signals still exist ?
Thanks,
Stevej.

[John Hinson]

Not your answer, I'm afraid, but in case others have triouble visualising these, drawings of signals of this type are illustrated on this web site at http://signalbox.org/overseas/italy/signals.htm . According to that page, it is unlikely that any of the type survive in use (and that was written some years ago!).

John

[Frank]

Hello Stevej.

A home blade directly infront of a distant blade on the same post.
The home spectacle plate with a red lens and clear lens.
The distant spectacle plate with a yellow lens and green lens.
But, I would imagine that when both blades are horizontal, at stop, the combined yellow lens and red lens would not provide a distinct red light.

Yes, they where so called Coupled Home and distant signals but the Signal shows Red when both blades where Horizontal.
The mechanismus of the Signal granted this.
The Home arm, in front, had one red Lens and one clear , while the distant arm, in back, had one green lens and one clear . A swinging yellow Lens, pivoted in the Home arm and with a pin in the distant arm running in a slot, was located between the arms, which were both pivoted at top of the arms . When both arms were horizontal, the light from the lamp passed through the empty lens in the distant arm and the red lens in the Home arm.

Frank

[stevej]

Thanks John and Frank.
The diagram and the explanation of a separate spectacle plate for the yellow lens now makes sense to me.
Though, I do wonder at the intricate mechanism involved.
I might google for any old photos.
Here in NSW, when an "inner" distant was required on the same post as the home semaphore,
that was usually fitted below the home signal.
No yellow lamp indication with our lower quadrant semaphores.
Either Red or Green.
Stevej.

[Ulf Pålsson]

Stevej, there is some information about the mechanism on the web site "Italian signals" by J.B. Calvert, http://mysite.du.edu/~etuttle/rail/ital.htm . Also, but in Italian, on one of the pages of 'Segnali Ferroviari Italiani' by Marco Antonio, http://www.segnalifs.it/it/sa/N_alagialla.htm .

[stevej]

G'day Ulf,
Thanks for the links.
I have grabbed both to study.
The English text is very informative.
I am not able to speak Italian, but the diagrams do assist with understanding the principle.
Steve.

[John Hinson]

You can use this site to translate web pages to English and other languages:
https://translate.google.com/

John

[stevej]

Thanks John,
Yes, I have utilized google translate before, when delving into German signal systems.
It does work reasonably well.
The only problem being that the page does not permit saving to me usb stick.
My www access being at the local library (free), I save all stuff scrounged to me usb stick to view at home.
I do possess a very basic multi-language translator at home, but it does not possess any technical terminology.
Steve.