Site Updated
15 May 2012
Page Updated
4 March 2012

Signalling Record Society

Research Facilities

The SRS has a facility to assist research into signalling topics, and particularly the history of signalling equipment, systems and practices. The Research Co-ordinator (email to research) can advise, for example, what research has already been carried out into any particular topic, and suggest sources that might be used. Advice on research techniques can also be offered, although many grannies already know how to suck eggs! The object, of course, is to help researchers use their time more effectively, and hopefully enable them to arrive at more comprehensive results and conclusions than might otherwise be possible. However, the Society is unable to carry out detail research for you. Anyone considering substantial research connected with signalling is advised to get in touch, as there is usually something helpful to contribute.

The Research Co-ordinator also has considerable input into SRS books.

This facility is, of course, mainly for the use of members. Not a member? Join here. While the Research Co-ordinator does have contact with the Railway & Canal Historical Society (R&CHS), Railway Correspondence & Travel Society (RCTS), Historical Model Railway Society (HMRS), other "line" societies and bodies such as The National Archives (TNA) (previously called the Public Record Office (PRO), National Railway Museum (NRM) and Railway Heritage Committee (RHC), he has only very limited time available to deal with non-members. That said, any member of another railway historical society whose research extends into signalling is welcome to make contact.

Has it Been Published Already?

Before contacting the Research Co-ordinator, it can be first useful to see if anyone has already published, or has had published, the results of their investigations.

The SRS is aware of a number of items that have been published already and some of these are listed on our Reference Book page. A digest list of some articles that have appeared in some magazines is available on the In Print page of this web site. Please read the pre-amble on those pages setting out the limitations of the list before going further. The list continues to grow! It is also worth checking to see what books have been published dealing with the Railway company or line concerned, or making a search via a web search facility. And a review might appear on the Book Review page of this web site.

Internet Resources

Increasingly reference material is available on the internet. We have links to some of these on our Links page.

There is a discussion forum on John Hinson's web site. Well worth joining here. If the information to want isn't covered you can always post a new thread.

Publishing Your Researches

The SRS strongly encourages researchers to publish the results of their investigations, and, if necessary, we can advise on outlets and formats for publication (not just through the SRS!). The Society has produced a guide to publishing which you may find useful. The guide is intended to cover several different circumstances, not all of which may be relevant to the material you have in mind. If in doubt, ask!

Prospective authors of line histories are encouraged to join the society to make fullest use of the facilities available. A request for information in the SRS news-sheet can often result in useful information being offered by members. A separate booklet for historians “A Guide to Railway Research” is also available.

If you haven't already obtained it, the Acrobat® Reader program can be downloaded from here.

Railway Archive Reference System (RailRef)

This provides information on the extents of the various railways of the British Isles and is designed to assist in listing signal boxes and other items of railway infrastructure and the filing of records. An explanation of the system can be found here.

Railway Terminology, Jargon and Slang

Many reference books contain a glossary of the terms used in the book and various people have published lists explaining the various abbreviations, acronyms and other terms used with mixed success. There is, however, no published work known to the Society that includes all such things. Indeed, such a book would rapidly go out of date as new terms come into use somewhere each year.

Where jargon or slang is involved the terms used are often localised and different terms or slang will be used by railwaymen for the same thing. To this localisation can be added the terms used by enthusiasts which can also differ from the terms used within the industry. Then add into the mix that the same term can mean something completely different in other places or circumstances.

For many researchers the quickest way to find the meaning of a railway term or abbreviation will be to use an internet search engine such as Google or Yahoo and see what comes forth in response. You might also want to see if following any of the entries in the reference section of the Links page leads to the answer.

Other Enquiries

For general enquiries about signalling not linked to specific signalling research, for example questions about a particular location please see the Enquiries page of this web site.