German type signals: how, where, when?

I have been looking at my plan for the layout and next I would like to take care of planning the signals. I'm running DB epoch IV, so the daylight signals are going to be used. After some searching on the web I found that Viessmann has the most complete range. Now the questions:
- did I miss something by selecting Viessmann?
- does anyone has a good guide on how to place those signals?
- likewise how are they correctly used?

So in german railroading you have a few types of signals:
a) approach/advance signals
b) entry/exit/block signals
c) switching signals

The following links are to the HO scale Marklin signals for explanation purposes only:
a) these signals are typically 1km to 1.5 km ahead of the signals in group b) They are used to warn the train engineer about the signal status ahead. They are 1km ahead so that the engineer has enough time to stop the train ahead of signals in group b)
(Signals in group a) do not typically go in front of the station exit signals for obvious reasons)

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b) These signals are the signals that control the flow of the traffic in the block in front of them. Entry signals to stations are used to give go ahead to engineers to proceed into the station. Exit signals allow the train engineer to depart the station.

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c) switching signals are used in stations. They are used to give permission to the train engineer to perform switching moves in
the station while the exit signal is set to red (stop).

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There is also a "mixed group of signals" such as advance signal with a block signal, or an exit signal with advance signal and switching signal... Go to marklin HO product website and browse through the signal product list.

Now as to where things go:
if the block of track under control of the signal contains a switch, the signal will be one of the three aspect signals: i.e., go, go slowly, stop type of signal. Correspondigly the advance signal will also be of the type showing three aspects. So if you have a station, and the trains need to merge from multiple tracks then the exit signal will have to be the three aspect type. In general you display go on the straight track, and approach/go slowly on the divergent/merging route.

For blocks that do not have any switches you use the two aspect signals and corresponding advance signals. Also since typically in our hobby we do not have enought track to procide 1km of space to scale, we typically put advance signals much closer to the main signals.

As to where exactly you would put the signals and how many of them it depends on what kind of stations/track you are modelling. For a branch line station you can get away with a signle exit signal for all tracks at each station end (located behing the furtherst switch of the station), and single entry signal on each end of the station. For the main line you would generally have one exit signal for each track at each end of station, and entry signals as appropriate. In terms of dividing track into blocks, it depends on what you plan on having between the stations. If there is no industry, etc., then on single track branch lines, the exit signal typically would grant the train authority on the track until the next station. If there was a factory somewhere on the line, you might divide the track into two blocks... (To write more on the topic I would need to dig up some of my MIBA SPECIAL magazines).

Hope this helps

Konrad

Konrad, very informative....wondering...what does a *blue* light mean? Just saw one in Slovakia.

German signaling and eastern european signaling are different. If slovakian signals are similar to Polish, then the blue light indicates that shunting is not allowed beyond the signal.

157.158.1.11/~uboottd/jareks/signal/shunt.htm

Konrad

Here's a link describing german signals and their meaning.

www.sh1.org/eisenbahn/shhp.htm