What do the colours of the levers mean in a signal box?

Mechanical signal boxes contain many levers that control among other things signals, points, crossing gates and facing-point-locks. Even the smallest of signal boxes can contain numerous levers, but the largest box in the UK at Shrewsbury's Severn Bridge Junction has a staggering 180 levers (only half of which are in use today) so different coloured levers are used to avoid confusion and mistakes from happening during operation by signallers.

Similar systems are used in other countries however the meaning of the colours vary from here in the UK where colours are usually allocated to signal box levers as follows:

• Red = Stop signals and shunt signals
• Yellow = Distance signals
• Black = Points
• Blue = Facing point locks
• White = Spare
• Brown = Lock level crossing gates

This is of interest to modellers because they often adopt the same system on their layouts to operate points and signals. This not only makes the operation of the layout more realistic but it can help modellers of larger layouts in exactly the same way that it helps real signallers. You can even get switches that come ready colour-coded such as the range by Peco and a neat little console to house them. Of course, you are not obliged to use such products and can simply choose to use coloured stickers or a dab of paint to achieve a desirable effect.