“The Collector” magazine question

[candishtowers]

Reading the article “ Moving the Goods” in “The Collector” recently there is a picture of a train near Durham. Nothing special in that, however, the engine has just passed under a semaphore signal with home and distant arms and between them is what looks like a subsidiary or calling on arm. All are in the “off” position.

i have not seen such a signal before and so I am questioning what was the meaning of the subsidiary signal when the driver would have taken the main line signals as his authority to proceed?

[Going Spare]

I think you will find a partial explanation in the railsigns.uk website under Section 4 "Subsidiary Signals", the first two paragraphs and illustration 4.2 which is applicable to the NER.

As I interpret it, such a signal was used in isolation when there may have been a minor justification (e.g. proceeding in to a siding) for calling-on past the main signal but the subsidiary calling-on arm had to be pulled off before the main arm(s) could also be cleared for the main line route.