Signals

This a bit of an embarrassing post really for a railway forum,but I’ve always been told that if you don’t know - ask.
Youngest son has a signal for the layout and asked me where to put it so as to be in keeping with a real railway.After a short silence I realized I was stumped.
Is there anywhere on the web where I can go for a sort of ‘railway highway code’
I don’t want to try and signal a huge goods yards but my mainline would be a start
Many thanks Troy (the railway muppet,according to my son)
P.S. I got the track the right way up though!

which type of signal? for a trun out? or traffic signal?

I guess this is what your looking for. Check them out…

http://www.opm.gov/fedclass/gs2121.pdf
http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/HTM/2003/part4/part4d.htm
http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/rail/Signal/aspects_us_pl.html WOW [:p]
http://www.dot.state.oh.us/spec/632.htm
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/media/twgreport.htm
http://www.army.mil/usapa/eng/DR_pubs/dr_a/pdf/tm5_628.pdf United States Army/Air Force TM

Hope this helps!

troybetts,
Don’t be embarrassed. For years I had no idea what a “W” sign was for along a mainline. Never noticed they came just before a grade crossing. Then it dawned on me…“Whistle!”. Yet I call myself a train guy. Later eh…Brian.
[:I][:I]

Hi
Dont worry too much about it with all the diferent kind of signals there are it is quite a complex thing.
I would go for nothing more than arrival and departure signals and maybe the odd special your arrivale and departure signals need only show red and green aspects
or some other way of indicating stop and proceed.
To try and fit propper signaling none of us would have the room or track length to do it throw in some point (switch0 indicators for good measure and that will do it. or put up a sign that says entering train order territory.
The number of signals you need will go down but you will also need a sign that
says end of train order territory when you get back to where the signals are.
Without a picture of the signal you have it is hard to offer better advice.
regards John

Thanks everyone,
Bluebonnet - 71,there is some serious reading material on some of those sites!
I think I’m just going to do what John said and keep it simple.I can build some relays and use reed switches to section the routes.I’ll build some basic red/green signals and let the trains operate them automatically.That way the boys will find out what happens if you run a red light! ,Troy