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Added selection of example bell signals
It is often possible to hear at least some of a signal box's bells when standing on the platform. Remember, though, that you will nearly always only ever hear the bell signals being received. When a signalman sends a bell signal, his own bells do not ring.
Bell signals are made up of groups of beats separated by pauses. They are written down as the number of beats in each group, with dashes for each pause. For example, '3-1' means three beats, pause, one beat.
== Example bell signals ==
The most common bell signal is probably the 'Call Attention' signal, used before nearly all other signals to alert the signalman that a bell signal is coming. It consists of just a single beat of the bell.
The largest group of signals consists of the "Is line clear..." signals, because there is a different signal for each class of train that a signalman might want to send. Some examples are:
* 3-1 Is line clear for Class B ordinary passenger train?
* 4 Is line clear for Class A express passenger train?
* 2-3 Is line clear for Class G light engine(s)?
There are also variants on these signals that indicate particular types of stock, or that are for SVR-specific operational purposes:
* 3-1-2 Is line clear for Class B ordinary passenger DMU?
* 3-3-3 Is line clear for Class A/B passenger train not stopping at Bewdley?
* 2-5-1 Is line clear for Class B footplate experience train?
Bell signals are also used by signalmen to inform each other about the passage of trains and for other reasons:
* 2 Train Entering Section
* 2-1 Train Out Of Section
* 5-5-5 Opening signal box
* 7-5-5 Closing signal box
