New to Signal Engineering

[alexgoei]

I have moved the following post here as I consider it a more appropriate part of the Forum than where originally posted [PJW]

[agung]

first, i want to introduce myself that i'm the new member of this forum and i want to ask about Signaling Engineering because i'm really interested on signaling engineering but i don't know what i must start to learn it and i feel it's so complex and complicated.Thus, maybe some of you can give some advice what i should do to begin studying about Railway Signaling Engineering.

Best Regards
agung

[PJW]

Depends a bit upon your age, location, education etc. so the more you share on this the better advice you are likely to get. However until you are able to tell us a little more about yourself, a short reply:

#1. Historically many of us had a certain interest in railways in our youth, perhaps from having model trains.

#2. Certain books are available for the railway enthusiast market- they tend to concentrate on historical signalling (still plenty o that in service!), but some is reasonably up to date. When I was at university thinking about employment the IRSE's big green book Railway Signalling was published and available on the shelves of the better bookshops; it is a bit dated now, but the fundamentals don't change that much. The Ian Allan abc booklets are widely available and quite cheap- there are several relating to signalling and railway operations.

#3. There are some museums and preserved railways in UK and abroad that are useful to understand a bit of the subject.

#4. The internet is a good resource; always have to be a little careful re accuracy, but mostly suprisingly good: www.signalbox.org is a good place to start and find other links.

#5. Until recently there was not much in the way of college and university courses; some now exist (see elsewhere on this site).

#6. Most people learn once employed in the industry. Companies recruit from school and university; some take mid-career entrants from other engineering disciplines and out them through a conversion programme.

It is a small industry but quite wide. Some people specialise in a particular niche and become true experts; others like me are "jacks of all trades". On some days my work covers well over 100 years of technology; I rarely get covered in points grease nowadays but I do like doing some testing & commissioning as well as the design and feasibility optioneering that is more of my day job.

You are probably aware that this website is primarily for those who have been in the industry from about 2-10 years and are wishing to submit themselves to Professional Examination as part of what is needed to get full corporate membership of the IRSE. However happy that you use it to find out information that might encourage you to move into the industry. The recent announcement of funding of London's Cross Rail means that I reckon there will be plenty of work to be done until my retirement and beyond even if some of us are sceptical that the rate of ERTMS national rollout won't be that in the current plan!