Moving the disc

In the days of steam it was a legal requirement, particularly on single track railway lines, that there should always be a lantern to indicate the direction of travel. Locos and rolling stock were all obliged to carry lamps at the front and back, with white light indicating the front and red the rear. The placement of the lantern was a very important safety factor, especially on Freight trains, when it was vital that the red was visible to the signalman when the train passed a signal box, so that he could see that the full haul was still intact and no wagons had become split and left to block the track.
The ‘City of Wells’ however, displays a white disc at the front, and this picture shows the disc being moved into place for the journey from Keighley to Oxenhope.