Danish Signaling, Miscellaneous Signs

Aspects and indications 1944-1975

Updated 980823

Signs having a rulebook number
Signs not having a rulebook number

Signs having a rulebook number

"Signal Not in Use" (Danish: "Signalet ugyldigt")

1944-1953: no. 26; 
1953-1975: no. 27a.

The signal carrying the sign is not in use. Semaphore arms are disconnected, and signal is not illuminated.

1944-1953: no. 27; 
1953-1975: no. 27b.

The indicator (e.g. route direction indicator) carrying the sign is not in use and is not illuminated.

"Whistle" (Danish: "Giv Agt")

1944-1958: no. 101a-c;
1958-1975: no. 101a-b.


       101a                           101b                       101c

A train passing the sign shall sound one long warning tone as follows.
- At no. 101a: always.
- At no. 101b: only when visibility is poor, e.g. due to fog or snow.
- At no. 101c: only if the level crossing signal of a following automatic level crossing does not indicate that the level crossing is closed.

1958, no. 101c was replaced by no. 115.

"Fire-susceptible Line Section" (Danish: "Kendingsmærke for brandfarlige Strækninger")

1944-1975: no. 102.


Beginning of area          End of area

The area between the signs is susceptible to fire.

The sign applied to track maintenance crews and steam engines.

"Station (Halt) without Main Signals" (Danish: "Kendingsmærke for Holdesteder uden Sidespor og uden Hovedsignaler")

1944-1975: no. 103.

Expect a platform without main signals 500 m (550 yds) beyond this point.

The sign was rarely used on suburban lines.

"Spur without Main Signals" (Danish: "Kendingsmærke for Holdesteder med Sidespor men uden Hovedsignaler")

1944-1975: no. 104.

Expect a spur without main signals 500 m (550 yds) beyond this point.

The sign was not used on suburban lines.

"Approach Markers" (Danish: "Afstandsmærker")

1944-1962: no. 105;
1962-1975: no. 105a.


1200 m (1310 yds)         800 m (875 yds)            400 m (440 yds)

Expect a main signal at the distance indicated.

Approach markers were used only for entry, block and protection signals, i.e. not for main signals in station areas.

The 1200 m and 800 m signs might be omitted as necessary if main signals were densely spaced. In certain instances, approach markers might be omitted entirely if the main signal was easily recognized.

1962-1975: no. 105b.


1200 m (1310 yds)         800 m (875 yds)            400 m (440 yds)

Expect a main signal at the distance indicated.

This version was used between parallel tracks and consisted of a number of boards mounted near rail level. The boards were arranged in an ascending row so as to be percepted as one combined sign:

"Station requiring Caution" (Danish: "Kendingsmærke for farlige Stationer")

1944-1966: no. 106.

The station has short entry routes; max. speed is 30 km/h (20 mph). If the restriction only applies to certain tracks, the track numbers are indicated.

1966, the sign was retired as speed indicators would provide the information necessary. However, it continued being used by private secondary lines.

"Entry Route with short Overlap" (Danish: "Togvej med kort forløb")

1966-1975: no. 106.

The end of the entry route is X meters beyond this point (thus the sign above reads: 1230 m).

A kind of descendant of the previous no. 106, the sign was used for entry routes with overlap < 150 m (165 yds) to assist the precise braking of the train.

"Switch Limit" (Danish: "Rangergrænsemærke")

1944-1975: no. 107.

Switching operations within the station area may not go beyond this point.

The sign was situated at least 50 m (55 yds) inside the entry signal, facing the station.

The sign might also be used as Station Limit sign (facing the line) for a wrong main track, provided that
- there was no entry signal for the wrong main track, and
- the station limit could not be recognized by the position of the ordinary entry signal, e.g. because the 2 tracks were widely separated.
For this purpose the sign was illuminated by night.

The sign might be used in a similar manner for a spur connecting to a main track of a double-track line, if there was no protection signal facing wrong main movements. For this purpose the sign was not illuminated by night.

The sign might further be used facing both directions to indicate the Station Limit towards harbour areas.

"Stop for Incoming Train" (Danish: "Stopmærke for indkørende Tog")

1944-1965: no. 108.

An incoming train must stop at the sign, as it indicates the end of the locked entry route.

The sign was illuminated by night.

"Stop Sign" (Danish: "Almindeligt stopmærke")

1965-1975: no. 108.

When situated next to the track: An incoming train must stop at the sign, as it indicates the end of the locked entry route.

When situated in the middle of the track: All movements must stop at the sign, as it indicates a buffer-stop.

"Stop for Electric Train" (Danish: "Stopmærke for elektrisk Tog")

1944-1975: no. 109.

An electric train must stop at the sign, as it indicates the end of the overhead wire.

"Clearance Limit" (Danish: "Frispormærke")

1944-1975: no. 110.

The sign indicated the clearance limit for converging tracks.

"Boundary between Station and Engine Facility Areas" (Danish: "Grænsemærke mellem Maskintjenestens og Trafiktjenestens Omraade")

1944-1975: no. 111.

The sign indicated the station limit for tracks leading to an engine facility, repair shop or eqv.

"Platform Sign" (Danish: "Kendingsmærke for Perron ved Trinbrætter, ved hvilke der ikke findes bevogtet (stedbetjent) Overkørsel")

1946-1975: no. 112.

The sign indicated the beginning of a platform. The sign was only used in connection with no. 103, i.e. not in station areas.

Until 1970, the sign was only used at unstaffed halts; i.e. stations with neither main signals nor manually operated level crossings. After 1970, the sign was used at all halts marked by no. 103, and the danish description was changed into "Kendingsmærke for perron ved trinbrætter".

"Distant Signal Next" (Danish: "Fremskudt signal følger")

1953-1975: no. 113.

The next main signal is advance signalled by a separate distant signal (i.e. not by this main signal).

The sign was only used on lines with mixed advance signaling, i.e. some main signals were advance signaled by a separate distant signal, and some by the preceding main signal.

"Stop Markers" (Danish: "Standsningsmærker")

1944-1958: no rulebook number; 
1958-1972: no. 114; 
1972-1975: no. 114a.

The sign indicated the exact position to stop at a platform, before a signal or before a non-operating automatic level crossing.

A sign with a number applied to trains consisting of a certain number of vehicles. A sign with an 'S' applied to all trains.

Until 1958, the signs were only used on suburban lines; hence they were not mentioned in the general rulebook.

1972-1975: no. 114b.

During this rulebook period, the sign was only used for cab signalling tests. Refer to no. 17.24 of the current rulebook for further explanation.

"Automatic Level Crossing" (Danish: "Kendingsmærke for automatisk sikret overkørsel uden signalafhængighed")

1959-1975: no. 115.

Expect an automatic level crossing within braking distance of this point. Prepare to stop before the level crossing if the level crossing signal (visible from this point) does not indicate that the level crossing is closed.

"Automatic Level Crossing protected by Main Signal" (Danish: "Kendingsmærke for automatisk sikret overkørsel med signalafhængighed")

1959-1975: no. 116.

Expect an automatic level crossing beyond the main signal, the level crossing being closed when the signal displays "proceed" (or better).

"Reduced Speed" (Danish: "Kendingsmærke for kørsel med begrænset hastighed")

1965-1975: no. 117.

The sign indicated the permitted speed when the main signal displayed "Proceed with Reduced Speed".

"End of Interlocked Area" (Danish: "Grænsemærke mellem sikret og usikret sporområde")

1967-1975: no. 115.

The sign indicated the end of a switching route, if the track behind the sign was outside the interlocked area.

"Exit Route Speed Restriction" (Danish: "Hastighedsnedsættelse i udkørselsenden")

1968-1975: no. 119.

The sign indicated the speed limit of the exit route when it was lower than the speed limit of the entry route. The sign was placed near the entry signal.

Signs not having a rulebook number

"Main Signal Type" (Danish: "Typeskilt")

1953-1975:

The main signal type was indicated as follows:
- I:       Entry Signal (danish: indkørselssignal), this sign might be omitted
- SI:    Entry Block Signal (danish: stationsbloksignal for indkørsel)
- U:     Exit Signal (danish: udkørselssignal), this sign might be omitted
- SU:   Exit Block Signal (danish: stationsbloksignal for udkørsel)
- PU:   Platform Exit Signal (danish: perron-udkørselssignal), this sign might be omitted
- M:    Manually Operated Block Signal (danish: mellembloksignal)
- AM:  Block Signal (danish: automatisk mellembloksignal)
- DS:   Protection signal (danish: dækningssignal)
- VI:    Wrong Main Entry Signal (danish: venstresporsignal for indkørsel), introduced 1962
- VU:  Wrong Main Exit Signal (danish: venstresporsignal for udkørsel), introduced 1962
- VM: Wrong Main Block Signal (danish: venstrespor-mellembloksignal), introduced 1962

Combined signals (AM/DS and VM/DS) were equipped with 2 signs, the "DS" sign being the lower.

"Track Assignment" (Danish: "Gyldighedsmærke")

1944-1975:

The signal carrying the sign is assigned to the track indicated.

The sign was used when track assignment might be ambiguous, e.g. because the signal was not situated to the right of the track.

"Buffer-Stop Marker" (Danish: "Tydeliggørelse af sporstopper")

1965-1975:

The sign indicates the position of a buffer-stop.

The sign was used as necessary. Buffer-stops that might constitute the end of a train route were always equipped with no. 108 instead of this sign.

Until 1965, buffer-stops were always indicated by the derailer signal no. 32.

"Station Limit" (Danish: "Stationsgrænsemærke")

1944-1975:

When placed before a station with entry signal: Stop at the sign if the entry signal displays "stop"; the entry signal may be situated at or beyond the sign.

When placed otherwise: Expect a platform or spur without main signal app. 100 m (110 yds) beyond this point.

The sign was primarily used by private secondary lines.

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 Copyright © 1999 Henrik W Karlsson