Timmy Zammit and I have been chatting about the signals on the Malta Railway. There were supposed to be two, one each on Harmrun and Birkirkara stations. These two stations were where trains heading in opposite directions most often passed each other.

A contemporary description says the one at Hamrun was attached to the station building. There are somewhat conflicting references in later descriptions: “Just clear of the Hamrun station buildings was a six meter high semaphore signal worked by hand-winch”, and “There were double semaphores on the roofs of Hamrun and Birchircara stations, one for each direction”

We think that the Hamrun signal might appear on the roof of Hamrun’s entrance building. It’s shown in horizontal position in one photo and down in another? But, there’s nothing obvious at Birkirkara.

This post was first published on the Malta Railway Facebook page in August 2024