Tyer and Company

Tyer and Company Signal Engineers

Welcome to the home of information on the Signalling Company Tyer. They manufacture a wide variety of signalling products, but are probably best known for their Tablet Machines and Token Machine.

The Token Machine was devised by the Great Western Railway at its Reading Works. However the law was such that the GWR could not supply machines to other railway companies. The design was therfore licenced to Tyer and Company, who produced the No.8 machine. This was identical to the GWR machine however it feature a 3 position indicator in lieu of the rotary switch that is located to the left of the machine. The GWR however needed a large number of machines in a hurry, to help in its programme of replacing tablet and staff machines. To this end Tyer produced the No.9 machine which is ientical to the GWR machine. All parts for the No.9 and most of the parts of the No.8 of the early machines were interchangeable. A number of variations on these machines were produced by Tyer for various customers. The late number 8 an 9 machines had a revised commutator that was possibly easier to manufacture. The GWR did not adopt the Tyer arrangement.

A No.10 machine was produced for export this had both token in an out ports and a zigzag token magazine. This design enforced token use rotation. The No.8 machine was further developed into the No.11 machine this had a further revised commutator arrangement, but retained the GWR style lock mechanism. The No.11 was further marked by the shift from iron as a material to aluminium for the front and base, with a the cast back being omitted, and replace by a steel case. A mark 2 No.11 was produced, which again revised the commutator and lock introducing a number of features to be found in the next generation of machines, and had a revised case. It would appear that the castings for the No.11 used the casting patterns for the No.8 suitably modified, as there are still present unused features of the No.8. A GWR version was produced by bolting a switch unit into the three position indicator position.

The design was further refined to produce the No.12 see below. This again was an aluminium fronted machine with a commutator arrangement based on the Mk.2 No.11 one albeit again simplified to aid manufacture. The use of die casting was adopted. The number 12 was available in a large number of variations for various customers. The number 12A/6 was the GWR version with the left hand switch assembly. Most machines could be fitted with hand generators and permissive working attachments. Certain number 8s and all number 11s and 12s can be fitted with token transfer magazines.

The machines were normally painted Signal Red however long section machines were painted Green and had a key coding that differed from the normal A-D system and a different, smaller diameter centre pin. This meant that it was neither possible to enter a long section token into a standard machine, or vice versa..

Tyers Token Machines their derivatives and all other Tyer and Company products are Copyright Mors Smitt UK Ltd.

GWR/BR(W) Token Machines are Copyright Timesegment Ltd.

For New Token Transfer Magazine contact Mors Smitt UK Ltd.

For repairs and all other spare parts contact Timesegment Ltd.

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