What type of signal is in rail depots?

[charityalbumman]

Simple question, are the signals already built into the rail depots path signals or a type of block signal? If block, which type?

[RA3236]

Simple question, are the signals already built into the rail depots path signals or a type of block signal? If block, which type?

They are path signals from what I can tell.

[Kalen]

I've always thought they were two-way block signals, since only when I place a path signal in front of the depot do I see trains leaving it when there's a free path that can be reserved, as opposed to waiting for the entire block to clear.

[Alberth]

It depends on the type of signalling used on the track connected to the depot.

[charityalbumman]

It depends on the type of signalling used on the track connected to the depot.

If I used path signals on one line, would that line have a path signal in the depot? And if I kept one line to block signals only, what would the depot have then?

[Sylf]

It depends on what signal controls the tile in front of the depot.
If there are any path signals leading up to the depot entry, then the signal in the depot will act like a path signal for the trains trying to come out of the depot.
If there are no path signals leading to the depot, then the signal inside the depot acts like an entry signal. If all exit/combo signals visible from inside the depot are red, then no trains will not attempt to leave the depot.
For the trains trying to enter the depot, the signal is always green.

In the example shown:
A - The path signal before the depot controls the tile in front of the depot. As long as the train in the depot can find a path to destination using the open path (and the path finder penalty is smaller than for it to wait for the occupied track to be free), the train will leave the depot.
B - The depot in front of the depot is controlled by the block signal. Because there is a red exit signal, all trains in the depot will wait there, until the exit signal turns red again. The path signal on the unoccupied line does not matter in this case.
C - A bit like B, but because there is a path signal leading to the signal block including the tile in front of the depot, so the train in the depot acts like trains in depot A.

[3298]

I checked the code and found something weird: If you replace the one-way path signal in B by a two-way path signal, the depot acts like it has a path signal inside. Dunno why it works like that, but it's caused by a line of code as old as path signals themselves that does nothing else, so it seems to be intended.
Another possibility to turn the depot's signal into a path signal is to enable the config/console-only setting "pf.reserve_paths". I don't know much about the setting, but it seems to make trains reserve paths even when passing a block signal. It apparently doesn't alter the behavior of normal signals, but it allows you to always see where trains want to go with the path reservation overlay turned on.

[charityalbumman]

Thanks, I've decided to stick with using block signals as I heard path signals use a lot of hardware resources? Is this accurate?

[Sylf]

Thanks, I've decided to stick with using block signals as I heard path signals use a lot of hardware resources? Is this accurate?

No. Path signals do not cost any more processing powers than block signals.

[charityalbumman]

Thanks, I've decided to stick with using block signals as I heard path signals use a lot of hardware resources? Is this accurate?

No. Path signals do not cost any more processing powers than block signals.

Ah, might have to consider using both then