Pre grouping signals

[beast66606]

At Ellesmere Port No.2 this LNWR survivor controlled the exit from the Manchester Ship Canal lines, photo taken 1980 and the signal was removed shortly after.

 

 

 

This is an early GWR disk - I believe, maybe one of our WR people could expand ?

 

Croes Newydd West Fork (Wrexham), 1980 - since removed when the line was shut.

 

[The Stationmaster]

The 'early' GW disc is the original standard style of 'independent ground signal' - independent meaning that it was worked by its own separate lever in the signalbox instead of being driven by the point stretcher.

 

Originally these signals had a cast iron miniature semaphore arm but enamelled discs to the pattern shown in the picture were added from c.1911 to improve the visibility of the signal.

 

The one in the picture appears to have gained the wrong size of lamp casing (probably because of the impossibility of getting spares) and the back blinder has been knocked off (to make room for the lamp?. Also the balance weight looks rather odd and might have been locally modified'. But otherwise a rare very late survivor of these signals which were otherwise just about extinct by the mid 1970s.

 

Note too that in GWR fashion (post 1890s changes) it appears to show a white light when it is in the 'on' (danger) position.

[beast66606]

Cheers for that Mike.

 

Another one for perusal ...

 

Canning Street North 1978, signal removed 1980

 

An ex LNWR shunt signal attached to an ex LMS signal, this was actually a standard LMS practice, notice the miniature arms are corrugated, the miniature arm was No.11 and the "main arms" were selected via the points and were operated by lever 12 or 13 depending on the date !

 

 

[250BOB]

When you start to look more closely at signals and the like, they are little works of art in themselves, like the dolly complete with lamp, never looked that closely at one before....fascinating.