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Corfe Mullen Junction


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According to RA Cooke’s “Track Diagrams” the old Wimborne line to Carter’s Siding was closed on 19-Sep-1959, but a section of it as far as 61m 10c was retained for wagon storage until circa-1965. I can find no official notices referring to these changes. Also Cooke states that the line was removed in 1969/70, which would suggest that it might have been done in conjunction with the lifting of the ‘main line’. Can anyone throw any more light on these matters please?

Also, is anyone aware if the double-to-single points (10) were relaid at any time in BR days as part of a programme for increasing line speeds at passing places?

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  • 2 years later...

Meanwhile....

 

Does anyone know please of an old photograph of the Down Homes bracket signal (arms 2 & 4) at Corfe Mullen Jcn, taken before the arms were changed from lower to upper quadrant and ideally (but not essentially) before 1933?
 
It does not matter whether it is a front or back view, nor is the quality of the picture particularly important, provided that I can see the shape and form of the bracket signal.
 
 
 
 
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According to RA Cooke’s “Track Diagrams” the old Wimborne line to Carter’s Siding was closed on 19-Sep-1959, but a section of it as far as 61m 10c was retained for wagon storage until circa-1965. I can find no official notices referring to these changes. Also Cooke states that the line was removed in 1969/70, which would suggest that it might have been done in conjunction with the lifting of the ‘main line’. Can anyone throw any more light on these matters please?

 

Also, is anyone aware if the double-to-single points (10) were relaid at any time in BR days as part of a programme for increasing line speeds at passing places?

 

The OPC book states the wagon storage function lasted 10 years. But that takes it past closure of the signal box (1968) - so that seems unlikely.

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  • 2 months later...

Does anyone know please for certain if the gates at Corfe Mullen Jcn were worked by a wheel in the box?

 

I think I can just make out one through a window in one photo of the box exterior, but curiously – unlike at (say)  Bailey Gate Crossing – the box diagram does not specifically list the fact.

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Sorry, I wasn't trying to be clever, just failed to put two and two together.

 

If the following picture is the one you were referring to, I would say it definitely shows a wheel.

 

attachicon.gifc-mullen-1.jpg

Copyright http://www.trainweb.org/railwest/railco/sdjr/cmj.html

 

 

I would agree with you, but it is always useful to get an independent opinion. There is another photo that I have seen taken from the other end that shows a similar amount of 'wheel'.

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If the following picture is the one you were referring to, I would say it definitely shows a wheel.

 

 

 

Thanks for that, we at the Blandford Railway Society are building a (compromised!) model of the section of the S&D between Spetisbury, and Corfe Mullen Junction, so that pic may be handy. If anyone else has useful pics of that section of the line, it would be greatly appreciated.TIA

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B****** hell, first interior view I've ever seen :-)

 

I'm surprised tho' that the wheel was put so far away from the end wall, given the apparent amount of space in the box.

 

Chris

Edited by RailWest
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Right then, next question please :-)

 

Looking at the 'drop box' on lever 11 in the foreground, what does the wording say? The middle line appears to be 'L&SWR', the bottom is probably a date, but what about the top line, which would be the maker's detail.......

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B****** hell, first interior view I've ever seen :-)

 

I'm surprised tho' that the wheel was put so far away from the end wall, given the apparent amount of space in the box.

 

Chris

 

It does seem strange that the wheel is not nearer the end window. And even stranger that the block indicator (or is it a token machine) is the other side of it where it is not easily seen while operating the levers.

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It's  a Tyer's No 6 tablet instrument, and there would not be any need to observe it while working the lever-frame. Just visible at the RH end of the instrument shelf is the bottom half of what was probably the 'pegging' part of the 'block telegraph' instruments to Bailey Gate. I would have expected that to nearer the middle or LH end of the shelf, but probably put there for the convenience of the signalman in proximiity to the No 6.

 

Prior to 1933 there would have been been a second tablet instrument (to Wimborne) at the RH end (both No 1 machines in those days), so probably side-by side and hence the wide space between the RH end of the frame and the end wall.

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B****** hell, first interior view I've ever seen :-)

 

I'm surprised tho' that the wheel was put so far away from the end wall, given the apparent amount of space in the box.

 

Chris

 

I still remember the advice given to me by the bobby in Hampton Court box back in 1963 - "when you are turning the gate wheel, never, ever, look at the road, the gates will do far more damage to an errant car than the car will do to them and the word (that once the gates start closing they carry on until they are closed) soon gets around."

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An SRS colleague with better eyesight than me :-) has deciphered that the top line of the legend reads 'McK&H..', which I had rather suspected. The final, unreadable, 'blob' is probably a 'W' (for Worcester). He reckons also that what I had taken to be simple 'treads' on the quadrant plates is in fact the company name in full, which was their practice on their own frames.

 

So, first known example of a McKenzie & Holland manufactured (but not designed) frame on the S&DJR. A possible second one is still under scrutiny. Given the 1905 date for CM Jcn box, it does lead to speculation that the frame in Stourpaine (opened in the same year) might also have been a McK&H version of a Stevens frame. Sadly, interior views of Stourpaine seem to fall into the 'Holy Grail' category !

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