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Peco Wills SS29 Ground Level Signal Box


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The description of this kit (https://peco-uk.com/products/ground-level-signal-box-2) states that this is, "A small signal box as would be seen at a small country station, or controlling the exit from a yard or industrial area."

 

I'm wondering if it would be plausible to incorporate one of these boxes in a modern post-privatisation setting and in any case how common these would be in an 'industrial' setting.  It appears that it's effectively just a building to protect a four lever ground frame.  I'm assuming that there are still plenty of ground frames that survive in various yards / exchange sidings, so do buildings like this still exist?

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Not unlike the signal boxes at Poppleton and Cattal on the York - Harrogate line, although the one at Poppleton has been extended in quite recent years to provide "facilities" for the signalman.

 

https://www.railwaymedia.co.uk/Trips/2005/190305

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nottsexminer/7775467208

 

 

 

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13 hours ago, Dungrange said:

The description of this kit (https://peco-uk.com/products/ground-level-signal-box-2) states that this is, "A small signal box as would be seen at a small country station, or controlling the exit from a yard or industrial area."

 

I'm wondering if it would be plausible to incorporate one of these boxes in a modern post-privatisation setting and in any case how common these would be in an 'industrial' setting.  It appears that it's effectively just a building to protect a four lever ground frame.  I'm assuming that there are still plenty of ground frames that survive in various yards / exchange sidings, so do buildings like this still exist?

If any buildings like this do survive in yards it is very unlikely that they still contain ground frames.  They are most likely to have been retained for use as staff cabins rather than for any signalling purpose except on lines such as that instanced above where broadly similar buildings still survive as signalboxes or as a cabin for a Crossing Keeper.

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Thanks both.  I agree that the boxes at Poppleton and Cattal both look reasonably similar to the Wills kit and it's interesting to know that similar buildings have survived into the 21st Century.   However, their survival seems to be due to the line being predominantly single track (presumably with an infrequent service) and therefore the semaphore signalling has not been replaced with colour lights and the level crossings remain manually operated.  I can see why a traditional signal box has been retained in this instance.

 

Unfortunately, my working track plan is a double track line, without a level crossing that would require a crossing keeper, and I was assuming would have colour light signalling.   The installation of colour light signals and electric point motors would presumably have resulted in the removal of all historic signalling equipment, with the signalman being in a power box several miles away. 

 

As such, the only way I could envisage using the box (I already have an unbuilt kit) would be to control what would more likely be yard points - ie once the signalman has a train locked in a yard, the points can be operated locally.  I guess the option of retaining the building (perhaps not in a well maintained state) for use by the driver / shunter is the more plausible use of the kit.

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If your level crossing still has old fashioned gates - perfectly ok with colour light signals, plenty of examples - it would still havea Crossing Keeper and he/she would still need some sort of covered accommodation so the old hut could have survived.    No need for a hut for yard points as they would all be handpoints with the lever at the point toe - far more efficient and much quicker when shunting.

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