Poor Old Bruce Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 22 hours ago, Chris116 said: Err, Crewe North Junction and Douglas, IOM look very similar! Ooops! I did say they were a random selection. Right buttons, wrong order! More haste, less speed and all that. At least those boxes have readable signage so it should be a simple job for most folks to sort out what is what. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Chris116 Posted May 27, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 27, 2021 46 minutes ago, Poor Old Bruce said: Ooops! I did say they were a random selection. Right buttons, wrong order! More haste, less speed and all that. At least those boxes have readable signage so it should be a simple job for most folks to sort out what is what. I would much prefer to have them in the wrong order than not see them at all! You have a wonderful collection of signal box photos and I thank you for sharing them with us. 6 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poor Old Bruce Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 The LMS-built box at Crewe Steel Works, 5 Aug 1987 and another visit to see Stockport's LNWR boxes on 28 Sept 1987 Edgeley Junction No.1 Edgeley Junction No.2 Stockport No.1 and Stockport No.2 19 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post LNERGE Posted May 28, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 28, 2021 A few bits inside the Sockport boxes.. 20 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted May 28, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 28, 2021 In October 1985 I was shown around one of the Stockport boxes, but am ashamed to admit I don't know which one! I was with a party of about 20 people, for some of whom it was induction into the railway, while I was in my 20th year. The superficiality of the induction was necessary due to some of the newcomers taking on senior posts, like the Board's new Investment Advisor, who had come from City firm Coopers and Lybrand. We also had a visit to the new Crewe big-shed box, and the railway excelled itself by managing to have an NDA go off while I was watching the panel. Not sure that event was explained to the others... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNERGE Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 No comments about lever 99 yet though? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium iands Posted May 28, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 28, 2021 16 minutes ago, LNERGE said: No comments about lever 99 yet though? Does the white band indicate "released by the block"? Only guessing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNERGE Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 Yes. Not many of those around. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Nick C Posted May 28, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 28, 2021 56 minutes ago, LNERGE said: Yes. Not many of those around. Interesting! There's a pic of the relevant bit of the diagram on Flickr here. Also unusual in that each end of all the crossovers are worked independently. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium iands Posted May 28, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 28, 2021 28 minutes ago, Nick C said: Interesting! There's a pic of the relevant bit of the diagram on Flickr here. Also unusual in that each end of all the crossovers are worked independently. Which now begs the question, why doesn't lever 100 have a white band? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 4069 Posted May 28, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 28, 2021 (edited) 55 minutes ago, Nick C said: Also unusual in that each end of all the crossovers are worked independently. A very common practice on the LNWR, allegedly to reduce the load on the levers and minimise maintenance costs- though that doesn't really explain why they are still like that now, given the points are now power-worked and the changes to the layout down the years. Edited May 28, 2021 by 4069 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted May 28, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 28, 2021 (edited) 3 hours ago, iands said: Does the white band indicate "released by the block"? Only guessing. Technically no - it means electrically released by another box, often the block but could be an acceptance or slot or release lever for example - as here Edited May 28, 2021 by beast66606 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Nick C Posted May 28, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 28, 2021 34 minutes ago, iands said: Which now begs the question, why doesn't lever 100 have a white band? At a guess, because 100 is released by 99. It'd also be interesting to see what the arrangement at Edgeley Junction was - would they have a lever to provide the release? Or is it interlocked with the block in some way, like you'd normally see for a section signal? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted May 28, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 28, 2021 7 minutes ago, Nick C said: At a guess, because 100 is released by 99. It'd also be interesting to see what the arrangement at Edgeley Junction was - would they have a lever to provide the release? Or is it interlocked with the block in some way, like you'd normally see for a section signal? ^ ^ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Nick C Posted May 28, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 28, 2021 19 minutes ago, beast66606 said: ^ ^ Thanks - our posts crossed in the ether! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNERGE Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 9 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poor Old Bruce Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 (edited) Some pictures of Valley SB, LNWR, over the last 30 years: 10 Sept 1991 18 Sept 2013 and 4 May 2021 looking very smart after a recent repaint. Edited May 28, 2021 by Poor Old Bruce Edit to add 'LNWR' 18 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium uax6 Posted May 28, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 28, 2021 9 hours ago, LNERGE said: A few bits inside the Sockport boxes.. What a lovely pair of routing instruments... I'm guessing the second is a very homemade affair when another ex-LNWR one fell to bits... Love it! Andy G 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hodgson Posted May 29, 2021 Share Posted May 29, 2021 Valley is unusual (unique?) in that there are (were?) normally unlit Emergency Stop & Distant signals controlled not by the signalman but directly by the RAF Control Tower to be used in the event that an aircraft in distress might foul the lines. I believe one or two other boxes close to airfields had a direct phone line for similar reasons. This is a deviation from standard for drivers too, as a black colour light is generally to be treated as being at Danger. Their route knowledge/Sectional Appendix is ... except at Valley! Before anybody says a SPADI is also usually unlit (one hopes), it's officially an Indicator, not a Signal, and has a blue backplate rather than the customary black. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hodgson Posted May 29, 2021 Share Posted May 29, 2021 8 hours ago, uax6 said: What a lovely pair of routing instruments... I'm guessing the second is a very homemade affair when another ex-LNWR one fell to bits... Love it! Andy G It's just a custom fascia on a standard indicator for a pegging block, the same as the block instrument next to it. A noteworthy feature of this method of routing indication is that the pegging handle/commutator is at the sending end rather than the destination box as is the case with the block instrument. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poor Old Bruce Posted May 29, 2021 Share Posted May 29, 2021 On the Midland Main Line going south from Leicester in 1979 Knighton South Junction, an LMS style box Kilby Bridge, now at Hammersmith at the Midland Railway Centre Wistow and East Langton 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted May 29, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 29, 2021 7 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said: Valley is unusual (unique?) in that there are (were?) normally unlit Emergency Stop & Distant signals controlled not by the signalman but directly by the RAF Control Tower to be used in the event that an aircraft in distress might foul the lines. I believe one or two other boxes close to airfields had a direct phone line for similar reasons. This is a deviation from standard for drivers too, as a black colour light is generally to be treated as being at Danger. Their route knowledge/Sectional Appendix is ... except at Valley! Before anybody says a SPADI is also usually unlit (one hopes), it's officially an Indicator, not a Signal, and has a blue backplate rather than the customary black. Not unique - there were another set further down the line between Sandycroft and Mold Junction, but covering 4-track railway (at one stage) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted May 29, 2021 Share Posted May 29, 2021 7 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said: ........ I believe one or two other boxes close to airfields had a direct phone line for similar reasons. ..... I don't think it was quite that simple at RAF Ballykelly ........... where the railway actually crossed one of the runways ! ( or vice-versa ) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted May 29, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 29, 2021 Gatwick had/has a trip-wire, which replaces signals far and wide if a low-flying plane cuts it. The link to that trip, of course, runs along or under the ballast, which is why I recall some decades ago a tamper managed to sever it in the small hours. Not a plane in sight, of course, but it woke a few people up! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mike_Walker Posted May 29, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 29, 2021 (edited) 8 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said: Valley is unusual (unique?) in that there are (were?) normally unlit Emergency Stop & Distant signals controlled not by the signalman but directly by the RAF Control Tower to be used in the event that an aircraft in distress might foul the lines. I believe one or two other boxes close to airfields had a direct phone line for similar reasons. This is a deviation from standard for drivers too, as a black colour light is generally to be treated as being at Danger. Their route knowledge/Sectional Appendix is ... except at Valley! Before anybody says a SPADI is also usually unlit (one hopes), it's officially an Indicator, not a Signal, and has a blue backplate rather than the customary black. In addition, signals CR203 (Down) and CR206 (Up) which are either side of the Hawarden Airfield flightpath nearer to Chester, whilst being 3-aspect LED signals, only display a red aspect when activated by an emergency on the airfield. Prior to the North Wales Coast resignalling in 2018 Mold Junction's Up Distant MJ1 was similarly configured with an additional distant for that which was normally dark. Oops sorry, I see the Beast beat me to it! Edited May 29, 2021 by Mike_Walker Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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