Signal Box Photos

[Wickham Green too]

..... or even the L.S.W.R. Pirbright Junction to Alton line !!?!

[Oldddudders]

1 hour ago, Wickham Green too said:

..... or even the L.S.W.R. Pirbright Junction to Alton line !!?!

Indeed so - but let's be fair. In unfamiliar parts of the country where multiple companies criss-cross each other, most of us have a good chance of getting things a bit wrong. Let's concentrate on the great pics, not the details of where to that extent. 

[Wickham Green too]

Yes, it's definitely a bit spaghetti-like in that part of the world !

[Michael Hodgson]

27 minutes ago, Wickham Green too said:

Yes, it's definitely a bit spaghetti-like in that part of the world !

No, Spaghetti Junction is in the Midlands.  Would be a good name for a signal box.

[Oldddudders]

1 hour ago, Michael Hodgson said:

No, Spaghetti Junction is in the Midlands.  Would be a good name for a signal box.

With Spagnoletti block instruments, natch.

[Poor Old Bruce]

22 hours ago, Wickham Green too said:

..... or even the L.S.W.R. Pirbright Junction to Alton line !!?!

 

20 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

Indeed so - but let's be fair. In unfamiliar parts of the country where multiple companies criss-cross each other, most of us have a good chance of getting things a bit wrong. Let's concentrate on the great pics, not the details of where to that extent. 

 

It would be nice to know the exact location of the boxes for the sake of historical accuracy and trying to make life a bit easier for the guys doing the indexing. I was guessing the location on them being on the Reading to Guildford line which has apparently gone wrong somewhere. It's not my normal stamping ground and it was 33 years ago after all so a lot of water has gone under the bridge in that time. If anybody knows better than what I do, then I bow to their superior knowledge. Don't be frightened to correct me where I get it wrong.

[Poor Old Bruce]

Back on more familiar territory for today:

 

Chinley Station North Junction, Midland Railway, some time in the 1980s

 

The new signal box which was built adjacent to Chinley North Junction box and took over from all the other Station and Junction boxes, again some time in the 1980s

 

Grindleford, LMS style, 1980s

 

and 30 Nov 1996

 

[Poor Old Bruce]

Two LNWR boxes on the Lichfield to Birmingham line, seen on 8 July 1983

 

Erdington

 

 

and Four Oaks

[Poor Old Bruce]

Two very different North Eastern boxes:

 

Peckfield, 28 October 1996

 

 

 

and Penshaw North, early to mid 1980s

 

[Mike_Walker]

Penshaw North is incredible.  Presumably at one time it spanned all the tracks.  What's left here looks a little precarious - not for faint-heated signalmen!

[Oldddudders]

21 minutes ago, Mike_Walker said:

Penshaw North is incredible.  Presumably at one time it spanned all the tracks.  What's left here looks a little precarious - not for faint-heated signalmen!

Funnily enough, I thought the opposite. All those trestles should keep it up until the earth goes bang!

[Michael Hodgson]

40 minutes ago, Mike_Walker said:

Penshaw North is incredible.  Presumably at one time it spanned all the tracks.  What's left here looks a little precarious - not for faint-heated signalmen!

The girders and supports look a lot beefier than the things holding up the bridge at Clapham Junction.

I like the apparent afterthought of a substantial brick pier to support the thunderbox.

[iands]

The NERA A History of North Eastern Railway Signalling has a photo of Penshaw North pre-modification. I assume the reason for the signal box modification was to accommodate track modification/realignment. I have found a reference in the NN Weekly Operating Notice for week 18 1973 (Penshaw North Up Goods) which reads;

 

"Trestles erected to support bridge No.54 at 14m 71chs. Reduced Clearance.

Trainmen not to put their heads out." (Bold letters used in the WON).

 

Followed by;

 

Sunday 6 May

Penshaw North and Washington

 

"Down and Up Main 0800 - 1600 Examining bridge No.54 at 14m 70chs."

 

Perhaps this was in connection with "shortening" the bridge, the end results of which are shown in Poor Old Bruce's photos.

 

[Poor Old Bruce]

21 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

I like the apparent afterthought of a substantial brick pier to support the thunderbox.

 

If you take another look, you will see that the brickwork supports a bit more than the thunderbox.

[Poor Old Bruce]

Back to those (to me) foreign parts south of the Thames in 1988 so I'll make no comment other than what it says on the box . I'll leave any extra detail for those who know what they are talking about.

 

Ash Crossing

 

 

Shalford

 

[Oldddudders]

The box at Shalford opened 28.2.1954, with 28 levers. I do not know about its predecessor, which was on roughly the same site. Shalford had had a whole raft of sidings opened in 1941 in support of the war effort. They were in the area beyond the box in the lower picture.

[Poor Old Bruce]

I've got this one down as 'Somewhere west of Salisbury' in 1988

Edit: @Oldddudderssuggests it is Semley

 

Templecombe, 1988

Edited July 6, 2021 by Poor Old Bruce

[Harlequin]

9 hours ago, Poor Old Bruce said:

I've got this one down as 'Somewhere west of Salisbury' in 1988

 

Templecombe, 1988

 

I reckon Ashford (above) can make a claim to being one of the worst signal box designs we've yet seen! Apart from being very ugly, the windows project outwards into the sun and venetian blinds are needed to reduce overheating. It would have been much better to simply shade the windows with a decent roof overhang like the ones at "Somewhere west of Salisbury" and Templecombe.

 

And talking of good and bad design, "Somewhere west of Salisbury" showcases a Renault Fuego - a rather good looking beast, IMHO. I always wanted one.

 

Edited July 5, 2021 by Harlequin

[Wickham Green too]

1 hour ago, Harlequin said:

........ a Renault Fuego - a rather good looking beast, IMHO. I always wanted one.

Must've taken real skill to park it with the wheel detail parallel to the ground ........ this bobby's almost got it !

[Oldddudders]

I think 'somewhere' might be Semley. 

[73c]

Guys, I hope you don't mind but I couldn't find anywhere else to put these 2 videos. Might bring back memories to former S&T chaps here.

 

 

 

 

[corneliuslundie]

Thanks for help. Latest list on last page.

Jonathan

 

Edited July 21, 2021 by corneliuslundie
Update

[SHMD]

I have some older versions of the xls files but I am not sure what you mean by "first two entries"?

 

 

Kev.

[SHMD]

 

 

Does this help?

 

 

Kev.

 

[woodenhead]

On 03/07/2021 at 10:03, Poor Old Bruce said:

and Penshaw North, early to mid 1980s

 

 

What did that poor signal box do to deserve being treated like that, and there is even some track that effectively protects the main that is pointed directly at the remaining brickwork rather than under the signal box without any buffers even.  It was one runaway wagon from demolition:

 

Edited July 5, 2021 by woodenhead