Rotherfield and Mark Cross Signal Box

[trawest]

I am currently gathering information regarding the Signal Box that once stood on the southern end of Rotherfield and Mark Cross Signal Box (The Cuckoo Line). Despite procuring some detailed photographs there are two questions that I am unable to answer from these pictures.

 

1. There is a door on the base of the south side of the box that I am assuming is to access the Locking Room Equipment. However, the door looks extremely small in height. Is it that the door is normal height and that there were a couple of steps down into the platform (cannot be seen from the photographs) or is the door actually small in height?

 

2. There are a set of wooden steps on the south side of the Box that lead from the platform ramp to one set of the Box windows. I am unable to determine the reason for these steps as they appear to serve no function. The main entrance to the Box is on the north side of this building.

  

I would like to have attached a photograph to make my explanations easier to understand but am conscious of the Copywright issues.

 

Any information on the above welcomed and, if someone has any architectural drawings or personal measurements that they would be willing to share, it would be appreciated. Willing to purchase information if required.

 

Trawest

[wiggoforgold]

There was an article on building Rotherfield and Mark Cross box, complete with a drawing I think, by Vivienne Thompson in the Railway Modeller in 1968 or 69 or so.

Alex

[trawest]

Alex

       Thank you for the response. The next question is, who has a copy of Vivienne Thompson's article on building Rotherfield and Mark Cross box and a copy of the Railway Modeller magazine concerned?

 

 

Regards

 

Trawest

[wiggoforgold]

I've found it. It was February 1969. Unfortunately, the article was about the station building, not the signal box, and there's only pictures of the model. Her article on a signal box was later in 1969, and was about Claygate. Let me know if these are of any use. Sorry I wasn't able to be more precise.

Alex

[KeithHC]

The same situation existed with Rowfant box. Again the locking room door is partially below ground level. The same pattern of box was also built at Grange Road but all above ground. In pictures of Rowfant you can see the position of steps down to the door.

 

Keith 

[trawest]

I've found it. It was February 1969. Unfortunately, the article was about the station building, not the signal box, and there's only pictures of the model. Her article on a signal box was later in 1969, and was about Claygate. Let me know if these are of any use. Sorry I wasn't able to be more precise.

Alex

 

 

If you are able to provide the information that you have found (impressed that you have still kept these articles from 50 years ago) on both Rotherfield station and Claygate signal box it would be appreciated.

 

 

The same situation existed with Rowfant box. Again the locking room door is partially below ground level. The same pattern of box was also built at Grange Road but all above ground. In pictures of Rowfant you can see the position of steps down to the door.

 

Keith 

 

Thank you for the information provided. I have photographs of Isfield Signal Box and the same applies at this location. There is a step down to the Locking Room that is not obvious unless looked at close up.

 

That leaves one question still to be answered

2. There are a set of wooden steps on the south side of the Box that lead from the platform ramp to one set of the Box windows. I am unable to determine the reason for these steps as they appear to serve no function. The main entrance to the Box is on the north side of this building.

 

Any assistance appreciated

 

Trawest

[wiggoforgold]

I'll get a pm off to you in the morning

Alex

[mark.pannett]

Apologies if you know all this already...

 

There is a 1950 photo on p34 of The Cuckoo Line by Kevin Robertson, which shows these steps very clearly. They seem to lead to a small platform, just large enough for a slim person to stand on! I have no idea what this is for, but the steps and supports look to be well maintained.

 

It looks like there is something attached to the top corner of the box, either a metal arm, or maybe telephone/electric/signalling cable, I don't know enough about railway operation to guess at anything else. Perhaps it was to provide maintenance access to that? You would need to be pretty talk to reach it though.

 

Or perhaps it was a lookout point - was there something the signalman needed to see that he couldn't from the box, or from ground level?

 

Also, regarding the door height, p145 of The Cuckoo Line by AC Elliott states that the floor height was 5' 6", so even with steps down, the door wouldn't be very tall.

 

Hope the research is going well :-)

 

Mark