Refurbishing Second-Hand Buildings (BRM January 2023)

[Art Dent]

Hi folks,

 

I think there is a mistake in the refurbishment of the Hornby (R503) Signal Box - the feature 'Enhance Second-Hand Buildings' by Michael Russell (pages 84 - 89).

 

Shouldn't the lever frame and instruments be facing the large windows alongside the track and not the rear wall?

 

An interesting article nontheless and quite a transformation from the Hornby 'toy'.

 

Art

[Mike_Walker]

No, whilst usually at the front, several companies including the Midland and BR put them at the rear.  Banbury North famously ended up with its frame at the rear after a short period with both whilst the original, front, frame was being replaced.

[Art Dent]

Oh, okay.

 

I didn't know that some companies had them at the rear (facing away from the tracks??)

 

Art

[ikcdab]

2 minutes ago, Art Dent said:

Oh, okay.

 

I didn't know that some companies had them at the rear (facing away from the tracks??)

 

Art

More common than you might think. The southern also like to place frames at the back of the box. Makes ssnse really, it gives you a much better view of the track and trains.  Unless yiou are the signalman at Corfe Castle.

[The Johnster]

A very large part of what a signalman has to observe outside the box (signal aspects, headcodes, tail lamps, hand or lamp signals from traincrew) is viewed from the end windows, so the position of the frame is less important in that sense than one might think. 

[hayfield]

From memory there is a signal box with the levers against the back wall on the Watercress line, never thought it was unusual

[Mike_Walker]

1 hour ago, hayfield said:

From memory there is a signal box with the levers against the back wall on the Watercress line, never thought it was unusual

No, they are all at the front - I visited them all during the summer.

[hayfield]

7 minutes ago, Mike_Walker said:

No, they are all at the front - I visited them all during the summer.

 

I must have a poor memory

[Happy Hippo]

If you look at the SRS signal box diagrams(s) of Radyr Junction you will see that the 1947 diagram shows the signal box with it's lever frame between the signalman and the track.  The 1962 Diagram shows that when the signal box was replaced, the lever frame was placed to the rear. 

 

https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/gwk/S1400.htm

 

For those unsure the way to read the position of the frame in the box, the dot inside the rectangle represents the signalman, and the line inside the rectangle represents the position of the lever frame.

Edited December 5, 2022 by Happy Hippo

[Art Dent]

Thanks for the replies folks

 

Just shows how your pre-conceptions can be wrong.

 

Art

[The Johnster]

The ‘frames’ of the early electrical or electro-pneumatic boxes, more a control panel with miniature levers on most cases, was usually positioned at the ‘rear’ (i.e. facing away from the railway) if the box.  Like the panel boxes that succeeded them, these boxes relied heavily on track circuiting to show where the trains were on the box diagram above or alongside the frame.  

[Nick C]

On 05/12/2022 at 09:12, hayfield said:

 

I must have a poor memory

You might be thinking of the Bluebell - Kingscote 'box has it's Westinghouse L-frame at the back.

[hayfield]

15 minutes ago, Nick C said:

You might be thinking of the Bluebell - Kingscote 'box has it's Westinghouse L-frame at the back.

 

No it was the Watercress line, we visited Ropley on a non time table day when footplate/driving experience rides were operating, we were invited into the signal box once the station was clear of trains

[Mike_Walker]

13 minutes ago, hayfield said:

 

No it was the Watercress line, we visited Ropley on a non time table day when footplate/driving experience rides were operating, we were invited into the signal box once the station was clear of trains

No, Ropley has its frame at the front as shown here taken in June this year.

 

 

Mind you, the view's not brilliant thanks to a combination of the instrument shelf, small windows and external valance.

 

[hayfield]

Mike

 

I had already acknowledged my recollection was wrong, but thanks for refreshing my memory 

[Nick C]

17 minutes ago, hayfield said:

 

No it was the Watercress line, we visited Ropley on a non time table day when footplate/driving experience rides were operating, we were invited into the signal box once the station was clear of trains

How long ago was this? I believe the old ground-frame box at Ropley had the frame at the back, but I'm not sure when it was replaced by the current ex-Netley box (as in Mike's photo) - mid 2000s?

[hayfield]

6 minutes ago, Nick C said:

How long ago was this? I believe the old ground-frame box at Ropley had the frame at the back, but I'm not sure when it was replaced by the current ex-Netley box (as in Mike's photo) - mid 2000s?

 

Nick

 

Ten or more years ago, definitely the signal box and my poor memory. Mike's photo brought back the memory