Location Case Variations

[St. Simon]

Hi,

 

I’m putting together some information about design and positions of Location Cases, and I think I should include some info / history on the regional variations of Location Cases. 
 

I’m only familiar with (and only seen references to) the Western Region cases and the BRB standard cases. Although I’m I can’t find much in the way of history or any other variations.

 

I’m sure that there’s some info on those variations that you lot can provide!

 

Simon

[5BarVT]

Unfortunately my knowledge base is the same as yours.

Though as you say, there are others out there from other backgrounds.

Paul.

[Michael Hodgson]

The more modern style of case is a for a large metal box in a single or double hinged door format, according to need, often grouped together with identical cabinets.  Doors are often also provided for access to rear; there is usually a metal stay like a car bonnet to keep the door open while working in windy conditions.  Top is typically a gabled or hipped roof style or sloping like a shed, but flat is not unknown.  Earlier locs were heavy and needed to be painted; modern ones are made of materials like GRP/aluminium which tend to be painted only by graffiti artists!   Distributed lineside equipment is needed for signals, power-worked points, point heaters, AWS, TPWS  etc.  Wiring is likely to be buried in concrete troughing.

 

Historically, locs were much smaller water-resistant wooden boxes on legs (either pre-cast concrete or wooden, like fence posts) to hold them clear of vegetation.  These would have a lift-off front door panel with a handle to remove the door, and the overhanging top would slope towards the rear so that rain would run off rather than dripping through the door onto the equipment.  These also came in different sizes.  I believe the LNER issued a catalogue giving dimensions of standard cabinets, and the other companies probably did something similar to facilitate planning/ordering.  Generally painted pale grey outside, white inside and the top would be grey or black.

 

Much less need for lineside electricals in mechanical Absolute Block areas than with colour lights and track circuiting.  Typically these small cabinets would be placed near an isolated signal or a group of signals.  A semaphore signal might have a contact box which indicated whether the arm was on, off or wrong; its oil lamp would have a pyrometer to indicate to the signalman whether or not the lamp was alight.  Similarly remote equipment might be needed in connection with signal post telephones, fireman's call plungers, power operated points etc.  The cabinet would contain relays associated with such equipment, and necessary batteries, transformers, fuses etc.  Wiring to the box is more likely to be overhead via telegraph poles than in troughing.  Standardised circuitry was designed to minimise the number of telegraph wires needed to communicate the functions required between the signal box/relay room and locs associated with the lineside devices.

 

 

[The Stationmaster]

Considerable variations between BR Regions in the 198. 60s (when there was a lot of resignalling of Course) although the was merely a continuation and modernisation of earlier Ref gional practice (for example the LMR installed some glass fibre location cupboards at that time - probably as  much experimental as anything else).  I've got a reasonable selection of a few of the 1960s variants which survived into the early '90s and some older photos of various types including some of those supplied by signalling contractors which seems to have been quite common practice for pre-war and early post-war colour light signalling schemes.

 

Painting schemes on location cupboards etc also varied between Regions as they did with colour light signals themselves and of course various fittings on signals - such as 'phone cabinets and number plate styles and colours varied massively between Regions as did number series and the way in which auto signals were numbered.

[TheSignalEngineer]

8 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

for example the LMR installed some glass fibre location cupboards at that time - probably as  much experimental as anything else

These were a Westinghouse product used on WCML Electrification. I'm not sure when they started but the ones I worked on were mainly on New Street, Walsall and Wolverhampton areas. I think they were also used for some of Euston, so I would put the main period of use on the LMR as about 1964-66. They were the same material as used for the body of Westinghouse control panels at the time. They were prone to the doors cracking round the hinges and a nightmare in use. Fine indoors but no use trackside. We spent a lot of time several years later replacing them, which fortunately was not too difficult as you could unbolt from the base and remove without disturbing the equipment frame. It was then possible to drop a steel case in place and bolt it down.

[LNERGE]

I have a significant collection I can photograph if needed. There are quite a number of variations. GEC and Westinghouse are vaguely similar but Lawden locs are quite different. 

[5BarVT]

29 minutes ago, LNERGE said:

Lawden locs

And frequently used for crossings I seem to recall.  But I can’t remember whether that was a WR feature or ScR.

Paul.

[Michael Hodgson]

54 minutes ago, LNERGE said:

 

 

First one I've seen with a chimney!

[LNERGE]

1 hour ago, 5BarVT said:

And frequently used for crossings I seem to recall.  But I can’t remember whether that was a WR feature or ScR.

Paul.

This one was Brandon MCB before i butchered it into it's current guise

Edited January 1, 2023 by LNERGE

[LNERGE]

1 hour ago, Michael Hodgson said:

 

First one I've seen with a chimney!

The legths i will go to keep a token instrument cosy..

[The Stationmaster]

1 hour ago, 5BarVT said:

And frequently used for crossings I seem to recall.  But I can’t remember whether that was a WR feature or ScR.

Paul.

The WR seem to have used a variety at crossings.  For example the early 1970s AOC(L) at Shiplake used 100% standard reading loc cupboards but different designs appeared ay some AHBs on the Region.  The big change in WR cupboards came after the closure of reading works and, particularly, in the 1980s schemes which, like the 1930s GWR schemes, went back to using cupboards supplied by signal engineering companies contracted for the scheme.

 

I have heard that the large version of the WR design cupboards were disliked by some S&T folk allegedly due to problems with water tightness (lack of) and damp affecting the contents but I've never seen anything about that in any sort of official documentation.  Incidentally there were also Regional variations in disconnection boxes as well.

[Nearholmer]

Is a token cupboard a cupboard included in a collection of location cases merely to look inclusive, without really being so?

[RailWest]

6 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

Is a token cupboard a cupboard included in a collection of location cases merely to look inclusive, without really being so?

Perhaps you should keep taking the tablets...:-)

[SZ]

Don't forget the ones with loudspeakers on top.

[TheSignalEngineer]

10 hours ago, SZ said:

Don't forget the ones with loudspeakers on top.

Perhaps Modelu could do an irate resident ripping one off.

I think we abandoned installing them in the early 1970s on the LMR. 

When I was working setting up lineside telecomms at Saltley in 1969 the local scumbags used to steal the amplifiers for adding to ghetto blasters to make big noise.

[LNERGE]

14 hours ago, RailWest said:

Perhaps you should keep taking the tablets...:-)

But the token cupboard is for key tokens?

[The Stationmaster]

11 hours ago, SZ said:

Don't forget the ones with loudspeakers on top.

The Western used a klaxon horn although very few of those were placed with location cupboards (and then the tended to be mounted on a post adjacent to the cupboards).  The WR normally placed theirs on relay room structures.

[iands]

On 29/12/2022 at 21:34, St. Simon said:

Hi,

 

I’m putting together some information about design and positions of Location Cases, and I think I should include some info / history on the regional variations of Location Cases. 
 

I’m only familiar with (and only seen references to) the Western Region cases and the BRB standard cases. Although I’m I can’t find much in the way of history or any other variations.

 

I’m sure that there’s some info on those variations that you lot can provide!

 

Simon

Hi Simon,

Any particular era in mind?, e.g. 1960s onwards or is that a bit too early for what you are thinking? Are you also including Telecoms locs, or just Signalling at this stage?

[St. Simon]

On 02/01/2023 at 11:39, iands said:

Hi Simon,

Any particular era in mind?, e.g. 1960s onwards or is that a bit too early for what you are thinking? Are you also including Telecoms locs, or just Signalling at this stage?

Hi Ian,

No particular era, just interested in other variations of loc as I’ve never seen any reference to them!

 

I’m more interested in Signalling Locs, but Telecomm Loc are something which I don’t have much knowledge of yet!

 

Simon

[micknich2003]

A c1999 photo' early LNERly style, and a more modern pressed steel version. From memory, Howden ex NERly.