Benbow Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Hi Looking from the front the left hand side window at lower rear appears to be blocked out. Searching through my books on the S&D it appears to have been like that since at least the fifties through to the end. Does anyone know why? I would have thought if it was as the result of a breakage it would have been repaired......or maybe not! I need to blank mine out by the looks of it for the early 60s. Thanks Roger Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted February 23, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 23, 2012 Not sure, depends if it's blanked by the pane of glass actually being replaced by some boarding, or whether there's something inside behind the pane of glass, if you see what I mean. If the latter, it may be something to do with signalman's privacy, if his armchair was in that corner. Thinking about the orientation of Midford signalbox, that window would have been facing south, more or less, so perhaps they had the blanking piece there to block sunlight out, in case they wished to read the paper or have a doze between trains?.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailWest Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I asked Mike Arlett, as probably the most likely remaining source of info. His reply:- "That pane had been covered for as long as I can remember, in fact both the lower and middle panes were covered in earlier days. The signal box calendar was hung on the inside face. I suspect that, originally, a piece of card or similar had been attached to the inside of the panes but, when the box was repainted by WR, either the bottom pane was painted over or was infilled with a piece of painted ply or similar. The telephones (on the rear wall), the back of the signalman's chair, and the train register desk were all located towards that south-west corner of the box and, as far as I am aware, the pane(s) was/were covered merely to keep out the glare of direct sunlight from that area. Simple as that!" Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benbow Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 Thanks for your replies. Good to hear Mike's view, if he didn't know no one would! Out with the white paint pot then. Regards Roger Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailWest Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 No one said it was white - it might have been off-white, cream, beige...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benbow Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Gwinnett Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 Colour photo on page 17 of "On Somerset & Dorset Lines" (Ian Allan, 1995) shows the panel to be the same colour as the main boarding rather than the window frames, I think, although arguably its a different colour to both! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.