James Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 so I would imagine that the blue/black/red one controls points/FPL and a directly operated shunt signal such as a rotating disc. Thanks Jon I thought it must the three combined, but wasn't very sure at all! Seems odd with so many white levers around! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted December 10, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 10, 2012 A nice curved Barry slip on the right there. Here's a quick dabble in Templot: Martin. We very nearly finished up with a Barry slip in a layout I planned in the early 1990s - it was the only way the PerWay draughtsman could get the layout I wanted to fit into the space we had available. Alas the client changed their mind and the terminal I was planning the layout for was moved to another site. And the signalling connection - we would have finished up with a lot of stencil indicators reading 'KY' and I always wondered how many folk that would slip past before they latched on to what we had done. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Another now closed signal box, this one was in the Watford area - Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 And a training aid for new signallers - All DCC and computer controlled so, when it works, the trains run as soon as they get clear signals! This was taken at Network Rail's now closed Watford Training Centre. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingsignalman Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 You can but wether I will be able to give the right answer is debateable! The blue and black levers are "economic" combined manual point and facing point lock levers so I would imagine that the blue/black/red one controls points/FPL and a directly operated shunt signal such as a rotating disc. Jon F I've just had look at "The Signalling Record" (journal of the Signalling Record Society) and in No1 of January 1987 I found an article on the signalling at Waterford Central. One of the diagrams in the article is dated 1983 and has lever 24 marked as a release for crossover 27. In the text there is the comment:- "The 1983 plan is based on the box diagram and differs in small details from the actual layout. For example, the configuration of the signals is slightly different and most of the "disc" signals shown as such on the diagram are square. The eastern end of the long platform is controlled by lever 24. This is labelled "Release for 27 crossover" but according to the signalman it release his signals into that platform and locks those at the East box when pulled." So from that I would say that lever 24 acts a direction lever between the two boxes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted December 10, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 10, 2012 OK - now we're off for a trip down the North Wales coast, not everything is currently scanned, and the quality (as I've explained above) is not great, but one day, a new scan and I'm sure the photos will improve dramatically. We start from Holyhead, the Island terminus and it's fairly well know LNWR signal, although whether this was original or like my grandads broom, ("Still original - 17 new heads and 14 new shafts") is debatable. The box - an LMS structure of 100 levers, replacing several boxes around the station area. Menai Bridge Junction - this box once controlled the junction with the Caernafon Gaerwen Down distant Up Starter Down Home Cabin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted December 10, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 10, 2012 A quick visit to the Llandudno branch Deganwy Up Home 1, note the corrugated arm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Another now signal box, this one was in the Watford area - And at Chester in the East Wing of the station building, although recently removed to Manchester (I think) as part of Network Rail's "lets turn Chester into just another unimportant wayside station" plan. JF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 I've just had look at "The Signalling Record" (journal of the Signalling Record Society) and in No1 of January 1987 I found an article on the signalling at Waterford Central. One of the diagrams in the article is dated 1983 and has lever 24 marked as a release for crossover 27. In the text there is the comment:- "The 1983 plan is based on the box diagram and differs in small details from the actual layout. For example, the configuration of the signals is slightly different and most of the "disc" signals shown as such on the diagram are square. The eastern end of the long platform is controlled by lever 24. This is labelled "Release for 27 crossover" but according to the signalman it release his signals into that platform and locks those at the East box when pulled." So from that I would say that lever 24 acts a direction lever between the two boxes. Thanks for the clarification on that one Keith; I thought I may be wrong! I didn't take a pic of the diagram close up which probably would have explained it. That was the only pic I took of the interior as the signalman didn't really seem like he wanted company. Can't blame him really! Jon F. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 OK - now we're off for a trip down the North Wales coast, not everything is currently scanned, and the quality (as I've explained above) is not great, but one day, a new scan and I'm sure the photos will improve dramatically. We start from Holyhead, the Island terminus and it's fairly well know LNWR signal, although whether this was original or like my grandads broom, ("Still original - 17 new heads and 14 new shafts") is debatable. The box - an LMS structure of 100 levers, replacing several boxes around the station area. Menai Bridge Junction - this box once controlled the junction with the Caernafon Gaerwen Down distant Up Starter Down Home Cabin I'm hoping that Colin Seymour will upscale the 4mm scale Alan Gibson LMS 12" and 14" parallell lattice stems to 7mm scale so I can build brackets like Gaerwen's down home! (I'll keep on at him till he does!!) JF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingsignalman Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 In North Wales they had a way of dealing with unwanted lattice signals. Llysfaen 18/2/1982. Down starting Up starting Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted December 10, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 10, 2012 Aber Down Distant Down Home Down Starter Llandudno Junction Up Distant Down Home 1 Down starter Up loop starting Up Main starting Down starter - this was a new signal which had not long replaced a wooden posted example Colwyn Bay Note the banner for the up home 2 (next pic) Up home 2 Up starter - provided as part of Llandudno Junction / A55 stagework Down Home Down Starter Down Advanced Starter Llysfaen up starter - must be a model, it's too near the points ! Abergele Up Distant Abergele down starters Rhyl No.2 - setback from down fast, an ex LNWR tall siding signal, with mechanical route indicators Down slow platform starters Up distant (ex Ffordd Junction Up homes) - motor worked, released by No.1 Rhyl No.1 down (fast) homes with No.2 down distants Down loop platform, up starter Prestatyn box and down starters Down advanced starters Prestatyn Down Distant - Nant Hall box stood here, notice the dolls once had stop and distant arms, when NH closed, the stop arms were removed and the distant arms were moved to the top of the dolls. Down Distant - replacement Talacre Down Distant Down Home Mostyn Down Distant Down Home Down starter Up Distant Holywell Junction Down Distant Sandycroft up slow and up fast starters Mold Junction No.1 (box to the left) down fast homes, Mold Junction No.4 down distants Mold Junction N0.1 down slow homes (paired with the above) and off Mold Junction No.4 siding signals, with down home just visible along the roof line Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingsignalman Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Thanks for the clarification on that one Keith; I thought I may be wrong! I didn't take a pic of the diagram close up which probably would have explained it. That was the only pic I took of the interior as the signalman didn't really seem like he wanted company. Can't blame him really! Jon F. I know the feeling Jon. I went to Portmadoc box once and only got in because a couple of S&T men in there chivvied the Signalman in to letting me in. I was taking photos and had taken one half of the diagram( a roof beam was in the way) when the film ran out! I thought my request to go and get another film from the car and return wouldn't be greatly welcomed so I sketched the diagram and beat a hasty retreat! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingsignalman Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 I thought that the Rhyl No2 tall siding signals with the route indicators had broad flanged beam posts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted December 10, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 10, 2012 I thought that the Rhyl No2 tall siding signals with the route indicators had broad flanged beam posts. Both wooden Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 I wondered how many North Wales signals you had captured on film and now I know....The lot! I loved those at the East end of Llandudno Junction and always regretted not making more of them in scenes. The big wooden one on the Rhyl Down back platform was another cute signal. So many memories and so long ago now. I was invited along to some of the 'pulling 'em down days'. When the Abergele Up distant hit the ballast the signal went up for the last time! No one told Dick the Lamp it had been pulled down and the local PW lads let him go wandering off up the line to change the lamps Monday morning. Ted the Signal must have forgotten too, as he nearly went through the back of the box pulling off the new colour light.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted December 10, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 10, 2012 Ted the Signal must have forgotten too, as he nearly went through the back of the box pulling off the new colour light.... Wasn't someone supposed to take the top off the lever to remind him? Knackering signalmen's backs was always regarded as poor form! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 One final one, another 'box' which is no longer in Watford - And despite my love of working Absolute Block, this was my favourite simulator at signalling school! The timetable was quite intense and you could easily get yourself in a mess if you weren't careful! But the best thing was you didn't need someone feeding you trains, you could be in the room on your own! The AB simulator was great but it could feel a little removed from reality because you couldn't see any trains and you had an inidcqator to tell you of tail lamps, and 'pretend' to check the crossing was clear when you dropped the barriers! But an NX panel simulator covering a wide area under TCB regulations was quite realistic Along with another new signalman, I would often be found in here after we'd finished for an hour or so! Great fun! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 The lever in the box currently activates an electrical switch I suppose, but whether the top of it had been sawn off that first Monday morning I don't know. Visitors to any manual signalbox were probably given the signal most distant from the box to pull off to guarantee a chuckle... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Grafarman Posted December 11, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 11, 2012 Cracking shots along the 'Coast Dave thanks for those; have copied a few off as research pics for my layout to be referenced in due course, I hope that's ok... Anytime you fancy posting more from the area is fine by me!! David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 More interesting pictures!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 My cup runneth over...and they've all gone JF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanuts Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 The lever in the box currently activates an electrical switch I suppose, but whether the top of it had been sawn off that first Monday morning I don't know. Visitors to any manual signalbox were probably given the signal most distant from the box to pull off to guarantee a chuckle... case in point had a visit from some elf n saftey type at Greenfield after biifo had snapped the distant and crshed spine first into the corner off the fridge .this guy came to watch and instruct us on how to pull levers correctly and safley gave him the up distant 1000+ yds from the box to pull his way couldnt get betongd half way showed him how we did it crash strait out and signal off was quite amusing watching him struggle after fiddling with the wire adjusters Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merfyn Jones Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Hi Dave Glad you have ventured into the N Wales collection. I see JF is extatic with the Chester area stuff, my area being those West of there. I must have been up every one of those between Holywell J and Holyhead over the years, and had a hand in the demise of many of those seen that no longer exist. Re. HD38 the short LNWR at the end of platform. It certainly was original, unfortunatley nothing lasts for ever and a few years after your picture, the spectacle casting broke. Our welder, Dave (Kippers) Williams did his best to do a repair on very ancient casting but without success. So a very hurried replacment upper quad. arm was knocked together to last a couple of years till they remodeled. One of Dave's favorite jobs was these large latice posts, like Llysfaen. His gas torch soon had the in managable bits. A couple of queries in your captions are. 'Holywell up distant' I'm not sure but this is certainly a down signal as the wooden troughing is visible, and I have a feeling it is Prestatyn down distant. The replacment for the Nant Hall semaphore. 'Holywell down home' is Talacre TE2 down home opposite the box. Thanks for those Dave,any more ? Please. Merf. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted December 11, 2012 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted December 11, 2012 A couple of queries in your captions are. 'Holywell up distant' I'm not sure but this is certainly a down signal as the wooden troughing is visible, and I have a feeling it is Prestatyn down distant. The replacment for the Nant Hall semaphore. 'Holywell down home' is Talacre TE2 down home opposite the box. Thanks for those Dave,any more ? Please. Merf. Hi Merf (and Coach too) thanks for the anecdotes, always enjoyed and appreciated. Thanks for the corrections, I was doing the captions from memory, I didn't do too bad then ! (Is the distant Abergele down distant ? - I have a feeling it might be <edit - No, Prestatyn looks right!>) Yes, I've got more, all of the signals in fact (except the Blannau Ffest. branch where I missed the fixed LNWR distant for the Junction) , but not all scanned yet - and most of those posted need rescanning to todays quality but I've still got some more to post later. Jon will be happy as I've got a lot more of Chester, sadly I didn't have a camera when I went in No.2 but I managed some in No.6, walked around No.5 and all the signals, so I've got a good set, from close up, got a few inside No.4 and one inside No.3A, too busy larking around with the bobby and forgot to take photos (Doh), never got in No.3 Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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