Shortest lived signal box,

[18B]

Just out of interest, I wondered what the shortest lived signal box on BR I was, I mean which signal box has had the shortest working life. 

 

Not so much ones that may have been destroyed by fire or accident etc, but ones like Rockingham 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dodger5450/14243735155/in/photolist-nGESdB-nMFmWi-bzHRuU-dtN66P-bKKxgM-aGqVfF-cu5bAm-gFNDtC-memARk-dvSyVH-mj8Q46-n37CnS-pVwm9R-bECiqi-bzE2MY-ibQEUe-gA9pJ8-jiwHiZ-brUcbL-pVwmac-fMvw4S-icC6TV-d4jiA7-byweEf-d91QuE-bNyGhk-bMqVCB-bAwLk9-bNyG1T-hEiFod-bXb8JX-nmerjY-n9H1HR-bAd2AW-c1Jiaq-dDsYEV-ghJiSh-krrhCa-o5mt6Y-pN6hzm-pPD7f2-cUg3kS-omTB1b-bKKy74-ibTRfa-o3EAB7-pN6hwq-pN6hwf-pCrGSE-fQARP1 

 

A very short lived signal box, there is probably a very very short lived one out there, under 5 years? or even shorter?

[25901]

The new Rochdale West box can't have too much of a future if they are closing them all and having 12 "Super Boxes"

[cheesysmith]

I remember reading that the MSLR opened a box half way through the woodhead tunnel to reduce the block section length, but had to abolish it due to finding nobody willing to work in the conditions prevailing.

[Rivercider]

There must be quite a few that were temporary boxes perhaps following war damage or during construction work.

 

Henbury West  signal box between Stoke Gifford and Avomouth was an example.

It was open from 4th April 1993 until 28th June 1994 during construction work to re-double the line,

which included  a new bridge span over the M5,

 

cheers 

[Boris]

Rillington East rings a bell with me for only being open for a few months in the late 19th century, I'll have to go and look it up know.

[Oldddudders]

Rillington East rings a bell with me

Would that be 1 - Call Attention?

[Reorte]

I remember reading that the MSLR opened a box half way through the woodhead tunnel to reduce the block section length, but had to abolish it due to finding nobody willing to work in the conditions prevailing.

I read something similar about Dove Holes Tunnel too, but that might've been something temporary (apparently there's no space it could go so was probably for some engineering work, taking up a track, whereas the Woodhead one didn't).

 

Not surprised about the conditions point, by all accounts some tunnels were bad enough for the train crews getting through them as quickly as they could, the idea of spending a whole shift in that sounds grim indeed.

[Edwin_m]

Wasn't one provided in Lincolnshire somewhere to allow increased headways for diversions around the colliery slip last year, but by the time it had been commissioned the diversions had ceased?

[LNERGE]

Wasn't one provided in Lincolnshire somewhere to allow increased headways for diversions around the colliery slip last year, but by the time it had been commissioned the diversions had ceased?

That was Lea box near Gainsborough.

 

Higham box was provided between Bury St Edmunds and Kennett for engineering works. It was a poratcabin and contained blocks etc and a small panel.

 

Wood walton was a 'garden shed' on stilts provided for civils to reinforce the formation between Abbotts Ripton and Connington South. It came and went as works progressed.

 

Twenty Feet River box opened in 1974 and closed in 1982. The lever frame came from Spital Junction, Peterborough, shortened, overhauled and reinstalled in the new box at Whitemoor.

Edited December 5, 2014 by LNERGE

[Southernman46]

In terms of permanent boxes, the "modern" Hornby style disused signalbox at Winchester,  must have had one of the shortest operational lives (barely 6 years - closed in 1966) of any box in the country - now there's a gauntlet thrown down

but in terms of physical survival - it still exists.................

[John_Miles]

The Manchester and Milford built a line from Penpontbren Junction near Llanidloes to Llangurig. They were planning to go further west but ran out of funds and ambition. Instead they did build a line from Pencader Junction to Aberystwyth. The line to Llangurig saw one train. So far as I know, the box at the Junction was then switched out and that was that.

[russ p]

That was Lea box near Gainsborough.Higham box was provided between Bury St Edmunds and Kennett for engineering works. It was a poratcabin and contained blocks etc and a small panel.Wood walton was a 'garden shed' on stilts provided for civils to reinforce the formation between Abbotts Ripton and Connington South. It came and went as works progressed.Twenty Feet River box opened in 1974 and closed in 1982. The lever frame came from Spital Junction, Peterborough, shortened, overhauled and reinstalled in the new box at Whitemoor.

Wasn't Lea box for the Nottingham blockade? I went past it on a charter from skegness when it was open.

I was also going to mention Higham, it finally dissapeaed a couple of years ago.

[Andy Kirkham]

In terms of permanent boxes, the "modern" Hornby style disused signalbox at Winchester,  must have had one of the shortest operational lives (barely 6 years - closed in 1966) of any box in the country - now there's a gauntlet thrown down

 

but in terms of physical survival - it still exists.................

Aberbargoed Junction on the the Brecon & Merthyr (where the New Tredegar branch diverged) had a similar lifespan. Opened 1958; closed 1964.

[russ p]

With reference to my earlier post. Gosberton was replaced by a new 'modular building' box about two years ago, this has now gone and control transferred to Lincoln which itself will be a short lived box when it's functions are passed to the York ROC

[beast66606]

Blackpool Street - BR LMR Type 15 completed but never opened due to the impending line closure, the frame was removed and used at Coton Hill Shrewsbury - does that count ?

[beast66606]

Tyldesley - open 1963, closed 1969

[18B]

Blackpool Street - BR LMR Type 15 completed but never opened due to the impending line closure, the frame was removed and used at Coton Hill Shrewsbury - does that count ?

 

I was thinking specifically signal boxes which had opened, worked in "normal" operations and then were subsequently closed. So not boxes of a temporary nature or ones that never even made it to opening.

 

When it comes to Power boxes, Kirkby Summit on the Robin hood line had a short life, something like 1997 to 2012 

[18B]

On ‎05‎/‎12‎/‎2014 at 22:51, beast66606 said:

Blackpool Street - BR LMR Type 15 completed but never opened due to the impending line closure, the frame was removed and used at Coton Hill Shrewsbury - does that count ?

 

what year was that?

[beast66606]

8 hours ago, 18B said:

what year was that?

 

Built early 1960s. The derailment at Coton Hill was 1965 but the line which it would have controlled largely shut in 1967 anway (Birkenhead Woodside)

[DY444]

Birmingham Snow Hill PSB must be a contender

[18B]

14 hours ago, DY444 said:

Birmingham Snow Hill PSB must be a contender

 

how long was that in operation?

[br2975]

BR (WR) rationalised and resignalled Cymmer Afan in 1960 and the new WR 'Plywood Wonder' was apparently built initially somewhere in the Swindon area, but never actually commissioned, so it was dismantled and rebuiltbat Cymmer When Cymmer Afan closed completely in 1970, the box was again dismantled and re-erectedcat Bargoed. It has since been switched out and demolished. 

 

Edited February 21, 2020 by br2975

[Curlew]

On 05/12/2014 at 23:06, 18B said:

 

I was thinking specifically signal boxes which had opened, worked in "normal" operations and then were subsequently closed. So not boxes of a temporary nature or ones that never even made it to opening.

 

When it comes to Power boxes, Kirkby Summit on the Robin hood line had a short life, something like 1997 to 2012 

In the same area, the GNR curve from Kirkby North Junction (just east of Kirkby Bentinck GCR station) to East Kirkby Junction (more or less where the Robin Hood line Kirkby station now is) was only open for a very short period, but 2 signal boxes appear on maps of the period.

[18B]

4 minutes ago, Curlew said:

In the same area, the GNR curve from Kirkby North Junction (just east of Kirkby Bentinck GCR station) to East Kirkby Junction (more or less where the Robin Hood line Kirkby station now is) was only open for a very short period, but 2 signal boxes appear on maps of the period.

 

If I'm understanding where you mean, then when the ine was re-aligned off of the midland to connect with the pinxton line and cut off the line to Annesley and towards Nottingham, the boxes were merely, Upper Portland (existing) working to a new Kirkby Summit LMR Type 15 box and then to Sutton Junction (existing box). Kirkby Summit was then in operation from the time of the new deviation, but with only the metal box traffic to deal with after the cessation of pilot locos, it spent most of its latter time switched out until affectively closed never to re-open. it was then knocked down and the site used for the erection of a new NX Panel box from the restored RHL services.   

[Nearholmer]

One that might repay further research is Salcey Forest on the SMJ. The passenger station there was open for less than  a year 1892-3, and then closed, because it was in the middle of nowhere and nobody used it. It certainly had a signal box and signals, together with a 'loop siding', which, looking at the 25" OS map, probably gave the ability to 'loop' a goods train off the through line, but not to pass two passenger trains , the positions of the starting signals wouldn't allow that. My suspicion is that the 'box was downgraded to a GF very quickly, although it may have lingered switched-out for most of the time. It was eventually demolished in 1912.

 

Next station along, also open for next to no time was Stoke Bruerne, and the same may apply there, although that seems to have remained as a 'goods only' station for longer, and the box there survived as a block post until 1912.

Edited February 21, 2020 by Nearholmer