Coastway East Resignaling

[phil-b259]

The end of an era!

 

Just after 10 pm tonight the intermediate East Sussex Signalboxes from Lewes to Bo-Peep junction were closed.

 

Some of these dated back to 1876 and have signalled trains using Semaphore Signals (the up/down sort) for all that time and the Signalmen operated the traditional gates, lately replaced by lifting barriers with flashing lights.

Most of the Signalmen, going off duty for the last time and into retirement/relocation or redundancy input their own 'farewell ' messages onto the system, as no more trains were to be signalled by this method. These often included dates of opening and the closure date of 2015. Some say 'RIP'

 

No longer will there be a Signalman on duty there to wave to the Drivers or call a friendly 'Hello' to passengers.

 

If all goes according to plan, the line will open up again on Monday morning, but it will be with colour light signals under the control of Three Bridges ROC (Not to be confused with the mid 80s Area Signal centre).

 

In the mean time many people will be hard at work night and day for the intervening period, stripping and recovering the equipment that has served so well and working to finalize the connections to the far away Three Bridges ROC (and intensive testing, of course, to make sure it is working safely and as it should).

 

The strip out will begin at Hampden Park (127 years old) near Eastbourne as the boxed must be razed to the ground ASAP so that the forth and final of the new level crossing barriers can be installed. The other boxes involved (Berwick, Eastbourne, Pevensey & Bexhill will remain in situ for the time being though all associated signalling will be recovered.

 

 

 

4 of the level crossings on the route will go over to the OD system, with the other 2 becoming CCTV operated. (The current AHB crossings will remain unaltered).

 

 

 

East Sussex Resignalling Route History(1).pdf