RailWest

Approaching from the right, you signal for routes into either platform. There is then a signal at the LH end of the upper platform, but nothing equivalent at the LH end of the lower platform.

Oh dear....I would really like to come and see this, but it clashes with the WSR 'Spring Event' and other things too :-( Mind you, knowing my 'luck', I won't get to any of the events after all !

A quick skim of the web produces a few pix of Blaenavon HL with some signals in view. If you couple those with an old 25" OS map, you might get some clues. I'm sure there is a L&NWR Society, so you could ask them and/or ask the Signalling Record Society to pass your query to their relevant Corresponding Member.

Have you asked the SRS Archivist ?

I would agree that traffic would have gone on a Down goods, which probably continued on towards Glastonbury etc afterwards - I doubt it warranted a special trip from Evercreech Jcn and back, but who knows, where was the loaded traffic destined for? Knowing the tendency of railwaymen to do the jib by simplest/easiest safe method possible, I would guess that they left the main train in the Up loop at Pylle, went to the Lime Siding, propelled back to Pylle, came to a stand at 2, then the signalman reversed 8 and hand-signalled them back into the Up loop. Simples all round :-)

I think you've got your Up and Down confused!

AFAIK the passing-loop and Down platform were concurrent additions in the 1891 alterations, but sadly I don't have a copy of MT6/566/3 for reference. As regards the part which I have emboldened, I don't understand that :-(

Sadly no clues from the Minutes, other than to refer to the decision to remove it in 1912 as it had had little use.

Pylle was the first station up the Branch from Evercreech Junction to Highbridge. In 1891 it was upgraded to have two platforms and a passing-loop for passenger trains. At that time the existing old S&DJR Type 1 signal-box was re-locked (or perhaps had a new frame?) to work the layout shown in the attached diagram. Now, what puzzles me about that layout is the crossover (points 9) between the Up and Down loop lines. This is not a feature seen at other S&DJR passing-loops and it's hard to see what purpose it might have served. Any thoughts on this please? About 1/2-mile to the west of Pylle station lay the Pylle Line Works siding, which was opened in 1869 and closed in 1912. This siding was shunted by trains which ran from Pylle and then back again (see http://www.trainweb.org/railwest/railco/sdjr/sh-staff.html#pylle-staff ). I wonder therefore if it is just a coincidence (or not) that the crossover was taken out-of-use in December 1912?

>>>The dock road turnout is actually separately controlled.... As was the prototype of course, but interlocking requires the crossover road to be normal before the dock road points could be set for the yard exit.

Looks very nice. However I see that the signalman appears to be struggling to open the signal-box doors, so the driver of the Up train just SPADed the Up Starting anyway - time for a Form 1 maybe? Better send for the locking technician too, as the dock road points were set for a conflicting move with the crossover road ....:-)

Oops - my 'typo' - J&P said 1856 - sorry ! Hopefully there will be time for some more research idc, but for the moment I was hoping that 'someone might know'.....:-)

ASHCOTT (and Meare) station. Atthill implies in his book that this was one of the original SCR stations and opened in 1854. Oakley ('Somerset Arilway Stations) says that it was a later addition in 1856 (similar to Bason Bridge and Edington Road). Judge&Potts also say 1856. Cooke gives no date. Does anyone have any more information please?

Yes

That was a different thing from the purpose of an Annett's Shield, which is what the photo shows. In the C/L example, I think the semaphore green aspect was blanked off completely ?

It was known as an Annett's Shield after the signal engineer who designed it. Very common on the L&SWR. It's purpose was to prevent 'stray' light from behind the arm giving a false 'green' when the arm was at danger. When the SR changed from LQ to UQ arms the position of the green aspect changed to being in front of the post rather than to the side - not a problem on nice thick wooden posts, but with lattice posts or those built of 2 rails with a large gap between them the same risk of a false green existed. That was solved by fixing a rectangular plate to the post immediately behind the spectacle plate - often not noticeable in photographs unless the arm was 'off'.

Sadly, I thought that was the case, but I've mislaid my copy at the moment :-(

I would agree with that suggestion. Given that by the 1920s the use of the Whitaker apparatus must have been a key element in normal day-to-day S&DJR operations, it would seem strange IMHO if they were to delay fitting any longer than necessary.

I'd forgotten about that ... :-)

Incidentally, I got that photo originally as a result of a query that someone raised about those markers some years ago. Whether it was on here or elsewhere, I don't recall. If I can find the original messages sometime there may be a reference to the date...

Sorry, no info on the date.

As another rough guide, the Down Starting signal (No 3) was 49 yards from the signalbox, just past the Down platform ramp end. The station end of the west crossover points A was at 179 yards, so the distance between the two was 130 Yards. The point ends were underneath the road bridge, almost in line with the Blandford side face of the bridge. So, if you allow 'xx' yards for the width of the bridge and perhaps a little bit more for the distance to the platform ramp, you might end up with a useable figure :-) Is that not anything in the late Bill Coomer's book on that part of the line?

There was certainly some form of PSR north of Wincanton, as the indicators can be seen in this photo...

..and maybe you don't anyway ? :-)

Can you not try a 25" OS map ? I have a copy of a 1900 40':1" plan if that would help, but it will take me some while to find the photos....