flyingsignalman

I can only think of 3 preserved lines that have run regular freight trains (as opposed to (say) the WSR's stone trains which were for a limited period). The Middleton Railway which was preserved, amongst other reasons, to serve traders that were going to lose their rail link when the north end of the line was closed. The Bodmin & Wenford Railway who served Fitzgerald Lighting for a number of years and recently the Ribble Steam Railway at Preston Docks who run oil trains to a depot in the dockside area.

The thought of modelling a preserved line has crossed my mind a few times but I've shied away from the idea as I would want to incorporate freight workings on my layout (when I finally catch up with my tail long enough to start one ). I don't mean demonstration freight trains either.

Not as far as I'm aware though it was a busy place; Hooton South box had a 128 lever frame. The sidings at the top of the 2nd diagram were a small marshalling yard (about 5 roads), trains attaching and detaching traffic would be mainly in the down direction. Trains from the Helsby or Chester directions that needed to run round did so in the fast and slow station platform lines between the North and South boxes.

Here's a couple of photos of Hooton North. The box from the slow lines. The box diagram at the time of closure. The fouling bars are Nos 51,52,53. A copy of the diagram; the original was dated 6.2.1946 but signal 8 under the down slow starter is a later addition. This layout lasted until the West Kirby lines were removed (Ca 1964). As can be seen from the photo, the fouling bars were not very far from the box or out of the signalman's sight. I hope the diagrams are clear enough to understand.

I don't know of a photo but the box diagram shows them (literally) dotted all over the place (I'll have to scan it in to my computer - may take a while tho'). The signalmen called the box "Locking Bar Junction"

I'm not sure; the site was originally a brickworks. Here are some views taken 6/6/1981 at Abenbury. I think the line had officially been taken out of use by that date which would make the date I said earlier incorrect; I may well be wrong but the line hadn't seen use for a while going by the colour of the rails. Coming from Wrexham looking towards Ellesmere, the unloading shed is on the left. Looking back towards Wrexham. Looking south to Ellesmere. Note the trap point secured out of use and its replacement on the right rail of the siding. I think it was lockable but it wasn't locked tho'. Looking north from the point in the main line. The stop block at the end of the line.

Abenbury Siding, on the then remaining section of the Wrexham Central to Ellesmere line received china clay in sheeted open wagons until 1981/2. The line closed in 1982. There is a photo of 25 293 propelling 4 empty wagons through Hightown Halt on 23rd April1980 on p131 of the book "Marcher Railways" published 2008.

After receiving your pm I've had a look at your track plan and came up with the following diagram. I had drawn the diagram from the signalman's point of view but I've posted it upside down so it corresponds to your plan. I've made a number of assumptions regarding the layout; the main one being that the signal box by the level crossing has been downgraded to a crossing keepers post and is controlled by the main signal box. The crossing box only controls the level crossing and wicket gates. The 2nd assumption is that the parcels siding originally connected to the up line only but during relaying the layout shown was adopted. This means that the parcels siding is only served by shunt moves from the up line and moves from the down line directly into it are not allowed. The dotted lines indicate track circuits which mean that the up advanced starting and down home signals are fitted with diamond signs. The points in the yard are all hand worked. I've shown trap points at the exit of the parcels siding and the yard siding as they would have been provided prototypically but you don't need to put them in. I hope the plan is clear enough to be legible; I keep drawing them out and forgetting they're to be reduced in size for posting!

If you are planning to run only one engine in steam (one train working, nowadays) then you could get away with no signals but you would be restricted to having one train arriving, dealing with it's train and then departing before another could arrive. Imagining your railway is worked by train staff and ticket or electric token, allowing more than one train in the station at the same time, then you would most likely need them. The least you could get away with would probably be a home (or arrival) signal protecting the station from the incoming single line though a starting (or departure) signal would most probably be insisted upon by the HMRI as well. The Talyllyn Railway manages to cross trains at Brynglas and Quarry Siding using only flag signals though the points are worked from ground frames in cabins. A signal box would not be needed, you could have a ground frame controlling the signals and the connection from the loop to the main line. Hand levers would control the other points. The token instrument would be assumed to be in the station office.

A good looking layout and one, I'm pleased to see, that doesn't look like a scaled-down SG branch (raised platforms, lots of signalling etc) but rather the low cost railway that most NG lines were. Looking forward to seeing more of it (especially extensions!).

I always thought that he who laughs last, laughs longest because he has thought of dirty meaning

Roll over Beethoven - Electric Light Orchestra

OK, after a bit of a struggle I've managed to capture a square

Somewhere along the Culm Valley; was Arthur Pain the engineer?