The LNER Encyclopedia

Hi all,
Please could someone help identify the signal box (see pics). I had a feeling they were from the Finsbury Park area....perhaps FP5 or FP6, but not sure.
Any help appreciated.

Copyright credit: Pictures taken by Dr J W F Scrimgeour on 21/3/57 with copyright jointly held by the Signalling Record Society + John Hinson. They should not be published without permission of the copyright holders.

Many thanks
S&T

It is Finsbury Park No.6 that was located just off the north end of Finsbury Park station between the Up fast & Up slow lines platforms and worked with Harringay (passenger) box to the north when it was 'switched in' over the Up fast & Up slow lines and also with Harringay Up Goods box over the Up Goods No.1 & No.2 lines as well as controlling the entrance & exit to and from Finsbury Park Up carriage sidings and also the Up Edgware branch from Finsbury Park No.7. The next box to the south that Finsbury Park No.6 worked with was Finsbury Park No.4 located at the south end of Finsbury Park station. The box telegraph code for Finsbury Park No.6 was the letters GB

I happened to have visited the box one afternoon for about an hour back in either 1971 or 1972.

Perfect. Thank you for the information Mickey.
S&T

If you don't mind S&T I would like to hi-jack your topic thread seeing it is about a Finsbury Park signal box and ask a related question about two Finsbury Park boxes that has arisen lately with me.

What is the exact date that both Finsbury Park No.3 & Finsbury Park No.5 boxes both closed (both boxes signalled trains over the Down lines through Finsbury Park station and were both located either side of Finsbury Park station) what was the exact date of closure?. From vague memory I believe both boxes may have closed sometime around October 1974 but what is the exact date?. Also immediately on closure of both those boxes a temporary NX panel was commissioned and was located in a 'portacabin' building sited towards the north end of the Down slow No.2 & Down Canonbury line platforms I seem to remember although I don't think that arrangement lasted to long.

Hi again Mickey,
From my research, I have the following details...but obviously open to others to correct if they think different. My info was obtained from SN's and associated re-signalling docs.

FP1: closure: 74...not sure exact date
FP2: closure: Initially 22/09/72. The reopened for IFS operations. Closed again 13/09/75
FP3 closure: 74...not sure exact date
FP5 closure: 25/05/74
FP6 closure: 08/06/75
FP6 converted to some IFS workings Apr 74, incorporating FP4 which closed 20/04/74.
FP7: closure: Oct 70
FP NX became operation around Apr/May 75 with ex FP3 and FP5 and later FP6. It in turn migrated to KX PSB Sep 76.

I can provide a timeline showing all GN suburban box migrations if you want it.
S&T

Thanks S&T so Finsbury Park No.5 closed in May 1974 ok I don't dispute that date although I have always thought that it closed later in 1974 around October BUT so much was going on in the London area back then around 1973-74 with boxes closing and track rationalisation and re-signalling schemes sometimes of only a temporary nature lasting only a year or two at most before Kings Cross PSB was fully commissioned that it is getting harder to remember certain things plus on a personal level I left the Kings Cross area in October 1975 before 'the final curtain' came down on the final days of mechanical signalling in the London area and was glad to be gone.

FWIW S&T, My copy of the SRS LNER box register states : -

FP3 & 5 closure 27.04.75.
FP6 closure 8.6.75.
FP Portakabin panel closure 8.8.76.

At the moment I can neither confirm or dispute any of these or your dates.

Interesting Stevie so both Finsbury Park Nos.3 & 5 both closed in April 1975 which obviously is later than October 1974 that I thought they were?. From April 1974 until September 1975 I was in the loco at Kings Cross as a secondman and I do recall that both boxes were still open during most of 1974 although I do recall both Finsbury Park No.1 & Ashburton Grove both closing in the summer of that year and a panel being commissioned in Finsbury Park No.2 that took over those boxes areas. So the Finsbury Park 'portakabin' box only lasted between April 1975 & August 1976 interesting I didn't know that.

I just checked my research notes and found FP3 & FP 5 closed under SN 75 over the weekend of 26-27 Apr 75. That's inline with what you have stated Steve. That same weekend I believe Ferme Park North Down and Honsey (no1) were also abolished. SN 75 also references the installation of the NX panel on FP platform 9&10 with some of the existing colour signals from FP3 & 5 transferred to the NX operation.

Steve...I agree with the date of 08 Aug 76 for the abolishment of the FP NX panel. The same date also saw the abolishment of the Holloway NX panel and the closure of Wood Green I believe. Do you have the SN ref or document for this as I am missing this one?

Cheers
S&T

Re Ashburton Grove Mikey....

I have a date of closure for the box of 31 May 74.....but not sure how I came by that date. I have nothing to substantiate it. SN 66 refers to FP1 abolishment and the re-opening of FP2 with a new (or possibly re-used from New Barnet) IFS.

Cheers
S&T

And.....what about this box. Also stated as Finsbury Park late '40s...but which box?

Found on interweb.

Cheers
S&T

That's probably No5 box.

The first two pictures you published (of No6) are taken by the late Dr J W F Scrimgeour on 21/3/57 and the copyright for these is held jointly by myself and the Signalling Record Society. They should not be published without permission.

John

Thank you for the clarification John,

Apologies if I infringed your copyright. I only posted on this site out of personal interest and keeping my memories alive from my time in S&T on the line in the 80s.

I can remove the pictures or delete the thread if you so wish. I have updated the initial post to reflect the copyright.

Thanks
S&T

Thanks for crediting them, its OK to leave them there with that in place.

My surname is Hinson, by the way, if you don't mind adding that.

John

Original edited to add your surname John.

Thanks
S&T