Ferme Park north down & Hornsey No1 s/boxes

[Mickey]

I visited Hornsey No1 s/box twice, once around the summer of 1971 and again sometime shortly after that. Hornsey No1 s/box was situated on the down side of the main line out of Kings Cross at the south end of the down station platform between the down slow no1 & down slow no2 lines. Hornsey No1 s/box worked to Harringay (passenger) s/box to the rear and Wood Green No1 s/box in advance to the north. Hornsey No1 s/box contained a 35 lever frame and was quite a small structure. Sometime around early 1972 several changes happened when the connection through no 17 points & no 18 FPL from the down goods to down slow no2 line was taken out of use and at the sametime abolishing no 19 signal/lever, a second connection from Ferme Park down yard via Ferme Park north down s/box into the down slow no2 line remained in use. Several months after, the down slow no2 line was taken out of use and the down slow no1 line was slewed over further to the south at Harringay (west) station ultimately abolishing several signals that were in the down slow no2 line nos 9/10/11/12 &13 signal/levers. When re-signalling work was carried out at Wood Green No1 s/box and Wood Green No1s semaphore signal gantry was abolished and was replaced with 3-colour light signals (down fast, down slow & down goods/carriage line) at the sametime Wood Geen No1s down line distant signals that were mounted on a gantry that spanned right across all lines just to the north of Hornsey station was abolished Wood Green No1s down fast distant was moved further back and was 'motorised' and placed under Hornsey No1s down fast home/starting signal no 1 signal/lever. Several hundred yards to the south of Hornsey No1 s/box stood Ferme Park north down s/box. Ferme Park north down s/box was situated on the down side of the lines out of Kings Coss and contained a 45 lever frame. Ferme Park north down s/box worked with Ferme Park south down s/box until the end of 1969 when Ferme Park south down s/box closed and then Ferme Park north down s/box worked with Finsbury Park No5 s/box over the down goods line in the rear. Ferme Park north down s/box worked with Hornsey No1 s/box in advance to the north it also worked with Harringay up goods s/box in relation to the Ferme Park/Harringay flyover. Ferme Park north down s/box controlled the exit from the north end of Ferme Park yards and after Ferme Park south down s/box closed took over control to the entrance to Ferme Park down side sidings through a connection via a set of 'motor points' in the down goods line near to where Ferme Park south down s/box stood and also at the same time assumed control of the connection on and off the Harringay curve onto the T&H line towards Harringay Park Junction s/box also by a set of motor points opposite the south end of Harringay (west) station. There was an array of points, miniture & disc signals aswell as a gantry situated a the bottom of the Ferme Park flyover that spanned the 2 roads near to where Ferme Park north down s/box stood. By the early 70s the Ferme Park north down s/box track layout was simplified some what and by 1974/75 the Ferme Park area in general started to became 'quite busy' when BR started using Ferme Park down sidings for stabling and marshalling of ECS. Also Ferme Park became a 'signing on point' for various groups of staff with a 'mess room & toilets' provided for there use. Hornsey No1 s/box closed on December 16th 1974 while Ferme Park north down s/box closed later in 1975. Micky

[Dave Cockle]

I visited Hornsey No1 s/box around late 1971. The s/box was situated on the down side of the main line out of Kings Cross at the south end of the down station platform between the down slow no1 & down slow no2 lines. Hornsey No1 worked to Harringay (passenger) s/box to the rear and Wood Green No1 in advance to the north. The s/box contained a 35 lever frame and was quite a small structure. Sometime around early 1972 several changes happened when the connection from the down goods to down slow no2 line was taken out of use and at the sametime abolishing no19 signal/lever, a second connection from Ferme Park down yard via Ferme Park north down into the down slow no2 line remained in use. Several months after, the down slow no2 line was taken out of use and slewed over further to the south at Harringay (west) station ultimately abolishing several signals that were in the down slow no2 line nos 9/10/11/12 &13 signal/levers. When re-signalling work was carried out at Wood Green No1 s/box and No1s signal gantry was abolished and was replaced with colour light signals at the sametime Wood Geen No1s down line distant signals that were situated on a gantry that spanned right across all lines just to the north of Hornsey station was abolished, Wood Green No1s down fast distant was moved further back and was motorised and placed under Hornsey No1s down fast home/starting signal no1 signal/lever. Several hundred yards to the south of Hornsey No1 stood Ferme Park north down s/box. Ferme Park north down was situated on the down side of the lines out of Kings Coss and contained a 45 lever frame. The s/box worked with Ferme Park south down s/box until the end of 1969 when Ferme Park south down s/box closed and then Ferme Park north down worked with Finsbury Park No5 s/box. Ferme Park north down worked with Hornsey No1 s/box in advance to the north it also worked with Harringay up goods s/box in relation to the Ferme Park/Harringay flyover. Ferme Park north down controlled the exit from the north end of Ferme Park yards and after Ferme Park south down s/box closed took over the entrance connection via motor points and also the connection on and off the Harringay curve onto the T&H line towards Harringay Park Junction. There was an array of points/miniture & disc signals at Ferme Park north down and the area became quite busy when BR started using Ferme Park down sidings for stabling ECS and a signing on point in the early 70s. Hornsey No1 s/box closed sometime late in 1974 while Ferme Park north down closed late in 1975. Micky

An interesting read Micky. I believe Hornsey No 1 box was carefully dismantled and taken to the Great Central Heritage Railway for preservation as a working signal box.

Dave Cockle

[AndyRush]

A sketch of Hornsey No.1 box diagram dated 1970 can be found at:
http://www.signalbox.org/diagrams.php?id=47

Regards

Andy