Looking east towards Western Junction box possibly in 1982. The route towards Stratford is on the left and the route towards Broad Street is on the right.
http://www.abandoned-stations.org.uk/Br ... ct1982.jpg
The old Eastern Junction box was located about 400 or 500 yards along the Stratford line route and closed during the late 1970s.
A personal opinion about working Western Junction box is that it was located in a miserable location in the run down Dalston area of north London that straddles the north and east London border and had restricted and dreary views from the box windows with either a high brick retaining wall on the Broad street side of the box running along the no.2 lines towards Mildmay Park & Canonbury station where at best looking along the top of the high retaining wall you could see the top few floors of a block of flats while on the Stratford side of the box a long low brick wall that started at a nearby brick arch bridge that ran along the side of the railway and belonged to a row of old cottage type houses with long back gardens that ended at a high brick wall to a back of a building immediately outside opposite the box. The eastward or Stratford side of the box had no view at all from the doorway and box staircase except a very restricted view of a bit of the eastbound station platform belonging to Dalston Kingsland station and close brick abutment of a nearby over bridge outside the box that blocked the view looking east. The only 'real view' from the box was when looking westwards towards the old remnants of the long closed Mildmay Park station located about 400 yards away in the far distance framed in a brick cutting through a 'nearby 'bridge ole' so the box wasn't a particularly nice box to spend either 8 or 12 hours of a shift at. Working on the lever frame and block shelf was alright just like any other box but overall the box had a bit of a depressing feel and atmosphere to the place even on sunny days especially if you spent long periods of time at the box.
One night back in 1987 I had the BTP (British Transport Police) pay a visit to the box around midnight and apart from a 60 watt bulb alight 'over the book' laying on the high desk the rest of the box was in darkness as was the way that many signalmen use to illuminate old mechanical boxes at night back in the old days (it made it easier to see outside the box onto the railway at night with the box dimly lit) and one of the police officer's remarked to both me and his colleague that "This place is like being in a mortuary?." and I replied "That's the way I like it."
NLL recollections
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Re: NLL recollections
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
Re: NLL recollections
Not strictly on the North London line but located on the Kentish Town-Barking line and later on from 1981 Gospel Oak line Junction Road Junction box as it was in 1977 about 4 years before I was a resident signalman at the box between 1981-85 when the box finally closed along with the nearby Upper Holloway box as part of a local re-signalling scheme under the London Midland Region of B.R..
The original idea as I was told in 1981 by a railway manager was for a NX panel to be installed in the box that would have saw the closure of the nearby Upper Holloway box but from what I remember because of the low to the ground structure the local West Hampstead S&T 'boycotted' going underneath the box in early 1985 due to the very restricted headroom between the floor and the operating floor above where anyone going underneath the box had to crawl on their hands and knees anyway the idea was then mooted about utilising the old Upper Holloway box to house the new NX panel and closing Junction Road Junction box instead but problems were found with the structure of the old Upper Holloway box which was built in 1891 that by 1985 it was suffering from 'dry rot' especially at the corners of the box which were in a poor condition although this didn't deter B.R. at first in possibly using the box as several huge wooden supporting timbers were seen by me laying near the box on the railway embankment awaiting to be fitted to reinforce the aging wooden structure but the whole idea was finally 'knocked on the head' when it was discovered that the box didn't have a flush toilet and it had been the case that a signalman working at the box who required to go to the toilet could 'switch out' anytime he wanted to and take a PNB (Physical Needs Break) where he had to leave the box and walk up onto Upper Holloway station and visit the station booking office and use that toilet and then walk back to the box and re-open the box again. Finally the decision was taken to replace both boxes with a new 'portacabin' structure which arrived on a low loader road vehicle from Wales during the early summer of 1985 after which a new 'swissinco' NX panel was installed and 'wired up' by S&T technicians during the second half of 1985 with the new NX Upper Holloway panel opening on November 10th 1985 and simultaneously the old Upper Holloway and Junction Road Junction boxes closing.
A footnote regarding Junction Road Junction box was that the Southall preservation society showed some interest in purchasing the old box and moving the redundant structure to Southall because I remember a bloke showing up at Junction Road box a few weeks before it's closure towards the end of 1985 and him telling me that the Southall preservation society were interested in obtaining it but unfortunately the redundant box was destroyed by vandals in a fire nearly a year after it had closed and apparently only weeks away from it being dismantled and reassembled at Southall to the west of London.
Junction Road Junction in 1977- http://tillyweb.biz/pmc/junctionroadjct1977pmc1.jpg
The old Upper Holloway box featuring the cantilever signal gantry note Junction Road Junction's inner 'splitting distant signals' that were worked off the wire and in conjunction with the outer 'splitting distant signals' just seen beyond the Holloway road bridge being worked by 'a motor' and worked from the same lever as the inner distant signals. The photograph was taken from a Barking to Gospel Oak train heading west towards Gospel Oak during the first half of the 1980s- https://www.roscalen.com/signals/London ... 2/0454.jpg
The current Upper Holloway box that opened in November 1985 and replaced both the old Upper Holloway and Junction Road Junction boxes and is seen located off the western end of the Up platform at Upper Holloway station. Since the photograph was taken the OHL (Overhead Wires) have been erected during 2016-17 from Gospel Oak through Upper Holloway to South Tottenham and east of South Tottenham to Woodgrange Park to link up with the LT&S line to Barking. The houses behind the box were built during 1988-89 I watched them being built- https://anonw.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/dscn6948.jpg
The original idea as I was told in 1981 by a railway manager was for a NX panel to be installed in the box that would have saw the closure of the nearby Upper Holloway box but from what I remember because of the low to the ground structure the local West Hampstead S&T 'boycotted' going underneath the box in early 1985 due to the very restricted headroom between the floor and the operating floor above where anyone going underneath the box had to crawl on their hands and knees anyway the idea was then mooted about utilising the old Upper Holloway box to house the new NX panel and closing Junction Road Junction box instead but problems were found with the structure of the old Upper Holloway box which was built in 1891 that by 1985 it was suffering from 'dry rot' especially at the corners of the box which were in a poor condition although this didn't deter B.R. at first in possibly using the box as several huge wooden supporting timbers were seen by me laying near the box on the railway embankment awaiting to be fitted to reinforce the aging wooden structure but the whole idea was finally 'knocked on the head' when it was discovered that the box didn't have a flush toilet and it had been the case that a signalman working at the box who required to go to the toilet could 'switch out' anytime he wanted to and take a PNB (Physical Needs Break) where he had to leave the box and walk up onto Upper Holloway station and visit the station booking office and use that toilet and then walk back to the box and re-open the box again. Finally the decision was taken to replace both boxes with a new 'portacabin' structure which arrived on a low loader road vehicle from Wales during the early summer of 1985 after which a new 'swissinco' NX panel was installed and 'wired up' by S&T technicians during the second half of 1985 with the new NX Upper Holloway panel opening on November 10th 1985 and simultaneously the old Upper Holloway and Junction Road Junction boxes closing.
A footnote regarding Junction Road Junction box was that the Southall preservation society showed some interest in purchasing the old box and moving the redundant structure to Southall because I remember a bloke showing up at Junction Road box a few weeks before it's closure towards the end of 1985 and him telling me that the Southall preservation society were interested in obtaining it but unfortunately the redundant box was destroyed by vandals in a fire nearly a year after it had closed and apparently only weeks away from it being dismantled and reassembled at Southall to the west of London.
Junction Road Junction in 1977- http://tillyweb.biz/pmc/junctionroadjct1977pmc1.jpg
The old Upper Holloway box featuring the cantilever signal gantry note Junction Road Junction's inner 'splitting distant signals' that were worked off the wire and in conjunction with the outer 'splitting distant signals' just seen beyond the Holloway road bridge being worked by 'a motor' and worked from the same lever as the inner distant signals. The photograph was taken from a Barking to Gospel Oak train heading west towards Gospel Oak during the first half of the 1980s- https://www.roscalen.com/signals/London ... 2/0454.jpg
The current Upper Holloway box that opened in November 1985 and replaced both the old Upper Holloway and Junction Road Junction boxes and is seen located off the western end of the Up platform at Upper Holloway station. Since the photograph was taken the OHL (Overhead Wires) have been erected during 2016-17 from Gospel Oak through Upper Holloway to South Tottenham and east of South Tottenham to Woodgrange Park to link up with the LT&S line to Barking. The houses behind the box were built during 1988-89 I watched them being built- https://anonw.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/dscn6948.jpg
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
Re: NLL recollections
While in the Upper Holloway area a little bit more in depth study of the line between Junction Road Junction and Upper Holloway during the first half of the 1980s.
The Up & Down Reception lines that flanked both the Up & Down T&H lines between Junction Road Junction and Upper Holloway boxes were both worked under 'No Block' regulations and any trains that were running along the Up & Down Reception lines between both boxes was signalled 'over the telephone' and not on block instruments. The Up Reception line still exists to this day and is also known as "The Holloway loop" or just "The Goods loop" and is occasionally used for turning back ECS movements and the occasional freight train but the Down Reception line was cut back into a single siding road on the closure of both boxes in November 1985 with the connection at the Junction Road Junction end that enabled trains to travel along the Down Reception line being plain lined. In 1985 the Upper Holloway oil depot was still in use having two roads in side an enclosed wire fence and was served twice weekly by a Ripple Lane to Upper Holloway and Upper Holloway to Ripple Lane oil train (running with short wheel base oil tanks) but from memory this traffic finally ceased around 1987 or 1988 with the depots closure with the former Upper Holloway oil depot site being turned over to build residential housing back in the 1990s. On the south side of the T&H line between Upper Holloway station and the approach to Junction Road Junction existed the former site of the vast LNER Tufnell Park Goods yard which finally closed in May 1968 although by the early 1980s the former Goods yard site had been turned over to a vast industrial estate which appears to be semi derelict these days since about 2014-15?.
The Up & Down Reception lines that flanked both the Up & Down T&H lines between Junction Road Junction and Upper Holloway boxes were both worked under 'No Block' regulations and any trains that were running along the Up & Down Reception lines between both boxes was signalled 'over the telephone' and not on block instruments. The Up Reception line still exists to this day and is also known as "The Holloway loop" or just "The Goods loop" and is occasionally used for turning back ECS movements and the occasional freight train but the Down Reception line was cut back into a single siding road on the closure of both boxes in November 1985 with the connection at the Junction Road Junction end that enabled trains to travel along the Down Reception line being plain lined. In 1985 the Upper Holloway oil depot was still in use having two roads in side an enclosed wire fence and was served twice weekly by a Ripple Lane to Upper Holloway and Upper Holloway to Ripple Lane oil train (running with short wheel base oil tanks) but from memory this traffic finally ceased around 1987 or 1988 with the depots closure with the former Upper Holloway oil depot site being turned over to build residential housing back in the 1990s. On the south side of the T&H line between Upper Holloway station and the approach to Junction Road Junction existed the former site of the vast LNER Tufnell Park Goods yard which finally closed in May 1968 although by the early 1980s the former Goods yard site had been turned over to a vast industrial estate which appears to be semi derelict these days since about 2014-15?.
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
Re: NLL recollections
A near forgotten strange little tale I was told about Upper Holloway box was apparently the occasional nocturnal visitation of a 'nun in full habit' to the box sometime after midnight during the early hours of the morning?. The signalman who told me this story also said that he hoped she didn't show up at the door when he was on nights at the box as he said didn't like that sort of thing happening. Until about 1983/84 the box was open on three shifts being early, late & nights turns with the box usually closed from 14:00hrs on Saturdays and re-opening again at 06:00hrs on the Monday morning although during the last twelve months of it's existence during 1984-85 the box was usually only open between 06:00-14:00hrs Monday to Friday. By comparison Junction Road Junction box 'just up the line' from Upper Holloway box was open continuously although the box did have a 'block switch' and could be switched out but rarely did.
The view from Upper Holloway box looking westward towards Junction Road Junction which is out of sight around the curve in the distance with the Upper Holloway bus garage to the right of the picture and also just seen is the entrance/exit to Upper Holloway oil depot to the left of the bus. The Junction Road Junction inner distant signal beneath Upper Holloway's starting signal is off towards the Gospel Oak direction with the left-hand lower inner distant signal taking the route from Junction Road Junction down towards Mortimer Street Junction and until late 1981 the Barking-Kentish Town service around towards Kentish Town station after which from late 1981 the Barking service then started and terminated at Gospel Oak or the straight route on from Mortimer Street Junction towards Carlton Road Junction and the Midland main line out of St Pancras. https://www.roscalen.com/signals/London ... 2/0455.jpg
The Upper Holloway Up T&H line 'home signal' on the immediate approach to Upper Holloway station heading westward with Junction Road Junction's outer motorised 'splitting distant signals' also note the 'miniature' signal arm lower down the post that routed trains into the Up Reception line.
https://www.roscalen.com/signals/London ... 4/0661.jpg
The view from Upper Holloway box looking westward towards Junction Road Junction which is out of sight around the curve in the distance with the Upper Holloway bus garage to the right of the picture and also just seen is the entrance/exit to Upper Holloway oil depot to the left of the bus. The Junction Road Junction inner distant signal beneath Upper Holloway's starting signal is off towards the Gospel Oak direction with the left-hand lower inner distant signal taking the route from Junction Road Junction down towards Mortimer Street Junction and until late 1981 the Barking-Kentish Town service around towards Kentish Town station after which from late 1981 the Barking service then started and terminated at Gospel Oak or the straight route on from Mortimer Street Junction towards Carlton Road Junction and the Midland main line out of St Pancras. https://www.roscalen.com/signals/London ... 2/0455.jpg
The Upper Holloway Up T&H line 'home signal' on the immediate approach to Upper Holloway station heading westward with Junction Road Junction's outer motorised 'splitting distant signals' also note the 'miniature' signal arm lower down the post that routed trains into the Up Reception line.
https://www.roscalen.com/signals/London ... 4/0661.jpg
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
Re: NLL recollections
Heading westward showing Junction Road Junction's Up T&H line 2nd home & junction signals. Junction Road Junction box was to the right beyond the 'bridge ole' but hidden. The right taller signals routed trains towards Gospel Oak with Gospel Oak's 'fixed at caution' distant signal beneath Junction Road Junction's 2nd home & junction signal. The left lower signals routed trains towards Carlton Road Junction and the Midland main line out of St Pancras and showing the West Hampstead PSB motorised 'distant signal' lower down beneath the stop signal. The red colour light signal seen in the far distance was Gospel Oak's GO1 signal and either routed trains towards the bay platform at Gospel Oak via a 'stencil type' B route indicator or routed trains towards the junction with the westbound North London line and another controlled colour light signal before the actual junction.
https://www.roscalen.com/signals/London ... 2/0253.jpg
Another shot of Junction Road Junction box taken from a passing westbound train probably sometime between 1982-1985 during the time that I was at the box also note the very restricted headroom for any S&T linesmen going underneath the box having to work on any equipment and towards the end of the life of the box in 1985 the S&T actually boycotted going underneath the box saying that they had to crawl around on hands and knees!. Also on very quiet nights in the box it was just about possible to hear the rumble of northbound Northern line underground trains far below the nearby Junction road heading between Tufnell Park & Archway underground stations.
https://www.roscalen.com/signals/London ... 4/0662.jpg
https://www.roscalen.com/signals/London ... 2/0253.jpg
Another shot of Junction Road Junction box taken from a passing westbound train probably sometime between 1982-1985 during the time that I was at the box also note the very restricted headroom for any S&T linesmen going underneath the box having to work on any equipment and towards the end of the life of the box in 1985 the S&T actually boycotted going underneath the box saying that they had to crawl around on hands and knees!. Also on very quiet nights in the box it was just about possible to hear the rumble of northbound Northern line underground trains far below the nearby Junction road heading between Tufnell Park & Archway underground stations.
https://www.roscalen.com/signals/London ... 4/0662.jpg
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
Re: NLL recollections
Below the old Gospel Oak box possibly photographed in the early 1980s and was located off the western end of the Up line platform at Gospel Oak station. This box was completely destroyed by a fire during the early hours of March 11th 1985 killing one of the resident signalmen at the box at that time. The next short term replacement 'signal box' was in reality a 'garden shed' that was erected near the end of the western end of the Up line platform that only worked with Camden Road Junction box on the Up & Down DC lines and with Junction Road Junction box on the Up & Down T&H lines on the 'Barking line' side in & out the bay platform (the line west of Gospel Oak to Willesden was blocked by a earlier 'tunnel collapse' in Hampstead Heath tunnel during the previous year 1984 with the tunnel work not being completed and the line re-opened until later in 1985). The 'signal box' contained a table a couple of chairs a couple of telephones two standard B.R. block instruments and a train register book and along with a signalman from memory a 'Operations Manager' was usually on hand at the box during the first few weeks after this temporary box was opened to assist the signalman.
https://www.roscalen.com/signals/London ... 2/0453.jpg
Below in 1985 another 'temporary' replacement signal box in turn replaced the 'garden shed' which came in the form of an all metal type of structure that was located a hundred or so yards further west of Gospel Oak station and stood along side the Down T&H line (or branch) as it was known by the local signalmen. This new structure was fairly cramp inside containing a grey coloured 'scratch built' panel that showed the whole track layout on it that was only around 3-4 inches high and a counter which held on it the 'route setting buttons' and individual point switches all grouped in a row along the top of the panel in front of the track layout that all faced towards the back of the box away from the outside running lines so the signalman sat with his back to the passing trains. The box contained a small Belling cooker and a sink area and about enough space to fit a small table and a chair in it although there was a separate little toilet included as well. Most signalmen who worked the box myself included as a relief signalman around the area during the 1987-1990 era tended to sit at the panel all the shift as there wasn't anywhere else to go unless you walked outside and stood at the top of the staircase to take the air?. Also when I worked the box the Camden Road-Willesden section was still DC third rail electrified as the OHL equipment wasn't erected between Camden Road west Junction & South Acton until 1995-96 long after I had worked the box also at the time of the opening of the box and for about 3 or four years afterwards the 'bay platform' wasn't track circuited and following several minor infringements with trains entering the bay platform with another train already in the bay it was decided to maybe put a track circuit in the bay platform after all (I think I was in the box on the Sunday this work was carried out?). Apparently B.R. received a number of complaints down the years from the residents of the houses 'over the back' where their long back gardens backed onto the railway on the Down side of the line complaining that 'the box' was an eye sore so B.R. or Railtrack's solution to these complaints was to re-paint the structure from an all over greyish colour to a 'all over greenish' colour sometime during the mid/late 1990s to try and blend it in with the tree line at the back of the box that bordered Hampstead heath. In about 2006-7 an extension was added to the west side of the box (as seen in the picture) after years of complaints by a number of signalmen who worked at the box about it being to cramp!. I know during hot weather especilly during the summertime the box became quite warm inside being a all metal structure plus their was no natural shade on it's south facing side or above the box to hide the structure from the relentless sunshine that bore down on it usually starting around 10:00am in the mornings and lasting until late afternoon anyway after the summer of 1990 I came off the relief so I never went back in the box not even to visit it even though the box lasted in total for 26 years it was eventually closed along with Camden Road Junction in late 2011 with the area now being controlled by Upminster IECC .
http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/01/ ... 76c0e3.jpg
https://www.roscalen.com/signals/London ... 2/0453.jpg
Below in 1985 another 'temporary' replacement signal box in turn replaced the 'garden shed' which came in the form of an all metal type of structure that was located a hundred or so yards further west of Gospel Oak station and stood along side the Down T&H line (or branch) as it was known by the local signalmen. This new structure was fairly cramp inside containing a grey coloured 'scratch built' panel that showed the whole track layout on it that was only around 3-4 inches high and a counter which held on it the 'route setting buttons' and individual point switches all grouped in a row along the top of the panel in front of the track layout that all faced towards the back of the box away from the outside running lines so the signalman sat with his back to the passing trains. The box contained a small Belling cooker and a sink area and about enough space to fit a small table and a chair in it although there was a separate little toilet included as well. Most signalmen who worked the box myself included as a relief signalman around the area during the 1987-1990 era tended to sit at the panel all the shift as there wasn't anywhere else to go unless you walked outside and stood at the top of the staircase to take the air?. Also when I worked the box the Camden Road-Willesden section was still DC third rail electrified as the OHL equipment wasn't erected between Camden Road west Junction & South Acton until 1995-96 long after I had worked the box also at the time of the opening of the box and for about 3 or four years afterwards the 'bay platform' wasn't track circuited and following several minor infringements with trains entering the bay platform with another train already in the bay it was decided to maybe put a track circuit in the bay platform after all (I think I was in the box on the Sunday this work was carried out?). Apparently B.R. received a number of complaints down the years from the residents of the houses 'over the back' where their long back gardens backed onto the railway on the Down side of the line complaining that 'the box' was an eye sore so B.R. or Railtrack's solution to these complaints was to re-paint the structure from an all over greyish colour to a 'all over greenish' colour sometime during the mid/late 1990s to try and blend it in with the tree line at the back of the box that bordered Hampstead heath. In about 2006-7 an extension was added to the west side of the box (as seen in the picture) after years of complaints by a number of signalmen who worked at the box about it being to cramp!. I know during hot weather especilly during the summertime the box became quite warm inside being a all metal structure plus their was no natural shade on it's south facing side or above the box to hide the structure from the relentless sunshine that bore down on it usually starting around 10:00am in the mornings and lasting until late afternoon anyway after the summer of 1990 I came off the relief so I never went back in the box not even to visit it even though the box lasted in total for 26 years it was eventually closed along with Camden Road Junction in late 2011 with the area now being controlled by Upminster IECC .
http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/01/ ... 76c0e3.jpg
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
Re: NLL recollections
Willesden High Level Junction box another one of my relief signalman's jobs between 1987-1990. I use to get quite a few Sunday night turns in at the box as all three resident signalmen at that time all appeared to dislike working Sunday night turns (18:00-06:00hrs) for some reason?.
Willesden High Level in 1976 and still looking quite good and was still a mechanical lever frame job at the time working with Acton Wells Junction box towards the Richmond direction and Kensal Green Junction box towards the Camden Road direction along with Mitre Bridge Junction around to the West London line.
https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6122/598 ... 12b5_b.jpg
The 'High Level' either during the late 1970s or early 1980s still with it's earlier name board and still a mechanical lever frame box.
https://www.roscalen.com/signals/London ... 4/0664.jpg
By the time that I worked 'the High Level' in the late 1980s the old LNWR stirrup lever frame had gone replaced by a 'swissinco' NX route setting panel possibly around 1983/84 when the nearby Kensal Green Junction box was finally closed from memory and was the same design of NX panel as the NX panels at both Upper Holloway & Bollo Lane boxes plus it was all TCB (Track Circuit Block) with Acton Wells & Gospel Oak and also on the 'City lines' with Willesden PSB and with the connection with Willesden Low Level box on the Euston-Watford DC lines although it was still Absolute Block with Mitre Bridge Junction. Also some internal alterations occurred around 1988-89 a new internal flush toilet was constructed in the middle part of the box instead of the signalman having to use the outside 'chemical toilet' near the bottom of the box staircase and also a 'fridge' appeared as well along with a dirty old dark red coloured settee which was eventually thrown out after management said get rid of it!.
The 'High Level' in it's later years with all it's main windows boarded up (the same thing was done at Camden Road Junction) and possibly during the early 2000s after what looks like a Network Rail 'modernisation job' having been done on the box that the last handful of boxes around the North London line had to endure around 2004-05 although the box still retains what looks like it's Network South East name board above the door. The box closed in late 2011 along with Gospel Oak & Camden Road Junction boxes with the area now being controlled by Upminster IECC.
http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/01/ ... b3fe00.jpg
Also a panoramic view of the nearby Kensal Green Junction featuring the LNWR box which closed around 1983/84 from memory(?) I was at Junction Road Junction box when Kensal Green Junction closed anyway the view is looking west towards Willesden High Level station with the 'Low Level' connection to the Euston-Watford DC lines to the left and the 'City lines' to the right which were mainly used for freight trains and light engines to and from the Euston main line and the nearby Wilesden yards and sidings. This area was later to be controlled by Willesden High Level box on the closure of Kensal Green Junction box until late 2011 when Willesden High Level box closed and the area is now being controlled by Upminster IECC.
https://www.roscalen.com/signals/London ... 4/0670.jpg
Willesden High Level in 1976 and still looking quite good and was still a mechanical lever frame job at the time working with Acton Wells Junction box towards the Richmond direction and Kensal Green Junction box towards the Camden Road direction along with Mitre Bridge Junction around to the West London line.
https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6122/598 ... 12b5_b.jpg
The 'High Level' either during the late 1970s or early 1980s still with it's earlier name board and still a mechanical lever frame box.
https://www.roscalen.com/signals/London ... 4/0664.jpg
By the time that I worked 'the High Level' in the late 1980s the old LNWR stirrup lever frame had gone replaced by a 'swissinco' NX route setting panel possibly around 1983/84 when the nearby Kensal Green Junction box was finally closed from memory and was the same design of NX panel as the NX panels at both Upper Holloway & Bollo Lane boxes plus it was all TCB (Track Circuit Block) with Acton Wells & Gospel Oak and also on the 'City lines' with Willesden PSB and with the connection with Willesden Low Level box on the Euston-Watford DC lines although it was still Absolute Block with Mitre Bridge Junction. Also some internal alterations occurred around 1988-89 a new internal flush toilet was constructed in the middle part of the box instead of the signalman having to use the outside 'chemical toilet' near the bottom of the box staircase and also a 'fridge' appeared as well along with a dirty old dark red coloured settee which was eventually thrown out after management said get rid of it!.
The 'High Level' in it's later years with all it's main windows boarded up (the same thing was done at Camden Road Junction) and possibly during the early 2000s after what looks like a Network Rail 'modernisation job' having been done on the box that the last handful of boxes around the North London line had to endure around 2004-05 although the box still retains what looks like it's Network South East name board above the door. The box closed in late 2011 along with Gospel Oak & Camden Road Junction boxes with the area now being controlled by Upminster IECC.
http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/01/ ... b3fe00.jpg
Also a panoramic view of the nearby Kensal Green Junction featuring the LNWR box which closed around 1983/84 from memory(?) I was at Junction Road Junction box when Kensal Green Junction closed anyway the view is looking west towards Willesden High Level station with the 'Low Level' connection to the Euston-Watford DC lines to the left and the 'City lines' to the right which were mainly used for freight trains and light engines to and from the Euston main line and the nearby Wilesden yards and sidings. This area was later to be controlled by Willesden High Level box on the closure of Kensal Green Junction box until late 2011 when Willesden High Level box closed and the area is now being controlled by Upminster IECC.
https://www.roscalen.com/signals/London ... 4/0670.jpg
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
Re: NLL recollections
Below yet another one of my boxes when I was on the relief around the North London line between 1987-1990 was Willesden New Line box or it was also called Willesden Low Level situated beside the Down Euston-Watford DC line in Willesden Low Level station.
A bit of a funny old job this one was because not only was their the Euston-Watford B.R. trains to deal with but also the London Underground Bakerloo line trains ran along much of the same route as the B.R. trains did before the B.R. trains headed straight into and out of Euston station
although the southbound Bakerloo line trains only went as far as the junction points into Queen's Park or northbound Bakerloo line trains continued their journey from Queen's Park onto B.R. metals to Harrow & Weldstone. From memory the Queen's Park L.T. signalman would send a Bakerloo line train after departing Queen's Park station towards the protecting signal with the junction points in the Down Euston-Watford DC line that was controlled by Willesden Low Level box and then the Willesden Low Level signalman would then signal the Bakerloo line train out onto the Down Euston to Watford DC line providing no Euston to Watford train had already been signalled first through the same points. All trains that passed through the Willesden Low Level area and were heading northbound beyond Stonebridge park going Down road would then disappear off the Willesden Low Level panel and likewise all trains coming Up road just appeared on the panel when they were approaching Stonebridge Park. Their was no actual 'block working' as such between both Willesden Low Level & Harrow No.2 boxes just lots of 'auto-sections' so before a train appeared on the panel approaching Stonebridge Park coming Up road you could get a driver of either a B.R. train or a Bakerloo line train ring up from a SPT (Signal Post Telephone) and tell you for example that he is standing at a red signal at South Kenton even though the route setting panel track diagram only went as far as Stonebridge Park the signalman wouldn't visually see where the train or trains were?. The conventional box track diagram on the block shelf only showed the Willesden Low Level station area that was applicable to the box lever frame. Another reason why this was a 'funny job' for me was because I wouldn't say that I actually knew it that well and whenever I had to work on the lever frame I had to stand and gaze at the box track diagram and then read what the lever badges had written on them before I either pulled or put back a lever in the frame?. Again I seemed to work a number of Sunday night turns at this box like I also did at 'the High Level' box 'up stairs' although I do recall working a few weekday 'day turns' as well and on both the weekday early and late turns their was a 'booking boy' to assist the signalman and in fact their was two 'booking boys' at the box who in reality were two older signalmen reduced to working on 'light duties' and one of them was named Bob Sage a bloke in his late 50s or early 60s(?) I recall but I didn't work that many shifts at the box and in reality and thinking about it again I think I only actually worked around 15 to 20 shifts all told I would say between the autumn of 1988 and the autumn of 1989 after which I don't think I ever worked the box again after the autumn of 1989?. The box had a early type of route setting panel stuck up in the north end corner of the box where about 95% of the signalling was done on plus the box also had a LNWR stirrup lever frame of about 50-60 levers(?) as well which I only remember actually working on on a few occasions mainly to get ECS trains in and out of Willesden TMD or in and out of the bay platform in the Low Level station which wasn't that often but that was when a bit of 'lever bashing' was required but other than on those few occasions the lever frame wasn't hardly ever touched and another memory that I have of the lever frame was that a lot of it had remnants of old carpet laid over the quadrants to keep the cold out from coming up from underneath the box and regardless of having a box heater or two (possibly gas heaters?) left on all the time especially on nights it was a cold box to work in especially on nights I recall?. The box may have closed either in late 1989 or early 1990 with it's area being controlled from Willesden Suburban PSB located near the Willesden TMD.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4140/505 ... d7cd_z.jpg
A bit of a funny old job this one was because not only was their the Euston-Watford B.R. trains to deal with but also the London Underground Bakerloo line trains ran along much of the same route as the B.R. trains did before the B.R. trains headed straight into and out of Euston station
although the southbound Bakerloo line trains only went as far as the junction points into Queen's Park or northbound Bakerloo line trains continued their journey from Queen's Park onto B.R. metals to Harrow & Weldstone. From memory the Queen's Park L.T. signalman would send a Bakerloo line train after departing Queen's Park station towards the protecting signal with the junction points in the Down Euston-Watford DC line that was controlled by Willesden Low Level box and then the Willesden Low Level signalman would then signal the Bakerloo line train out onto the Down Euston to Watford DC line providing no Euston to Watford train had already been signalled first through the same points. All trains that passed through the Willesden Low Level area and were heading northbound beyond Stonebridge park going Down road would then disappear off the Willesden Low Level panel and likewise all trains coming Up road just appeared on the panel when they were approaching Stonebridge Park. Their was no actual 'block working' as such between both Willesden Low Level & Harrow No.2 boxes just lots of 'auto-sections' so before a train appeared on the panel approaching Stonebridge Park coming Up road you could get a driver of either a B.R. train or a Bakerloo line train ring up from a SPT (Signal Post Telephone) and tell you for example that he is standing at a red signal at South Kenton even though the route setting panel track diagram only went as far as Stonebridge Park the signalman wouldn't visually see where the train or trains were?. The conventional box track diagram on the block shelf only showed the Willesden Low Level station area that was applicable to the box lever frame. Another reason why this was a 'funny job' for me was because I wouldn't say that I actually knew it that well and whenever I had to work on the lever frame I had to stand and gaze at the box track diagram and then read what the lever badges had written on them before I either pulled or put back a lever in the frame?. Again I seemed to work a number of Sunday night turns at this box like I also did at 'the High Level' box 'up stairs' although I do recall working a few weekday 'day turns' as well and on both the weekday early and late turns their was a 'booking boy' to assist the signalman and in fact their was two 'booking boys' at the box who in reality were two older signalmen reduced to working on 'light duties' and one of them was named Bob Sage a bloke in his late 50s or early 60s(?) I recall but I didn't work that many shifts at the box and in reality and thinking about it again I think I only actually worked around 15 to 20 shifts all told I would say between the autumn of 1988 and the autumn of 1989 after which I don't think I ever worked the box again after the autumn of 1989?. The box had a early type of route setting panel stuck up in the north end corner of the box where about 95% of the signalling was done on plus the box also had a LNWR stirrup lever frame of about 50-60 levers(?) as well which I only remember actually working on on a few occasions mainly to get ECS trains in and out of Willesden TMD or in and out of the bay platform in the Low Level station which wasn't that often but that was when a bit of 'lever bashing' was required but other than on those few occasions the lever frame wasn't hardly ever touched and another memory that I have of the lever frame was that a lot of it had remnants of old carpet laid over the quadrants to keep the cold out from coming up from underneath the box and regardless of having a box heater or two (possibly gas heaters?) left on all the time especially on nights it was a cold box to work in especially on nights I recall?. The box may have closed either in late 1989 or early 1990 with it's area being controlled from Willesden Suburban PSB located near the Willesden TMD.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4140/505 ... d7cd_z.jpg
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
Re: NLL recollections
While at Willesden it is appropriate to pause and mention the proposed re-signalling of the North London line of 1989-90 as the power box for the project was located at Willesden in a new building near the Willesden TMD and was named WILLESDEN SUBURBAN. The following is from memory and observation only and nothing written down in notes and any dates may not be accurate?.
From memory either during the latter part of 1988 or the earlier part of 1989 all the then existing signalling staff on the North London line including resident and relief signalmen (The term 'signaller' was still to be formerly adopted by B.Rs. successor company Railtrack in the late 1990s) were issued with redundancy notices (myself included) and a 'closed vacancy' list was published and had on it a number of new positions resident & relief at the new Willesden Suburban box which any signalman on the area could apply for I myself applied for a relief signalman's position and was successful and was appointed a relief signalman's position at the new box and was even allocated a locker & key in the box changing room. All the new positions including either resident and relief positions were filled (I can't remember the total compliment of signalling staff at the new box?) with the remaining unsuccessful applicant's being given choices of other boxes throughout the London Midland region as it still was via a closed vacancy.
The old Willesden New line or Low Level box area was taken over throughout by the new Willesden Suburban box with the area of control being from Watford Junction all the way southwards to South Hampstead and fringing with Euston PSB area on the DC lines although I don't know the exact date that it actually happened on but that was either sometime during 1989 or 1990 I can't remember?. The remainder of the North London line that was to be controlled by the new box from what I remember being told was at it's eastern end the new box would have fringed with Stratford (probably Liverpool street at a later date) and would have picked up the North London line around Hackney Central and controlled the route westwards through Dalston, Highbury, Camden Road Junction with the junction on & off the Primrose Hill branch fringing with Euston PSB but continuing on from Camden Road along the North London line through Gospel Oak, Willesden High Level, Acton Wells Junction to South Acton/Bollo Lane fringing with Richmond box which at that time was still on the Southern region and Kew East Junction box. On the 'Dudding Hill' branch this predominantly freight branch ran from Acton Wells Junction through Acton Canal Wharf and Neasden Midland Junction towards Dudding Hill where the new box would have fringed with West Hampstead PSB. At the eastern end (the other side of Hampstead Heath tunnel) from the Junction at Gospel Oak it would have gone through Junction Road Junction to just beyond Upper Holloway station and the London Midland region/Anglia region boundary midway between Upper Holloway & Crouch Hill stations.
Anyway the concluding part of this story was the North London line part of the proposed re-signalling project was eventually CANCELLED and redundancy letters that had been sent out were all revoked possibly in the latter part of 1989(?) although a number of resident signalmen did relocate to new positions in Willesden Suburban box to work the Euston-Watford DC line only but the other signalmen remained in their old boxes with a small handful having already re-located to other parts of the London Midland region and as for myself I just went back on the relief around the area where I already worked about eight other boxes before coming off the relief staff in the summer of 1990.
* * * Out of interest I happened to pass through Willesden recently and noticed the old building that was being used as a signalling centre for the Euston-Watford DC line still had it's WILLESDEN SUBURBAN name board positioned along the upper part of the building * * *
From memory either during the latter part of 1988 or the earlier part of 1989 all the then existing signalling staff on the North London line including resident and relief signalmen (The term 'signaller' was still to be formerly adopted by B.Rs. successor company Railtrack in the late 1990s) were issued with redundancy notices (myself included) and a 'closed vacancy' list was published and had on it a number of new positions resident & relief at the new Willesden Suburban box which any signalman on the area could apply for I myself applied for a relief signalman's position and was successful and was appointed a relief signalman's position at the new box and was even allocated a locker & key in the box changing room. All the new positions including either resident and relief positions were filled (I can't remember the total compliment of signalling staff at the new box?) with the remaining unsuccessful applicant's being given choices of other boxes throughout the London Midland region as it still was via a closed vacancy.
The old Willesden New line or Low Level box area was taken over throughout by the new Willesden Suburban box with the area of control being from Watford Junction all the way southwards to South Hampstead and fringing with Euston PSB area on the DC lines although I don't know the exact date that it actually happened on but that was either sometime during 1989 or 1990 I can't remember?. The remainder of the North London line that was to be controlled by the new box from what I remember being told was at it's eastern end the new box would have fringed with Stratford (probably Liverpool street at a later date) and would have picked up the North London line around Hackney Central and controlled the route westwards through Dalston, Highbury, Camden Road Junction with the junction on & off the Primrose Hill branch fringing with Euston PSB but continuing on from Camden Road along the North London line through Gospel Oak, Willesden High Level, Acton Wells Junction to South Acton/Bollo Lane fringing with Richmond box which at that time was still on the Southern region and Kew East Junction box. On the 'Dudding Hill' branch this predominantly freight branch ran from Acton Wells Junction through Acton Canal Wharf and Neasden Midland Junction towards Dudding Hill where the new box would have fringed with West Hampstead PSB. At the eastern end (the other side of Hampstead Heath tunnel) from the Junction at Gospel Oak it would have gone through Junction Road Junction to just beyond Upper Holloway station and the London Midland region/Anglia region boundary midway between Upper Holloway & Crouch Hill stations.
Anyway the concluding part of this story was the North London line part of the proposed re-signalling project was eventually CANCELLED and redundancy letters that had been sent out were all revoked possibly in the latter part of 1989(?) although a number of resident signalmen did relocate to new positions in Willesden Suburban box to work the Euston-Watford DC line only but the other signalmen remained in their old boxes with a small handful having already re-located to other parts of the London Midland region and as for myself I just went back on the relief around the area where I already worked about eight other boxes before coming off the relief staff in the summer of 1990.
* * * Out of interest I happened to pass through Willesden recently and noticed the old building that was being used as a signalling centre for the Euston-Watford DC line still had it's WILLESDEN SUBURBAN name board positioned along the upper part of the building * * *
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
Re: NLL recollections
Acton Wells Junction box is located on the Down side of the running lines between Willesden High Level and Acton Central stations and controls two junctions one to & from the Western region main line and Acton yard via the 'Poplar lines' and the other around towards Acton Canal Wharf box and either the straight route towards Neasden Midland Junction or via a connecting line known as the 'Conn line' that headed either towards the Euston main line heading northwards or into Brent & Sudbury sidings also a fairly used set of double Goods lines known as the Arrival & Departure lines that connected Acton Wells Junction with the South West sidings Ground Frame either around towards Mitre Bridge on the West London line or the Euston main line heading southwards.
Acton Wells box is a fairly large box and is still their but these days has a 'workstation' rather than a NX panel and fringes with Upminster IECC, Richmond box, Slough PSB on the Western region. Acton Canal Wharf box and Wembley PSB.
When I worked the box on the relief between 1988-1990 the first year that I worked the box it still contained a large (maybe 60+ stirrup lever frame but I can't remember the exact number of levers?) and worked Absolute Block with Bollo Lane, Willesden High Level & Acton Canal Warf boxes and TCB with Old Oak Common PSB on the Western region. I think the Arrival & Departure lines were worked as 'No Block' lines and communication between Acton Wells box & the South West Ground Frame was via a telephone?.
"12 hours at the Wells" was quite a regular order (for myself) back in 1988 especially when it was still a lever frame box and in fact whenever I think of Acton Wells it is when I was working a 12 hours day turn on the lever frame and block instruments which kept you fit!. 12 hours of solid 'lever bashing' when your in your early 30s was a 'piece of cake' although at 60+ it mite now be a different matter ha ha ha... and it was a waste of time sitting down and getting comfortable in the box armchair because a block bell would ring so you either stood up by the train register book and telephones at the high desk or beside it was a lino topped old table that I use to sit on and if I wasn't standing at the high desk or sitting on the table top I was on the lever frame and that's how it was for 12 hours!.
I was at the box covering it on the relief around the time that it's lever frame was removed in early 1989 and a new NX rout setting panel was installed and commissioned although I don't recall actually being at the box over the re-signalling and commissioning weekend but I believe I worked the new NX panel maybe on the first Monday morning after the commissioning weekend?. The NX panel it's self was a rather small panel as in reality Acton Wells box controlled a rather small geographical area (virtually the whole Acton Wells Junction layout could be seen from the box windows).
Prior to the re-signalling of Acton Wells Junction box a interesting signalling feature was 'slotted' two stop signals with Acton Canal Wharf box that in reality were Acton Canal Wharfs 'Junction home signals' for either the straight route towards the Acton Canal Wharf starting signal towards Neasden Midland Junction or the 'Conn line' connection with both Acton Wells Junction & Acton Canal Wharf had lever control over the same signals?. A signal box instruction in Acton Wells box at the time said that-
When Acton Canal Wharf box was closed NO TRAIN was to be allowed to stand at that slotted signal by the Acton Wells signalman to await acceptance.
An issue regarding Acton Wells box was actually trying to get to and from it as their is no station where the box is and the nearest station was either Acton Central or Willesden High Level station although back in 1988-90 it was unheard of a signalman stopping a DC EMU (or motor) on a Richmond-North Woolwich service and asking the driver if he would stop outside Acton Wells box and pick them up?.
I was personally involved in a 'near collision incident' at this box just after the NX panel was commissioned in April 1989 but without going into the actual incident it went to an enquiry at Euston but I was exonerated after it was found that the blame lay elsewhere although I did write about it once on this forum about 10 years ago so the incident may still be available to read in full?.
I recently learned only several weeks ago that apparently the Acton Wells NX panel that was de-commissioned back in December 2011 is now in private hands.
Acton Wells box is a fairly large box and is still their but these days has a 'workstation' rather than a NX panel and fringes with Upminster IECC, Richmond box, Slough PSB on the Western region. Acton Canal Wharf box and Wembley PSB.
When I worked the box on the relief between 1988-1990 the first year that I worked the box it still contained a large (maybe 60+ stirrup lever frame but I can't remember the exact number of levers?) and worked Absolute Block with Bollo Lane, Willesden High Level & Acton Canal Warf boxes and TCB with Old Oak Common PSB on the Western region. I think the Arrival & Departure lines were worked as 'No Block' lines and communication between Acton Wells box & the South West Ground Frame was via a telephone?.
"12 hours at the Wells" was quite a regular order (for myself) back in 1988 especially when it was still a lever frame box and in fact whenever I think of Acton Wells it is when I was working a 12 hours day turn on the lever frame and block instruments which kept you fit!. 12 hours of solid 'lever bashing' when your in your early 30s was a 'piece of cake' although at 60+ it mite now be a different matter ha ha ha... and it was a waste of time sitting down and getting comfortable in the box armchair because a block bell would ring so you either stood up by the train register book and telephones at the high desk or beside it was a lino topped old table that I use to sit on and if I wasn't standing at the high desk or sitting on the table top I was on the lever frame and that's how it was for 12 hours!.
I was at the box covering it on the relief around the time that it's lever frame was removed in early 1989 and a new NX rout setting panel was installed and commissioned although I don't recall actually being at the box over the re-signalling and commissioning weekend but I believe I worked the new NX panel maybe on the first Monday morning after the commissioning weekend?. The NX panel it's self was a rather small panel as in reality Acton Wells box controlled a rather small geographical area (virtually the whole Acton Wells Junction layout could be seen from the box windows).
Prior to the re-signalling of Acton Wells Junction box a interesting signalling feature was 'slotted' two stop signals with Acton Canal Wharf box that in reality were Acton Canal Wharfs 'Junction home signals' for either the straight route towards the Acton Canal Wharf starting signal towards Neasden Midland Junction or the 'Conn line' connection with both Acton Wells Junction & Acton Canal Wharf had lever control over the same signals?. A signal box instruction in Acton Wells box at the time said that-
When Acton Canal Wharf box was closed NO TRAIN was to be allowed to stand at that slotted signal by the Acton Wells signalman to await acceptance.
An issue regarding Acton Wells box was actually trying to get to and from it as their is no station where the box is and the nearest station was either Acton Central or Willesden High Level station although back in 1988-90 it was unheard of a signalman stopping a DC EMU (or motor) on a Richmond-North Woolwich service and asking the driver if he would stop outside Acton Wells box and pick them up?.
I was personally involved in a 'near collision incident' at this box just after the NX panel was commissioned in April 1989 but without going into the actual incident it went to an enquiry at Euston but I was exonerated after it was found that the blame lay elsewhere although I did write about it once on this forum about 10 years ago so the incident may still be available to read in full?.
I recently learned only several weeks ago that apparently the Acton Wells NX panel that was de-commissioned back in December 2011 is now in private hands.
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
Re: NLL recollections
Bollo Lane box was a small LSWR box located beside the Up line that controlled a double-set of level crossing gates with one set of gates being outside the box on the Richmond branch and another set of level crossing gates a couple of hundred yards away along the same stretch of road on the Kew East branch with both level crossings being close to South Acton station. Bollo Lane box worked TCB with Richmond and Absolute Block with Kew East box with Bollo Lane box also controlling the Junction points either towards Richmond or towards Kew East Junction located on the immediate south end of South Acton station. Around 1983-84 a small 'swissinco' NX panel was installed and commissioned in the box (a similar type of NX panel that was in Willesden High Level & Upper Holloway boxes) after the lever frame was removed with the closure at the same time of Acton Central box Bollo Lane then took control of the Acton Central level crossing and it was worked as a ''remote level crossing' with barriers and CCTV cameras with Bollo Lane box then working Absolute Block with Acton Wells Junction box.
I did do a 2 or 3 days learning at the box spread over maybe around 6 months but I was never really interested in passing out and working the box as I never fancied working a level crossing box so avoided it.
I did do a 2 or 3 days learning at the box spread over maybe around 6 months but I was never really interested in passing out and working the box as I never fancied working a level crossing box so avoided it.
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
Re: NLL recollections
Kew East Junction box located in an isolated area near the Chiswick flyover and roundabout set in a cutting amid the trees and other vegetation right next door to Chiswick cemetery!. Welcome to Kew East signal box!.
"That place was haunted I swear it!."
Kew East Junction as previously stated was set in a isolated area set in a cutting amid trees and other line side vegetation with Chiswick cemetery immediately outside the box door!. The box was accessed from the main road via a small side gate off the main road that passed by Cheswick cemetery after which a long straight gravel path lead to the box that curved slightly just before reaching the box. The box contained a fairly long stirrup lever frame of maybe 50-60 levers (I forget the exact number of levers?) and controlled a Junction onto and off the southern region and fringed with Feltham PSB on the southern region side and worked TCB with that box and with Bollo Lane on the other side and worked Absolute Block with that box. The line down from South Acton junction went two different routes at Kew East one route was called 'the spur' and carried straight on and then curved to the left towards the Barnes and Clapham Junction direction and the other route turned to the right and was called 'the branch' and went towards the Feltham direction.
The route that the box was located on was predominantly for freight trains and back in the late 1980s it was quite common to work a early turn (06:00-14:00hrs) and NOT see a train for the entire shift in fact when I was passed out to work the box by my local signalling manager we didn't have a train for the 2 hours that he was in the box passing me out!. The few trains that did run were usually during the early hours of a weekday morning around 2:00-4:00am although their was 2 or 3 freight trains that did run during the day time on some days but not everyday.
That box was haunted!. I worked the box on a number of occasions between 1988-90 and a rarely repeated story about that box with a few signalmen who worked the box and that I personally experienced myself was around the early hours of the morning of hearing a woman's voice talking softly although it was a bit hard to make out what was being said although odd words could be made out and I would say she was very close to the box in fact I would say from memory she must have been right up against the back wall of the box because her voice sounded that close to it I felt although no sound was ever heard of anyone being on the gravel path immediately outside the box(?) and with Chiswick cemetery almost at the box door and in fact gravestones where virtually outside the box door and could also be seen from the box window so who's idea it was to build a signal box at that location must have had a black sense of humour?. Ha ha ha...
Yes Kew East was a funny old place to spend 8 or 12 hours at and even on a sunny day with the roar of the nearby traffic on the Chiswick flyover the place seemed lonely and isolated and even a bit spooky although once the sun had set and darkness fell that was the time to either lock the box door or better still be heading home!.
Below Kew East signal box and it's surrounds also note the box has received a Network Rail 'refurbishment job' done on it and note all the white plastic covering the outside of the box a common feature of those refurbishment jobs that took place around 2004-05 around the NLL when the remaining NLL boxes were all refurbished although Kew East box didn't finally close until 2011-
https://www.roscalen.com/signals/KewEastJct/index.htm
Below Travelling south and running through Kew East Junction and about to pass Kew East box. The train is most probably a loco hauled 'special' and has been routed via 'the spur' towards the southern region via Barnes and Clapham Junction direction while the lines to the right were called 'the branch' and headed to & from the Feltham direction. Despite the box being close to the Chiswick roundabout and flyover as can be seen from the photograph with it's constant dim noise of motorway traffic in the background I always felt the box to be a rather lonely and even a bit of a creepy place to be working alone at located as it was in a rather isolated location with Chiswick cemetery backing up against the box as well which didn't help none even when working a day turn during broad daylight let alone working a night shift at the box. I would guestimate the date to be sometime during the 1970s?.- https://www.rcts.org.uk/photographs/arc ... G02686.jpg
"That place was haunted I swear it!."
Kew East Junction as previously stated was set in a isolated area set in a cutting amid trees and other line side vegetation with Chiswick cemetery immediately outside the box door!. The box was accessed from the main road via a small side gate off the main road that passed by Cheswick cemetery after which a long straight gravel path lead to the box that curved slightly just before reaching the box. The box contained a fairly long stirrup lever frame of maybe 50-60 levers (I forget the exact number of levers?) and controlled a Junction onto and off the southern region and fringed with Feltham PSB on the southern region side and worked TCB with that box and with Bollo Lane on the other side and worked Absolute Block with that box. The line down from South Acton junction went two different routes at Kew East one route was called 'the spur' and carried straight on and then curved to the left towards the Barnes and Clapham Junction direction and the other route turned to the right and was called 'the branch' and went towards the Feltham direction.
The route that the box was located on was predominantly for freight trains and back in the late 1980s it was quite common to work a early turn (06:00-14:00hrs) and NOT see a train for the entire shift in fact when I was passed out to work the box by my local signalling manager we didn't have a train for the 2 hours that he was in the box passing me out!. The few trains that did run were usually during the early hours of a weekday morning around 2:00-4:00am although their was 2 or 3 freight trains that did run during the day time on some days but not everyday.
That box was haunted!. I worked the box on a number of occasions between 1988-90 and a rarely repeated story about that box with a few signalmen who worked the box and that I personally experienced myself was around the early hours of the morning of hearing a woman's voice talking softly although it was a bit hard to make out what was being said although odd words could be made out and I would say she was very close to the box in fact I would say from memory she must have been right up against the back wall of the box because her voice sounded that close to it I felt although no sound was ever heard of anyone being on the gravel path immediately outside the box(?) and with Chiswick cemetery almost at the box door and in fact gravestones where virtually outside the box door and could also be seen from the box window so who's idea it was to build a signal box at that location must have had a black sense of humour?. Ha ha ha...
Yes Kew East was a funny old place to spend 8 or 12 hours at and even on a sunny day with the roar of the nearby traffic on the Chiswick flyover the place seemed lonely and isolated and even a bit spooky although once the sun had set and darkness fell that was the time to either lock the box door or better still be heading home!.
Below Kew East signal box and it's surrounds also note the box has received a Network Rail 'refurbishment job' done on it and note all the white plastic covering the outside of the box a common feature of those refurbishment jobs that took place around 2004-05 around the NLL when the remaining NLL boxes were all refurbished although Kew East box didn't finally close until 2011-
https://www.roscalen.com/signals/KewEastJct/index.htm
Below Travelling south and running through Kew East Junction and about to pass Kew East box. The train is most probably a loco hauled 'special' and has been routed via 'the spur' towards the southern region via Barnes and Clapham Junction direction while the lines to the right were called 'the branch' and headed to & from the Feltham direction. Despite the box being close to the Chiswick roundabout and flyover as can be seen from the photograph with it's constant dim noise of motorway traffic in the background I always felt the box to be a rather lonely and even a bit of a creepy place to be working alone at located as it was in a rather isolated location with Chiswick cemetery backing up against the box as well which didn't help none even when working a day turn during broad daylight let alone working a night shift at the box. I would guestimate the date to be sometime during the 1970s?.- https://www.rcts.org.uk/photographs/arc ... G02686.jpg
Last edited by Mickey on Mon Oct 05, 2020 1:39 pm, edited 5 times in total.
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
Re: NLL recollections
Saved the best until last... Camden Road.
Well not quite the best but it was alright I worked the box when I was on the relief between 1987-1990 and as a resident signalman at the box between 1992-2004 and it was a busy box with the North London service between North Woolwich & Richmond running all day long into the late evening plus plenty of inter regional freight traffic travelling across the NLL east to west and west to east day and night.
When I worked the box from late 1987 it had just received a route setting panel and worked TCB (Track Circuit Block) with Dalston (Western Junction) over the Up & Down no.1 AC electrified lines & no.2 DC electrified lines and with Gospel Oak and with Euston PSB on the Primrose Hill branch also with Kings Cross on the Kings Cross Incline. Until 1996 the third rail DC electrified line was still in situ through Camden Road and around towards Gospel Oak and beyond to Willesden High Level and then on all the way to Richmond. The overhead wires were put up during 1995-96 between Camden Road west junction (just outside the box) and then through Gospel Oak and all the way through Willesden High Level to South Acton with EMUs running in AC mode from Camden Road to South Acton during 1996.
Not much else to be said about the box although I spent a lot of time at it with it eventually closing in December 2011 when Upminster IECC took over the area along with Gospel Oak & Dalston.
Well not quite the best but it was alright I worked the box when I was on the relief between 1987-1990 and as a resident signalman at the box between 1992-2004 and it was a busy box with the North London service between North Woolwich & Richmond running all day long into the late evening plus plenty of inter regional freight traffic travelling across the NLL east to west and west to east day and night.
When I worked the box from late 1987 it had just received a route setting panel and worked TCB (Track Circuit Block) with Dalston (Western Junction) over the Up & Down no.1 AC electrified lines & no.2 DC electrified lines and with Gospel Oak and with Euston PSB on the Primrose Hill branch also with Kings Cross on the Kings Cross Incline. Until 1996 the third rail DC electrified line was still in situ through Camden Road and around towards Gospel Oak and beyond to Willesden High Level and then on all the way to Richmond. The overhead wires were put up during 1995-96 between Camden Road west junction (just outside the box) and then through Gospel Oak and all the way through Willesden High Level to South Acton with EMUs running in AC mode from Camden Road to South Acton during 1996.
Not much else to be said about the box although I spent a lot of time at it with it eventually closing in December 2011 when Upminster IECC took over the area along with Gospel Oak & Dalston.
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
Re: NLL recollections
A couple of boxes that were taken over by the Willesden area from the Euston area in the mid 1980s were Acton Canal Wharf and Neasden Midland Junction. Both boxes were ex Midland Railway boxes located on the 'Dudding Hill' branch a predominately freight only line running between Acton Wells Junction and the Midland main line at Cricklewood & Brent. Dudding Hill box remained under the West Hampstead area until the late 1990s before being taken onto the Willesden area. Only a handful of freight trains travelled over this route during the weekdays and virtually none at weekends. The Acton Canal Wharf Down starting signal was a 'free lever' (and still is) along with the Neasden Junction Up & Down starting signals which were also 'free levers' (and still are) where NO line clear release was or is required to pull them off so the usual practice was to keep a lever collar over the starting signal lever handle(s) until a train had been accepted and a 'line clear' was given by the box in advance and once that had happened you would remove the lever collar from the starting signal handle and pull off the signal and likewise once the train passed the starting signal and the lever had been returned to normal in the lever frame and the starting signal had also returned to danger the lever collar would be put back over the lever handle again.
The old regulation 5 Warning Acceptance once applied between Neasden Junction & Acton Canal Wharf over the Up line but around the time or a little bit before the time maybe(?) that I passed out for the box the regulation was amended whereby a signalman receiving the Warning Acceptance from the box in advance wasn't required to exhibit a green hand signal held steady from the box to the approaching train/driver although the Warning Acceptance was still to be entered in the train register book that the train had been accepted under the Warning Acceptance but their was no requirement to exhibit a green hand signal to the driver making the regulation pointless and just a paper exercise in the train register book??.
I worked both boxes Acton Canal Wharf was alright but Neasden Junction was a dirty vermin infested place that was subsiding at one stage and had to have reinforcing ironwork added to it to hold it up!. When I worked Neasden Junction during 1988-90 the double-track line around to Neasden South Junction was still in situ but was singled in 1989 or 90 I recall and the box still worked with Neasden South Junction at the time a fairly large GCR box on the Marylebone area and again the Down starting signal towards Neasden South Junction was a 'free lever' with no line clear release required to pull it off.
Neasden Junction-Dudding Hill- https://www.roscalen.com/signals/London ... lewood.htm
The old regulation 5 Warning Acceptance once applied between Neasden Junction & Acton Canal Wharf over the Up line but around the time or a little bit before the time maybe(?) that I passed out for the box the regulation was amended whereby a signalman receiving the Warning Acceptance from the box in advance wasn't required to exhibit a green hand signal held steady from the box to the approaching train/driver although the Warning Acceptance was still to be entered in the train register book that the train had been accepted under the Warning Acceptance but their was no requirement to exhibit a green hand signal to the driver making the regulation pointless and just a paper exercise in the train register book??.
I worked both boxes Acton Canal Wharf was alright but Neasden Junction was a dirty vermin infested place that was subsiding at one stage and had to have reinforcing ironwork added to it to hold it up!. When I worked Neasden Junction during 1988-90 the double-track line around to Neasden South Junction was still in situ but was singled in 1989 or 90 I recall and the box still worked with Neasden South Junction at the time a fairly large GCR box on the Marylebone area and again the Down starting signal towards Neasden South Junction was a 'free lever' with no line clear release required to pull it off.
Neasden Junction-Dudding Hill- https://www.roscalen.com/signals/London ... lewood.htm
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
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StevieG
- LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
- Posts: 2353
- Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:08 pm
- Location: Near the GN main line in N.Herts.
Re: NLL recollections
The Conn Line from Acton Canal Wharf only ever turned north to the join the WCML tracks of Willesden Junction Mickey, not towards Euston, and was a new line not so long ago; early 1960s I think.
The bottom of the Poplar Lines were never controlled by Slough Panel Box. Control passed from Old Oak Common Panel Box to Slough IECC, a separate building right next to Slough Panel Box. Both Sloughs have closed in the last ten years (the Panel Box was just over 50 years old; and I think the IECC was the first one in the UK to close), control now being by Thames Valley Signalling Centre at Didcot.
"Wembley PSB" is officially Wembley Mainline (WM) to distinguish it from the small Wembley Yard (panel) box that was new when the Railnet Royal Mail rail terminal was created.
It's now WM of course where control of the DCs from S.Hampstead to Watford Junction is done, from an added workstation, so I've heard.
When you describe panels exactly like the one at Camden Road (was the now gone Acton Wells panel the same? I don't now recall) as route-setting, you do remember that although looking much like an NX panel of that type, that really they weren't, as you had to set the points individually, and then pressing the signal button locked them in position, lit the route lights and cleared the signal.
[I do remember that Dalston, Willesden HL, Bollo Lane and Richmond were proper NX panels.]
Gospel Oak was always an oddity, having those desk-mounted individual function buttons, switches, etc., nearly all of which had the same numbers for their points or signal as the equivalent levers in the burned-Down No.1 mechanical box that it replaced.
You're pretty much right on those lever frame sizes Mickey : Acton Wells was 60, Kew East was 50 ; (and for good measure, Old Oak Jn., which was probably gone before you arrived, was 45, and Willesden HL Jn. was 55).
Did you ever hear about a one-time plan (that was all the gossip in the S&T in 1969/70) that there was to be a big PSB at Kentish Town (plenty of redundant BR ground there by then I think) that would control the Midland ML resignalling and 'all' the N. London Line. The MML control centre arrived as West Hampstead PSB of course but nothing came of resignalling the NLL in those times.
The bottom of the Poplar Lines were never controlled by Slough Panel Box. Control passed from Old Oak Common Panel Box to Slough IECC, a separate building right next to Slough Panel Box. Both Sloughs have closed in the last ten years (the Panel Box was just over 50 years old; and I think the IECC was the first one in the UK to close), control now being by Thames Valley Signalling Centre at Didcot.
"Wembley PSB" is officially Wembley Mainline (WM) to distinguish it from the small Wembley Yard (panel) box that was new when the Railnet Royal Mail rail terminal was created.
It's now WM of course where control of the DCs from S.Hampstead to Watford Junction is done, from an added workstation, so I've heard.
When you describe panels exactly like the one at Camden Road (was the now gone Acton Wells panel the same? I don't now recall) as route-setting, you do remember that although looking much like an NX panel of that type, that really they weren't, as you had to set the points individually, and then pressing the signal button locked them in position, lit the route lights and cleared the signal.
[I do remember that Dalston, Willesden HL, Bollo Lane and Richmond were proper NX panels.]
Gospel Oak was always an oddity, having those desk-mounted individual function buttons, switches, etc., nearly all of which had the same numbers for their points or signal as the equivalent levers in the burned-Down No.1 mechanical box that it replaced.
You're pretty much right on those lever frame sizes Mickey : Acton Wells was 60, Kew East was 50 ; (and for good measure, Old Oak Jn., which was probably gone before you arrived, was 45, and Willesden HL Jn. was 55).
Did you ever hear about a one-time plan (that was all the gossip in the S&T in 1969/70) that there was to be a big PSB at Kentish Town (plenty of redundant BR ground there by then I think) that would control the Midland ML resignalling and 'all' the N. London Line. The MML control centre arrived as West Hampstead PSB of course but nothing came of resignalling the NLL in those times.
BZOH
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