The LNER Encyclopedia

Fifty years ago this month I visited St Albans south box on the Midland main line on three separate occasions (twice in October and once in November) when it was then part of the London Midland region of B.R.. The first visit came about when I was standing near the box on a piece of waste ground one Saturday morning watching the passing trains (mainly class 45 'peaks' and Derby x4 car DMUs) when the box window opened and the signalman shouted down to me if I wanted to come up?. The interior of the box was fairly large and at that time the south box worked with Napsbury box to the south and St Albans North box just to the north of the station which stood beside the Down fast line. The signalman's name was called Brian who may have been in his mid/late 30s at the time?. From memory I think the block shelf contained all Midland Railway wooden block instruments(?) and the box contained a 44 lever frame in the front of the box facing the four running lines outside the box. The Down fast line semaphore home signal carried on a straight post (with a sighting board behind it) and the Down slow line semaphore home signal carried on a bracket post along with the Down slow to Down fast line semaphore home signal all three stop arms had the north box semaphore distant signals beneath the stop arms. The later 'facing connection' that was laid in from the Down slow to Up slow line platform for terminating train at St Albans station hadn't been laid in at that time.

Below the Down slow line home signal with the lower Down slow to Down fast line signal along side with St Albans North box distant signals beneath. The old St Albans loco shed behind the signals had been completely demolished by 1970.

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/img/s ... 1244-4.jpg

Below St Albans south box as seen in 1977 seven years after my visits in 1970. The box stood beside a short two sidings roads on the Down side of the four running lines. The waste ground that I was standing on when the signalman opened the box window and shouted down to me "Did I want to come up?" can just be seen to the right of the picture.

https://tillyweb.biz/pmc/stalbanssouth1977pmc2.jpg

Below the interior of the box these days as a 'heritage signal box' looking in a southerly direction (London direction). Back in 1970 at the time of my visits to the box the box from vague memory had a 'dimmer interior' with just a light bulb switched on over the high desk where the train register book lay also my three visits from memory took place on overcast Saturdays in October and November so the light value outside wasn't to good.

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Two subsequent visits occurred both on Saturdays the third of which a teenage 'booking boy' was also in the box as well with Brian. On the first visit I took a couple of pictures inside the box on a Kodak camera but because I didn't have a flash were very poor and were possibly subsequently 'lost' in the intervening fifty years?.

In the intervening fifty years since 1970 St Albans south box closed in December 1979 then it at some stage possibly during the 1980s it was used as a train announcer's place of work then it fell into disuse for a period of time before being recused and is these days a railway heritage signal box.

Following on from above was another visit to a Midland box at Harlington one Sunday afternoon back around March or April of 1971 on the Midland main line about three block sections north of Luton. The visit came about like several other box visits had done so before around that same time this time when I was standing on the Down fast line platform the same platform the box was located on when the box window slid open and the signalman asked me if I "Wanted to come up?."

From memory Harlington worked with Flitwick to the north and Leagrave on the fast lines to the south and with Sundon on the slow lines to the south although I believe Sundon was 'switched out' most of the time so Harlington would then work with Leagrave on the slow lines as well to the south. The box contained a 40 lever frame located in the rear of the box facing away from the four running lines outside the box.

The signalman at the box that Sunday afternoon was named Kevin I recall who may have been in his 40s and I remember him saying that he had originally been a railway fireman but when steam finished on the Midland out of St Pancras in the early 1960s he transferred into the signalling grade.

Anyway I stayed in the box for several hours that Sunday afternoon and eventually left the box 'after dark' around 6:00pm when Kevin said "You better go now my mate will be arriving soon" which is what I did and caught the next local passenger train back up to St Pancras.

Harlington box closed in 1980 but still survives to this day because after closing the box was moved to Quainton Road in Buckinghamshire-
https://tillyweb.biz/gallery/qq/quainton3.jpg
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I don't know who owns the photograph below but it shows a view looking south towards London taken from the Down fast line platform possibly during the 1950s?. The box can be seen on the Down fast line platform in the distance just the other side of the station footbridge. A odd signalling feature of this location was Harlington's Up fast & Up slow line starting signals along with Harlington's Down fast & Down slow line home signals all carried on a gantry that spanned all four running line to the south of the station and which can just be made out in the photograph. All four signal arms are at the same 'low height' and possibly a bit hard to be seen clearly by a driver I would presume(?) and may have been better being sighted at a taller height on the gantry or having 'sighting boards' placed behind each signal arm?.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view ... IP.d9nw8N3...

Mickey wrote: ↑Wed Oct 21, 2020 10:45 am...
In the intervening fifty years since 1970 St Albans south box closed in December 1979 then it at some stage possibly during the 1980s it was used as a train announcer's place of work then it fell into disuse for a period of time before being rescued and is these days a railway heritage signal box.

And for any in the South Midlands conveniently nearby that haven't visited on an open day, highly recommended. Particularly good on a dull and rainy late afternoon in early January, after the fun of the CMRA's annual show, when that was held in Snorbens. Then you could really appreciate what the Bobby was up against, with a constant procession of trains appearing through the murk.

Hatfield Shed wrote: ↑Thu Oct 22, 2020 12:18 pm

Mickey wrote: ↑Wed Oct 21, 2020 10:45 am...
In the intervening fifty years since 1970 St Albans south box closed in December 1979 then it at some stage possibly during the 1980s it was used as a train announcer's place of work then it fell into disuse for a period of time before being rescued and is these days a railway heritage signal box.

And for any in the South Midlands conveniently nearby that haven't visited on an open day, highly recommended. Particularly good on a dull and rainy late afternoon in early January, after the fun of the CMRA's annual show, when that was held in Snorbens. Then you could really appreciate what the Bobby was up against, with a constant procession of trains appearing through the murk.

Yes that old St Albans south box has become a bit of a 'in place' to visit in recent years. After my three separate visits to the box in late 1970 I never went back there again although I have wondered whatever became of Brian the signalman a few times down the years because if he's still alive he must be in his late 80s or early 90s by now?. I remember he use to catch the train on the St Albans Abbey branch and got on & off at Breckett Wood so I presume he lived around that area?.

From memory St Albans North box was closed around December of 1970 so the signalling in St Albans south box was altered to compensate for the closure of the North box. By 1970 the already simplified layout at St Albans North box which by then was just four straight roads was simplified even more regarding the signalling with just four new straight post semaphore stop signals being worked by the south box on the Up & Down fast lines & Up & Down slow lines north of St Albans station also the south box took over and worked the Sandridge 'Intermediate Block Section' & it's I.B. signals that had been worked by St Albans North box which lengthened the 'block section' slightly between St Albans south box & Harpenden station box.

Three other LMR box visits previously mentioned.

1.Broad Street No.2 May 1970
2.Dalston Junction (the old No.2 line box) June 1970
3.Kensington South Main August 1970

Broad Street No.2 visit came about when the signalman shouted down from the box doorway to me standing near the box and asked me if I wanted to come up?.
Dalston Junction visit came about when a railman working at Dalston Junction station said he would take me up the box.
Kensington South Main visit came about when the signalman opened a window and said to me if I wanted to come up?.

A signalling query on the West London line?.

Chelsea & Fulham box between Latchmere Junction & Kensington South Main boxes had a 'workable' junction semaphore distant signal that could be 'cleared' on the Up line from Kensington South Main that lead into a dead end siding road why?.

Hi Mickey seem to remember some very high signal posts @ Dalston Jnc in the mid '50s(Picture in the Railway Magazine somewhere)&carriages parked for labourers living accom?the junction I'm told came alive @ Xmas time with GPO Parcels traffic in those days it was electrics lighter grn with old lion&Wheel emblems( no compartment stock they where ex. Euston), with sliding doors &jintys on NW London to the Docks traffic...jj

rockinjohn wrote: ↑Fri Oct 23, 2020 7:02 am Hi Mickey seem to remember some very high signal posts @ Dalston Jnc in the mid '50s(Picture in the Railway Magazine somewhere)&carriages parked for labourers living accom?the junction I'm told came alive @ Xmas time with GPO Parcels traffic in those days it was electrics lighter grn with old lion&Wheel emblems( no compartment stock they where ex. Euston), with sliding doors &jintys on NW London to the Docks traffic...jj

Apparently jj those tall signal posts south of Dalston Junction were at onetime the tallest signal posts in the country I believe being something like 86ft in height I believe?. The Dalston lampman would have needed a good head for heights?.

I liked that old Dalston Junction box (the old No.2 line box) I visited it one Saturday afternoon back in June of 1970 and stayed in the box with the signalman for about an hour. The box closed back in 1979 I believe?. Nowadays the railway through Dalston Junction has been totally rebuilt and is these days on the East London line from New Cross to Highbury & Islington on the North London line.

Kensington South Main- on the West London line

I visited this box one Saturday afternoon back in August 1970 and as signal boxes go it was a interesting job and a nice large box of LNWR heritage but it had a Western Region lever frame and possibly ex GWR/WR block instruments and other WR equipment?. Kensington South Main had all WR 'lower quadrant signals' except for the Up line distant signal(s) located at the north end of Kensington Olympia station at Kensington North Main which were upper quadrant(s). To get onto the 'operating floor' you had to enter the box down a few steps via a sunken doorway on the District line platform and then climb up an internal staircase to the top which brought you out onto the operating floor. The lever frame was in the rear of the box facing away from the four running lines outside the box. At that time of my visit in 1970 their was still a fair bit of freight traffic on the West London line even on a Saturday with a number of loose coupled coal trains heading towards the southern region I recall also I recall the signalman telling me that he had worked at Luton South box on the Midland main line at onetime.

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****I remember Kensington South Main box appeared on the B.R. internal vacancy list back around 1983/84 and I thought about applying for it but decided not to although it didn't have much longer to go and closed sometime during the 1980s I believe?.***

Northolt East Junction- on the former GW&GC Joint line on the 'Bicester cut off' route on the line between Old Oak common Junction and Anhyo Junction through High Wycombe & Princes Risborough which during the 1960s-1980s was on the London Midland region.

Back in 1983/84 I visited this box one afternoon with a view to applying to a vacant position at the box but decided not to bother after thinking more about it as it was a long distance from where I was living. The box of GWR heritage was a nice box inside and out with a long lever frame and good views all around the surrounding area. The box along with several others was eventually closed around 1989 when Marylebone IECC was commissioned and took over the area.

Below approaching Northolt East Junction on a train and looking in a southerly direction towards Greenford and Old Oak common. The lines on the extreme right belong to London Undergrounds Central line which terminate at West Ruislip about a mile further northwest from Northolt East Junction. The train is approaching the facing junction points that either took a train along the straight route towards Greenford & Old Oak common or left towards Neasden South Junction & Marylebone with the line from Marylebone and Neasden South Junction sweeping in around the back of the box to join the GW & GC joint line.
https://www.roscalen.com/signals/London ... 4/0718.jpg

Back at St Albans South box until the end of 1970-

The Up fast line distant signals beneath St Albans North box Up fast line home signal (no.4) consisted of the Up fast line inner distant which was a 'splitting distant signal' sited north of St Albans North box and carried on a bracket post reading for the Up fast line and Up fast to Up slow line south of the station with both distant signals mechanically worked 'on the wire' off a lever in conjunction with the colour light outer distant signal also from memory due to a left-hand leaning curve through St Albans station a double banner repeater signal was sited beside the Up fast line on the northern approach to St Albans station and read Up fast line (no.11 signal) & Up fast to Up slow line (no.9 signal).

Several Midland Railway Rotary Interlocking block instruments were in use on the St Albans South box block shelf.

Over on the Western Region I was in Acton yard one night back in 1979 and sitting on a loco (a Stratford depot class 31 I think it was?) and I said to the driver I would go up Acton yard box and make a can of tea (so I could also have a look in the box as well) so I climbed down from the cab of the loco and walked across the yard to the box. Acton yard box was a modern looking B.R.(WR) built box and for some reason it had a outside ladder that went from ground level and straight up the outside side of the box that ended at a open window so I climbed up the outside ladder holding my tea can and climbed in through the open window and took the signalman by surprise(!) who laughed and said why did you climb up the ladder for?. Apparently a proper entrance and staircase was provided around the back of the box.

Not long after my visit to make a can of tea Acton yard box closed.