Control on BR(E)

[WAB]

Hello all,

Thanks for accepting me to the forum. I am doing a little research on the control function and how this has changed over time. I would be grateful if anyone could help me with the following details for BR(E):

• Locations of Control and approx. areas covered:
  - circa. 1970
  - circa. 1990

• Roles contained within each Control:
  - circa. 1970
  - circa. 1990

Thanks!

[Mickey]

On the Kings Cross area during the first half of the 1970s between 1970-1975 (and probably during the second half of the 1960s?) the Control offices were located in Great Northern House on Euston Road opposite what was Summers Town Goods yard and was part of the Midland and St Pancras station and nowadays is The New British Library. I think possibly after the GN Control relocated the vacant offices were at onetime taken over and used by the YMCA possibly during the 1990s &2000s?.

The GN Control areas were of three distinct areas being-

1.Kings Cross to probably Wood Green No.1 (s/box) on the Down lines and Wood Green Up Box No.2 (s/box) on the Up lines and also maybe Bounds Green (s/box) which was near to Wood Green station but situated on the Enfield lines?
2.New Southgate (s/box) to Huntingdon North No.1 (s/box)
3.Huntingdon North No.2 (s/box) to Stoke (s/box)
4.High Dyke (s/box) to Shaftholme Junction (s/box) the regional boundary between the Eastern Region and the North Eastern Region

With regards to the The High Dyke to Shaftholme Junction Control circuit it may or may not have existed in Great Northern House because I don't recall back then hearing of it?

I was a telegraph lad (box lad) at Welwyn Garden City s/box between July 1972- March 1974 after which the position was abolished.

I assume that the Control office was transferred from Great Northern House into the 1971 Kings Cross power box possibly around 1976/77?.

[Mickey]

Just over 50 years later I can't honestly remember if both Hertford North & Gordon Hill (s/boxes) which were both on the 'Hertford loop' if they were also on the New Southgate-Huntingdon Control circuit and also if Letchworth, Baldock & Royston (s/boxes) all on the 'Cambridge branch' if they were also on that New Southgate-Huntingdon Control circuit as well although thinking about it again I presume those signal boxes probably were all on the New Southgate-Huntingdon Control circuit during the first half of the 1970s.