Welwyn Garden City NX panel 1973-76

[Mickey]

Looking at Dave's pictures of the WGC panel today it looks fairly basic by recent standards but i guess back in 1973 it was considered 'state of the art' back then?.

There was no train describers or any emergency alarms provided that i can recall atleast not into early 1974 (and probably not by the time the box closed in September 1976 either?). If you wanted to stop a train approaching from either Langley Junction or Hatfield (no.2) or later on from New Barnet (in an emergency) the signalman would send 6 bells (Obstruction Danger) on the appropriate line.

Communicating between s/boxes regarding the running of trains was done by the single stroke block bell the button of which was built into the bottom of the panel (as previously mentioned) and by telephone if the signalman needed to speak to the signalmen either side of him.

Block bell buttons read from Left to right as you looked at the panel-

1.Up Slow/Down Slow line to & from Langley Junction
2.Up Fast/Down Fast line to & from Langley Junction
3.Up Fast/Down Fast line to & from Hatfield (later New Barnet)
4.Up Slow/Down Slow line to & from Hatfield (later New Barnet)

Still it's nice to see the old panel again after 38 years!!.

[R. pike]

The whole resignalling scheme was (and still is) a magnificent beast. Although we are gradually losing the original remote interlockings Kings Cross itself is still a GEC geographical system. I spent a morning in the relay room a few years back and it still baffles me how it all works.. The noise has to be experienced to believed.

[StevieG]

To my knowledge, I think all the KX PSB area interlockings were GEC, except New Barnet (Westinghouse), and Hertford (ML of Plymouth).
All the panels (except the 'proper' one at KX) appeared designed for their 'emergency' satellite use, and so were certainly not of any professional/'polished' look that a proper panel of the '70s ought to have had. AFAIK all were NX types except Hertford which was always separate individual function switches, one for each signal, points, ground frame release, etc., and the original 'Barnet' panel (set up in North box, on the Up Fast/Down lines side) which, although most definitely by Westinghouse*, worked in the same way as Hertford : The later panel (also in North box, but on the Up Slow side; and to include the Potters Bar area) was the same type, and erected in the same way, as the Wood Green 4, Gordon Hill, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Langley, etc. etc. panels)
* - (I think that the Barnet installation, although the equipment was all numbered as part of the overall resignalling scheme, must have gone ahead as a separate job [hence Westinghouse] before the overall scheme was authorised.)
[ There was of course the large temporary individual function switch panel (similar type to Hertford, but quite 'wide'/tall, and at 45 degrees, through having three rows of switches) in the present KX box from '71 - '77, but this was only for taking over the old signalling, not to work the new, and was only so that the old 1932 min.- lever frame box could be closed, and was itself taken OOU when the new signalling at KX was completed around April '77.]

Somehow I always thought that the satellite, and KX temporary, panels (except the 'Barnet' original) were 'York' home-made-type affairs, but that may be incorrect.

Langley didn't get its panel when WGC took on Woolmer and Knebworth, but later, for the resignalling of the Langley/Stevenage area.

Although Describers were not provided when the future KX PSB area's various stageworks were under way (presumably because of the expense of providing them during the temporary [up to about 4 years!] nature of the changing fringes between the retained old boxes having satellite panels working as everyday block posts), various forms of describer had been around elsewhere in the UK for many decades.
I don't think Emergency Alarms as we now know them existed in those times : Aside from 'phones, it was either Describers with emergency block bells; or block bells only for everything.

[Mickey]

The whole resignalling scheme was (and still is) a magnificent beast. Although we are gradually losing the original remote interlockings Kings Cross itself is still a GEC geographical system. I spent a morning in the relay room a few years back and it still baffles me how it all works.. The noise has to be experienced to believed.

The early/mid-1970s was definitely an interesting time to be around on the Kings Cross area (but also a sad time as well for some me included) with the eventual closing of all the s/boxes on the Kings Cross area, no shame to say for some probably one or two tears shed in secret when the final shift ended for the last time and the box closed.

I was knocking around on some of thoughs Saturday nights when some of thoughs s/boxes were being closed for the last time and there was definitely a 'strange vibe' in the air when a s/box is closing for the last time, like seeing an old friend for the very last time before he dies...

[StevieG]

I was knocking around on some of thoughs Saturday nights when some of thoughs s/boxes were being closed for the last time and there was definitely a 'strange vibe' in the air when a s/box is closing for the last time, like seeing an old friend for the very last time before he dies...

I was able to visit Euston PSB (where I'd once worked for two years) a few months after that had closed : Very strange - although things were as I had expected to see them (silence, nothing lit on the panel; and almost nothing had been disturbed), yet I had not expected to feel that there was a real sense in some way of 'death', where I had previously known so much activity.

[Mickey]

Compared to todays standards the WGC panel of 1973-76 was a fairly 'uncomplicated affair' thinking back to it?.

Today if WGC s/box was still there there would be train describers plus Emergency alarms installed.

Also provided would be a TRUST machine (continuous visual display of schedules of ALL trains passing the s/box which would automatically record all passing times of trains) plus CCF play-back equipment and ALL the s/box phones would be 'voice recorded' which would include ALL the SPTs (Signal Post Telephones) and the newer GSM-R phones and the older s/box to s/box and ETD phones.

Back in 1973 apart from the actual panel & block bells plus the SPTs (Signal Post Telephones) and the ETD & s/box to s/box phones there wasn't much else to speak of?.

And none of the phones were voice recorded in the 1970s.

[R. pike]

From tales I've been told working Wood Green panel was quite a task. Not just on one occasion did a Hertford service go via the washer road..

Here is another auxiliary panel..

[StevieG]

From tales I've been told working Wood Green panel was quite a task. Not just on one occasion did a Hertford service go via the washer road..

I'm not surprised, controlling everything from Harringay - New Southgate/Cemetery / Palmers Green/Winchmore Hill; and without describers, everything signalled box-to-box only by block bells : At one time there must have been up to at least nine bells!
It was a 3-man crew IIRC, with two on the panel, but the 'lad's job keeping the train register book up to date was said to be the worst of the three.

Here is another auxiliary panel..

Picture 026.jpg

...the first one to get LEDs in place of its original lamps, I think I recall.
Interesting that the photo was from when 'The Creep-up' (Up Carriage Line) had already gone, and the Down Goods had been shortened as well, but there's no clue visible to those changes: Must have been a new facia plate?

[Mickey]

A panel at Holloway??. Now i remember wasn't there a 'temporary panel' sited in a portacabin beside the redundant Holloway south up s/box on the cattle dock area i had forgotten about that??.

I remember a 'temporary panel' in a portacabin sited on one of the far down side platforms at Finsbury Park around 1975.

When did Stevenage north (box) close??. So when Stevenage north closed a panel was sited and commissioned in Langley Junction s/box and TCB (Track Circuit Block) was extended northwards from Langley Junction on all 4-roads to Hitchin South s/box so wot was the date that this happened on??.

[R. pike]

...the first one to get LEDs in place of its original lamps, I think I recall.
Interesting that the photo was from when 'The Creep-up' (Up Carriage Line) had already gone, and the Down Goods had been shortened as well, but there's no clue visible to those changes: Must have been a new facia plate?

I believe a few of the panels have new overlays. Letchworth certainly has.

[Mickey]

Looking at these early panels (G.N. area) it's striking how simple but effective they looked, the area of control is 'clearly displayed' to the signalman compared to later designs.

I recall someone telling me back in the 1990s that higher-management may have thought that it may have been a mistake to concentrate all the signalling in Kings Cross PSB (Kings Cross to Sandy and Hertford branch) and that it may have been wiser to have kept several smaller s/boxes and there panels such as New Barnet, Welwyn Garden City, Cambridge Junction (Hitchin) and a few others, i don't know how true that idea was??.

[macduff]

Micky i was talking to Davegn at change over the other morning and he mentioned that you could remember the new nx panel panel being at 45 deg. i had a look through my photo collection and found this.

[StevieG]

Excellent, macduff!

I notice there's an overlay 'patch' in the centre - Can't be sure only from looking, but I think it's blanking out the flyover, which may not have been ready for when the main resignalling took place.
Power supply, etc., indications on the 'back' (east) wall.
Your partition with door is there, Micky.
Like the curtains!

(Relief signalman Bob Milburn pictured.)

[Mickey]

Excellent, macduff!

I notice there's an overlay 'patch' in the centre - Can't be sure only from looking, but I think it's blanking out the flyover, which may not have been ready for when the main resignalling took place.
Power supply, etc., indications on the 'back' (east) wall.
Your partition with door is there, Micky.
Like the curtains!

(Relief signalman Bob Milburn pictured.)

Quoted you in full Stevie. I vaguely remember the 'patch cover' i have a vague suspicion that the block bells were marked for New Barnet rather then when the panel was commissioned WGC was still working with Hatfield (formerly no.2) BUT i maybe wrong and you are probably correct Stevie it was something to do with the 'Welwyn flyover' not being in use at the time as well??.

The 'Welwyn flyover' was built between the spring/summer/autumn of 1973 and was finished by the end of 1973 thats when they started laying the track over it, i don't think that it was actually used for traffic until early 1974 but again i could be wrong but thats how i remember it.

Also a correction on my part, trains on the Down Fast & Down Slow lines were 'picked up' at Hawkshead rather then at Redhall my mistake, it has been nearly 40 years!!.

Bob Milburn i can't recall him to be honest i'm sure he never worked the box all the time that i was there between July 1972 & March 1974.

I wouldn't mind having ago on the old panel looking at the picture, thanks as well from me macduff an EXCELLANT picture.

[StevieG]

I've a feeling Bob used to normally be around the Stevenage - 3 Counties/Baldock area.

" A panel at Holloway??. Now i remember wasn't there a 'temporary panel' sited in a portacabin beside the redundant Holloway south up s/box on the cattle dock area i had forgotten about that??. .... "

I've uncovered a list that I made at the time, of local signalling alterations, with dates from the reported items in the then current SRS Newsletters.

This list quotes :
26th July '70 - Holl. North Up closed. Simplified layout taken over by Sth. Up.
17th May '76 - Holl. South Up closed. New signalling controlled from new Holloway panel - Don't know where/how it was located though. (Somehow I had always had some assumption that it was in its final relay room place from the beginning, with some temporary other facilities necessary for the signalmen [SPTs, domestics] while it operated as a normal 'everyday' box, but seeing these dates, I'm unsure that that would have been tolerated for as long as nearly three months.)

02nd Aug. '76 - Holl. South Down & North Down closed. new signalling controlled by Holloway panel.
08th Aug. '76 - Holloway panel (& Fins.Park porta., and Wood Green [No.4]) closed. Signalling taken over by Kings Cross panel. (So Holl. only worked the down side for one week.)

" .... When did Stevenage north (box) close??. So when Stevenage north closed a panel was sited and commissioned in Langley Junction s/box and TCB (Track Circuit Block) was extended northwards from Langley Junction on all 4-roads to Hitchin South s/box so wot was the date that this happened on??. "

The same list gives:

19 Nov '72 - New panel replaces old at Potters Bar; controls new signalling Potters Bar (incl.)- Hatfield No.1 (excl.): Marshmoor closed.
25 Mar. '73 - Potters Bar closed. Signalling transferred to New Barnet (Nth.].
20 May '73 - Hatfield 1 closed. New panel in No.2 controls new Hatfield signalling.
16 Sep '73 - Welwyn N. closed. New panel in WGC controls new WGC-WN signalling.
08 Oct '73 - Woolmer Gn. and Knebworth closed. New signalling to Langley (exclusive) controlled by WGC.
20 Jan. '74 - Stevenage North closed. new panel in Langley for new Langley (Incl.)- Hitchin South (excl.) signalling.
03 Mar '74 - Hatfield (No.2) closed. Signalling transferred to WGC panel.
27 Apr '75 - New flyover at WGC commissioned.
29 Feb '76 - Langley closed. Signalling transferred to Hitchin (Camb.Jn.) panel.
26 Sep '76 - WGC closed. Signalling transferred to Kings Cross.
16 Jan '77 - Hitchin [Camb.Jn.] (& Biggleswade) closed. Signalling transferred to Kings Cross.