Loose_Grip/Pete's photos with the keyword: signal box

Bangor railway Station, North Wales. Diesel Class 24 5039 on a west-bound sheeted freight waits on the signal while 5030 shunts a parcels train past the London & North Western Railway signal box at Whit 1973. The semaphore signals are still active but the platform-end water tank had just been felled. The remains can be seen to the left of the railwayman. Bangor station is located between two tunnels, the one seen here takes the line westwards towards Holyhead.

Burnley Rose Grove, Lancashire outside the steam shed. Stanier 8F 2-8-0 48348 is on a coal train heading west, 1st August 1968. Note the gaggle of enthusiasts on the cutting side in the background enjoying the view before the final end of steam on BR 3 days later when Rose Grove shed (one of the last 3 steam depots - out of sight to the right) closed. Rosebay willowherb is forever associated with August 1968 in my mind and its alternative name of fireweed is very appropriate.

The End of Steam on British Railways. A few days before the end at Copy Pit signal box , between Burnley and Todmorden. LMS Stanier 8F 2-8-0 48519 had just banked a diesel hauled freight westwards from Todmorden. There is only one Brownie b/w photo of its progress because my 35mm film had run out. This shot is taken at the summit of the climb after the freight had dropped away down to Burnley off to the right. The mountainous nature of this part of the Pennines is obvious in the background. I had taken a day off from working in the labour pool at Lysaughts steelworks in Scunthorpe, borrowed my dad's car & drove for hours from South Yorkshire over the Pennines - no M62 in those days - & caught this banker before visiting Rose grove and Lostock Hall sheds. A reboot of an early posting to celebrate Happy Fence Friday while we can't upload any new images! Have a great weekend and stay safe.

Birmingham Snow Hill's disused signal box from just inside the tunnel. No chance of a King or Castle running me down by this time - through trains had been withdrawn in 1967. In 1969 it was the world's largest unstaffed halt - the only train using the station's 12 platforms was the single car dmu to Wolverhampton Low Level which still ran from the bay platform in the left distance until 1972. The station lingered on in grand decrepitude until June 1977 when it was finally demolished. In 1987 a new station was reopened on exactly the same location. What a waste of effort all round.

View north from Leicester station. Peak class diesels 45159 & 45114 slowly draw a train towards the station although the signals seem to be against them. In fact that's the signalman hurrying back to his box to clear the Inner Home. Meanwhile a dmu is heading northwards under clear signals on the Down Main. 45159 had failed within sight of the station & fortunately 45114 was on hand in the station & was dispatched to retrieve it. The whole episode only took half an hour or so. I wonder how long it would take today if a Midland Mainline train failed here? There are only very few locomotives around, if any, & those would be EWS or Freightliner owned so difficulties with insurance, liabilities, etc would make it a long drawn out procedure I'm sure. Until the 1980s Leicester Midland before modernisation was an interesting place with a definite steam-age atmosphere. Leicester North's Midland Railway signal box, a forest of semaphore signals, the loco stabling point behind the box and, off shot to the left, the LNWR & MR Goods yards all added their bit. Interestingly, the loading gauge post on the extreme left has lost its hanging gauge hoop which could still be seen on a 1975 photo I posted elsewhere. A clear indication of the further loss of freight business in the intervening two years.

Quorn and Woodhouse station & full semaphore signalling seen from the footplate of D1705 Brush Type 4 diesel approaching the station from the south. The Starter is pulled off for LMS Black 5 45305 waiting in the Up platform with a train to Leicester. This station has been restored to LNER condition and is the typical design of the Great Central Railway's main line to London with one island platform and access down from the road overbridge. The signal box, Up goods yard to the right & Down lay-by to the left were also typical. www.gcrailway.co.uk/ Their web page is well worth a visit.

The MSLR, later Great Central Railway, Brocklesby Junction signal box on the station platform station on the Scunthorpe to Grimsby line in Lincolnshire. The refineries of Immingham can be seen on the horizon.

Wrawby Junction signalling and signal box.