Trackman_DY
Member
- Joined
- 16 May 2019
- Messages
- 6
I thought I would pipe up with my first post on the Forum!
I use the Midland Main Line every 2-3 weeks to visit family and friends either south of Derby (Bedford and Luton) or north of Derby (Chesterfield and Sheffield).
I prefer to travel by train as it saves me having to drive which I hope most on the Forum would agree that there is little pleasure in motoring these days especially during the daytime.
On a very recent journey, a gentleman sat opposite me at my table and got out some railway magazines.
I commented that he was like me interested in railways.
The guy said that he used to work for the railway but had retired a few years ago after some 45 years of service which was much the same as my career.
Conversation turned to the MML Electrification and the MML in general.
The guy said that 40 years ago, he was on S&T New Works and had been in right at the start of the West Hampstead PSB scheme.
PSB is Power Signal Box and is a term that was much used by BR back in the day.
He said that WH PSB was actually coming up to its 40th birthday and quoted the dates entirely from memory.
He even brought up on his smartphone the actual BR Notice that was issued for Stage 1.
I had to write the details down as the old memory these days isn't as good as it used to be.
Apparently, Stage 1 was commissioned over the weekend of Saturday 20th October to Sunday 21st October 1979.
This involved bringing Harpenden Interlocking and Luton Interlocking into use and resulted in the closure of Harpenden Station, Harpenden Junuction, Luton South and Luton North signal boxes with new fringe signal boxes at St. Albans South and Leagrave.
St. Albans South would only last for 6 weeks when it too wuold be closed under Stage 2.
The guy also said that he had a press release from when the scheme was announced by the London Midland Region back in 1976 and from his memory, he said that the cost of WH PSB was just £8.7 million pounds.
That would seem to be a bargain today.
I don't know if any staff at WH PSB are aware of significance of today's date but I always found that staff were most knowledgeable on all sorts of things and I hope that some of the enthusiasts there would have pencilled in the date.
I hope that WH PSB will make it to 45 years but with the re-signalling plans proposed for the MML in the future it most likely will not make it to 50 years.
There was a comment on another thread that WH PSB was an excellent scheme for its time and I am sure that the railway has over the years more than had its money's worth out of the installation.
We always thought that Westinghouse was top notch equipment and most of the original equipment is still in use today.
So well done WH PSB for 40 years of service and safety!
I use the Midland Main Line every 2-3 weeks to visit family and friends either south of Derby (Bedford and Luton) or north of Derby (Chesterfield and Sheffield).
I prefer to travel by train as it saves me having to drive which I hope most on the Forum would agree that there is little pleasure in motoring these days especially during the daytime.
On a very recent journey, a gentleman sat opposite me at my table and got out some railway magazines.
I commented that he was like me interested in railways.
The guy said that he used to work for the railway but had retired a few years ago after some 45 years of service which was much the same as my career.
Conversation turned to the MML Electrification and the MML in general.
The guy said that 40 years ago, he was on S&T New Works and had been in right at the start of the West Hampstead PSB scheme.
PSB is Power Signal Box and is a term that was much used by BR back in the day.
He said that WH PSB was actually coming up to its 40th birthday and quoted the dates entirely from memory.
He even brought up on his smartphone the actual BR Notice that was issued for Stage 1.
I had to write the details down as the old memory these days isn't as good as it used to be.
Apparently, Stage 1 was commissioned over the weekend of Saturday 20th October to Sunday 21st October 1979.
This involved bringing Harpenden Interlocking and Luton Interlocking into use and resulted in the closure of Harpenden Station, Harpenden Junuction, Luton South and Luton North signal boxes with new fringe signal boxes at St. Albans South and Leagrave.
St. Albans South would only last for 6 weeks when it too wuold be closed under Stage 2.
The guy also said that he had a press release from when the scheme was announced by the London Midland Region back in 1976 and from his memory, he said that the cost of WH PSB was just £8.7 million pounds.
That would seem to be a bargain today.
I don't know if any staff at WH PSB are aware of significance of today's date but I always found that staff were most knowledgeable on all sorts of things and I hope that some of the enthusiasts there would have pencilled in the date.
I hope that WH PSB will make it to 45 years but with the re-signalling plans proposed for the MML in the future it most likely will not make it to 50 years.
There was a comment on another thread that WH PSB was an excellent scheme for its time and I am sure that the railway has over the years more than had its money's worth out of the installation.
We always thought that Westinghouse was top notch equipment and most of the original equipment is still in use today.
So well done WH PSB for 40 years of service and safety!
