Signal Boxes-West Coast Main Line

[jamesst]

Something ive always wondered,how many signal boxes actually control the West Coast line? Meaning from Glasgow/Liverpool Lime Street/ Manchester/ Holyhead and Birmingham to London Euston?

 

[The Planner]

If you download the sectional appendix sections off the NR website the table A pages will show the controlling boxes on the right hand side. From Euston northwards it is Wembley, Watford (goes into Rugby 2014), Rugby, Stoke on Trent, Stafford 4 & 5 (go into Rugby ROC 2015), Stoke on Trent, Crewe, Crewe Coal Yard, Winsford, Warrington, Preston, Carlisle, Motherwell, West of Scotland.

 

[cjp]

If you download the sectional appendix sections off the NR website the table A pages will show the controlling boxes on the right hand side. From Euston northwards it is Wembley, Watford (goes into Rugby 2014), Rugby, Stoke on Trent, Stafford 4 & 5 (go into Rugby ROC 2015), Stoke on Trent, Crewe, Crewe Coal Yard, Winsford, Warrington, Preston, Carlisle, Motherwell, West of Scotland.

That is amazing when I imagine the numbers there must have been in days of BR & steam - one a station and each remote junction I guess.

Progress

 

[John Webb]

That is amazing when I imagine the numbers there must have been in days of BR & steam - one a station and each remote junction I guess.

Progress

Many stations had two boxes due to the limits set on mechanical operation of points - initially being less than 100 yards, but by the late 1920s this had reached a maximum of 350 yards. And even where stations were some distance apart there would need to be 'block' boxes at regular intervals (often around 3 miles apart) to maximise the traffic flow.

For example, in my part of the network there was once Napsbury, St Albans South, St Albans North (mainly to work access to one end of the goods yard), Sandridge (block post and siding), Harpenden Station and Harpenden Junction - yet from Napsbury to Harpenden Junction was around 7 miles!

 

[asylumxl]

For example, in my part of the network there was once Napsbury, St Albans South, St Albans North (mainly to work access to one end of the goods yard), Sandridge (block post and siding), Harpenden Station and Harpenden Junction - yet from Napsbury to Harpenden Junction was around 7 miles!

And then more not much further on. Especially around Luton with the branch lines.

 

[headshot119]

Something ive always wondered,how many signal boxes actually control the West Coast line? Meaning from Glasgow/Liverpool Lime Street/ Manchester/ Holyhead and Birmingham to London Euston?

Between Crewe and Holyhead you have:

Crewe Steel Works
Beeston & Tarporley
Chester PSB
Rockcliffe Hall
Holywell Junction
Mostyn
Talacre
Tyn - Y - Morfa (Crossing box)
Prestatyn
Rhyl
Abergele
Llandudno Junction
Penmaenmawr
Bangor
Llanfairpwll (Crossing Box)
Gaerwen
Ty Croes (Crossing Box)
Valley
Holyhead

 

[Mugby]

Are Stockport No.1 and 2, Edgeley and Heaton Norris included on the Manchester leg?

 

[Geeves]

Piccadilly, Heaton Norris, Stockport No.1 and 2, Edgeley, Manchester South, Macclesfield, Stoke on Trent on the Manchester branch.

 

[gordonthemoron]

what about Bletchley?

 

[Geeves]

Has that not shut now?

 

[gordonthemoron]

maybe, I'm not sure if/when it transferred to Rugby

 

[Tomnick]

Edgeley

Edgeley No.1 and Edgeley No.2 .

 

[33056]

what about Bletchley?

Bletchley closed on 22nd December 2012, in fact there is a chance to visit it on 18th May (details here) so presume what is left of the panel is still in situ.

 

[IrishDave]

If you download the sectional appendix sections off the NR website the table A pages will show the controlling boxes on the right hand side. From Euston northwards it is Wembley, Watford (goes into Rugby 2014), Rugby, Stoke on Trent, Stafford 4 & 5 (go into Rugby ROC 2015), Stoke on Trent, Crewe, Crewe Coal Yard, Winsford, Warrington, Preston, Carlisle, Motherwell, West of Scotland.

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but isn't Basford Hall box still in use between Stoke (Norton Bridge/Madeley) and Crewe?

Also, are Stafford 4 & 5 really going into Rugby before Colwich/Norton Bridge get transferred from Stoke? Surely that would mean trains going from Rugby control, to Stoke, to Rugby, and back to Stoke? Or is Rugby ROC different from the current Rugby box?

 

[The Planner]

Knew I would forget one... Basford Hall does still control the bit South of Crewe. Rugby ROC is one of the new super signalling centres, seeing as the plans change all the time it may not be the same now, but I was last told that Stafford would be the first in there.

 

[AlexS]

North of Rugby heading via Birmingham you have West Mids SCC, Birmingham New Street PSB, Wolverhampton PSB and then on to the Stafford boxes.

 

[The Planner]

Wolves goes next year, New St 2017.

 

[Sanatogen]

seeing as the plans change all the time

One change being that Watford will more than likely go into Wembley next year instead of Rugby.

 

[Swirlz]

I **think** you've also got:

Liverpool Lime Street
Edge Hill
Allerton
Speke

But my time is usually spent looking at fares/law then proper railway!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I **think** you've also got:
Liverpool Lime Street
Edge Hill
Allerton
Speke
But my time is usually spent looking at fares/law then proper railway!

And Ditton Jn, Runcorn and Halton Jn (now and again).

 

[corin paul]

If you like you could count then yourself at this website. It lists all boxes and is a Network Rail and Signalling Record Society list.

www.networkrail.co.uk/signal-box-register.xls