Unexpected Visitors To Signal Boxes

[RichmondCommu]

G'day everyone,

I recently read an account of two visitors to Blea Moor signal box one night. They'd got themselves lost on Blea Moor and having seen the signal box lit up decided to go and ask for directions. One can only imagine how nervous the signalman must have been on hearing foot steps on the ladder!

Anyways I'm interested to know whether unofficial visits to signal boxes have been a regular occurrence over the last few decades so any stories / accounts would be very welcome!

Kind regards,

Richmond Commuter!

 

[bramling]

G'day everyone,

I recently read an account of two visitors to Blea Moor signal box one night. They'd got themselves lost on Blea Moor and having seen the signal box lit up decided to go and ask for directions. One can only imagine how nervous the signalman must have been on hearing foot steps on the ladder!

Anyways I'm interested to know whether unofficial visits to signal boxes have been a regular occurrence over the last few decades so any stories / accounts would be very welcome!

Kind regards,

Richmond Commuter!

Signal boxes are supposed to be private, so casual visits are not permitted. That's not to say they don't happen though.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Signal boxes are supposed to be private, so casual visits are not permitted. That's not to say they don't happen though.

Well exactly. However I'm curious to know whether they happen in the same way that they did on Blea Moor all those years a go.

 

[signallerscot]

I've had a junkie trying to kick the door, who I chased off by threatening to thump him with the Bardic. Also a trainspotter from the Isle of Man asking to come in and take photos of the frame. I told him to sod off.

Signallers don't officially have any discretion to allow anyone other than on duty staff in the box; visits can only be authorised by the local management. That said I reckon there isn't a signaller out there who hasn't had at least one friend or family member drop by, though as with most things it's all fine until you get caught. Remote box or not, there's no reason to be nervous hearing someone on the stairs unless you're doing something you shouldn't be...

 

[185143]

I was invited into a signal box upon taking pictures of the train I had just alighted, which the signalman had just handed the token to. This was while the idea of ROCs was being constructed-I was told 'We won't be here in a few years time' (which I found unbelievable at the time, knowing nothing about ROCs!)
I'm deliberately being vague as I don't know if the box is indeed still there or not.

 

[pdeaves]

Remote box or not, there's no reason to be nervous hearing someone on the stairs unless you're doing something you shouldn't be...

Theoretically, yes, but I'd be nervous if I thought a murderous axeman was on his way!

 

[LowLevel]

They occur. It can be a lonely job in little boxes on quiet routes. It's not unusual to see signallers in those kind of places with friends or family with them or their dog sat on the steps.

I went past a rural box not long ago and wasn't particularly surprised to see 3 kids and a cat sat in the window watching. I just waved.

 

[NX]

Isn't the area around Blea Moor haunted ?

Stories of SPT ringing through to the box at ungodly hours ?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not permitted, but I did, as a kid, visit the box in Fazakerley as my Grandad knew the signaller. Don't think I was allowed to touch anything!

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Not permitted, but I did, as a child, visit the box at Barton and Broughton. It could be accessed from Station Lane Barton and also the playing fields. The box went about 1973 on the electrification and resignalling project from Weaver to Glasgow - and was converted to a brick building unmanned as a sub-box (is that the right phrase) of the Power Box at Preston.

 

[Llanigraham]

As has been said, officially no, but I suspect that most of us have allowed visitors on occasions, especially when it is quiet, but always with the proviso that if I say go you GO!

I know I used to get fairly regular visits from the local Police in my rural box, especially if there had been incidents in the area or they had heard about something happening. We could be their eyes because a lot of people didn't realise we were open all night.

 

[bearhugger]

Just a few years ago we were visiting a preserved line that we hadn't visited before. On the return journey we were held at a station that had a box on the platform waiting for a charter to head back the opposite back onto the mainline. We were going to be there for about 45 mins / an hour so the guard came along saying we could visit the signal box in small groups if we wished. Three groups of 4/5 people ended up having a little tour of the box with an interesting explanation of how the levers and other equipment worked.

 

[Llanigraham]

Preserved lines do have very different rules to the "Big Railway". Couple of years ago I ended up working Bodmin Central Box (under supervision) whilst visiting there.

 

[faltskog36abba]

G'day everyone,

I recently read an account of two visitors to Blea Moor signal box one night. They'd got themselves lost on Blea Moor and having seen the signal box lit up decided to go and ask for directions. One can only imagine how nervous the signalman must have been on hearing foot steps on the ladder!

Anyways I'm interested to know whether unofficial visits to signal boxes have been a regular occurrence over the last few decades so any stories / accounts would be very welcome!

Kind regards,

R
ichmond Commuter!

I used to visit my former flatmate at his signal box[park no2] on the -Philips park Ashburys line in 1994. I used to take him a meal as he was on a twelve hour shift...I wasn't supposed to be their of course. He hated that box as he only had occasional freights and Ecs trains and as it was near a dodgy area he had youths throwing bricks at the box-he said it was the same at Baguely fold and Philips park no1.

 

[Llanigraham]

I've just remember a case from quite a few years ago, that got into the more sensationalist Sunday papers.........................

Hereford Signal Box!!

Glad I didn't have to use the levers afterwards!!

 

[Foxcote]

I was a regular visitor at any hour 24/7 to Blea Moor, Dent, Garsdale, Ais Gill, Mallerstang and other signalboxes on the S & C at from January 1966 until September 1968.
The three regular men and relief at Blea Moor all had 20 years plus and more working on the line and living locally. Two walked to work from Salt Lake Cottages. I have no memory of anyone telling me of any ghostly phone calls or other unexplained events.

One signal box that I recall having frequent night visitors was Mollington. (Chester - Hooton line). The uninvited visitors were mental patients who had escaped from the local hospital. The signalman would tell Liverpool Control to ring the hospital for them to be picked up. Mostly they were confused and very cold as they would have walked over the fields wearing night clothes only. I recall a signalman telling me that if they appeared harmless, he would make them a cup of tea.


I

 

[47271]

I've just remember a case from quite a few years ago, that got into the more sensationalist Sunday papers.........................

Hereford Signal Box!!

Glad I didn't have to use the levers afterwards!!

Ha, just found it online - 2001 it was, so we can blame Railtrack.

It's like something out of an episode of On The Buses. Shame Blakey came along and spoiled their fun.

Following similar ooer missus humour, I first came across a story from the same area (Worcester I think) about the train held up for an hour because the signalman got stuck in the outside toilet.

I won't be so infantile as to include links to either, if anyone must read the stories then please search for them.

 

[NickBucks]

..and then of course there was M.R.James. and Charles Dickens.

 

[Llanigraham]

Ha, just found it online - 2001 it was, so we can blame Railtrack.

It's like something out of an episode of On The Buses. Shame Blakey came along and spoiled their fun.

Following similar ooer missus humour, I first came across a story from the same area (Worcester I think) about the train held up for an hour because the signalman got stuck in the outside toilet.

I won't be so infantile as to include links to either, if anyone must read the stories then please search for them.

The Worcester one is quite recent, and was at Henwick Rd signal box in the centre of St Johns, a suburb of Worcester.

 

[rebmcr]

Ha, just found it online

And yet I cannot see a link?

 

[takno]

And yet I cannot see a link?

It really wasn't a stretch to google it. Honestly the whole appeal of the concept was a bit lost on me, I mean who the hell wants to go to Hereford?

 

[Phil.]

After the last District line departure on a Saturday night Richmond 'box was a very quiet place until the first arrival on a Sunday morning.
Many moons ago I did an out of hours visit (part of the ASM's remit) to find a party in full swing.
Big 'box, very small panel after Feltham took over so lots of room on the floor.
Everyone sent home and signalman given a hats off no coffee and biscuits interview Monday morning.
Same 'box some time later I found a relief signalwoman on duty with a toddler. Her childminder had let her down so she took little 'erbert (or whatever his name was) to work with her.
Advice given for the future.

 

[billh]

Two stories, both involved the same ,now deceased, friend.
He was at Marple Wharf Junction and went trackside at the former site of the 'box. The relay room door was wide open but nobody about. He went in and picked up a phone , some one answered and he told them the situation- "Thank you, could you please leave the room and lock the door behind you."
The other: He was boating on the Chester Canal ,late at night and for rather complex reasons, needed to turn the boat round near Beeston Castle. The official turning place,marked on a map, proved to be silted up and the boat finished up firmly stuck across the canal. At this point he decided to jump off the boat to the towpath, but fell half in the canal and half in a bank of nettles. By then he was pretty furious and stormed off to Beeston and Tarporley 'Box to ask the incumbent if he could use the phone (long before mobiles) to contact the local British Waterways staff to come and sort out the problem,which was of their making.The signaller duly obliged, (not sure how the phone was on a public network) and the canal men turned up the next day, but a passing other boat had managed to tow the stuck boat around so the BW staff were too late. It may have helped that his father was a signalman on the Woodhead route for over 50 years.

 

[signallerscot]

Same 'box some time later I found a relief signalwoman on duty with a toddler. Her childminder had let her down so she took little 'erbert (or whatever his name was) to work with her.
Advice given for the future.

It's not especially unusual to walk in for a shift and find a sprog in the box. Quite a few of my colleagues have had their kids in the box over the years when they've been struggling for childcare, typically in the summer holidays. A blind eye is generally turned by management as long as they're not there for the whole shift and don't touch anything. My friend visited me in the box with his 6 month old son one night shift when the wee lad wouldn't sleep.

 

[Elecman]

Better little 'erbert' in the box with parent than no signaller and thus no trains.

 

[philthetube]

I am sure this will have appeared on the forum before but it is relevant to the topic.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_(chacma_baboon)

 

[signallerscot]

Yes management in my bit of the world at least are fairly pragmatic about it, as you say it's better to have a well behaved kid in the box for a couple of hours than have to find cover for the whole shift when the signaller calls off at the last minute.

This thread has reminded me of when I used to work a box next to a station car park. In the winter there would always be people in the evening who had gone away in the morning leaving their lights on all day and got back to find their car wouldn't start. For some reason many of them would come up the stairs and knock on the door but there's really nothing I could do to help them. Same with people looking for train service information. So I'd shut the blinds, turn the lights right down and not look out of the window.

 

[DaveHarries]

I remember taking an evening break while on my driving job several years ago and deciding to take some photos, from the station platform, of a (now closed) box. Signalman invited me in for photos and I accepted.

While I was there an unfamiliar bell code came through which, according to the bloke on duty at the box I was visiting, was the signalman in the next box up the line advising that his missus had arrived with his dinner. Unfortunately I cannot recall which box it was, nor can I recall the bell code.

Dave

 

[AntoniC]

And yet I cannot see a link?

Here is the link for you

Sounds like he was bored !

A RAILWAY man who allegedly held drink-fuelled sex orgies in a signal box at Hereford Station has been suspended.

An investigation by the News of the World newspaper claims Philip Davies took part in group sex marathons in between pulling the levers controlling inter-city links to London, Manchester and Cardiff. The report alleges Mr Davies advertised his sideline services in a 'seedy' newspaper.

The News of the World claims its team of reporters watched as Mr Davies led a couple through the station car park and a track side gate marked: "Passengers must not cross the line. Do not trespass on the railway. Fine £200."

Investigation

According to railway experts commenting on the alleged incidents, a moment's distraction could easily lead to the horror of two packed commuter trains crashing into each other.

They claim by pulling levers, Mr Davies is responsible for routing trains through the correct platforms and signalling to drivers when it is safe to proceed.

In the day, three passenger trains an hour stop at Hereford station plus another dozen freight trains.

The last train at night arrives at 1.30am but services start again after a four-hour gap.

A spokesman for Railtrack, said: "We condemn this kind of behaviour on duty. An urgent investigation has started.

"We can confirm that Mr Davies has been suspended."

Source : Hereford Times

http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/5697154.Rail_worker_suspended/?ref=arc

 

[desmo]

As it was "back in the day" there will probably be no recriminations, but as an 8 yr old nipper, I used to go up most nights to the local crossing box just outside Lincoln on the line to Newark. There used to be a guy in the box there who would regularly let us pull the gates across and go in the box. The only proviso was that we fetched his fish n chips from a local chippy on a Friday night (if he was on that shift). Unfortunately he went guarding, and was replaced by a miserable sod who used to moan about you even waving to drivers!