Ashington Signalling 1900s

[limitofshunt]

Merry Christmas all!

Does anyone have any details of how the goods lines and platforms were signalled at Ashington Station in Northumberland? From the 1890s to the 1950s OS maps show a number of goods sidings. Were these controlled from Ashington SB? On the 1890s map there is a second SB marked just south of the up platform but this quickly disappeared from the map.

Thanks and warmest wishes to you all,

Jonathon

[John Webb]

Some of the photographs at http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/a/ashington/index.shtml show some, but not all of the signals there.
The maps shown on the above site indicate that the south box had gone by 1924; could this be due to the extension of point operating distances and/or track-circuiting etc. allowing the north box to control the whole station area?

[Mackay]

It's complicated.....
A single platform was provided by 1878, and an 8-lever frame was provided in the middle of the platform. There was a single line all the way from North Seaton to Newbiggin, and at Hirst (which Ashington was originally called) there was a facing connection (in the down direction) to a short goods siding. The line then curved round to the east under the road bridge. (The original drawings are at the National Archives, Kew: TNA MT 6/202/2). In 1886 the line from North Seaton was doubled as far as Hirst (TNA: MT 6/420/7) and a new signal cabin was put up more-or-less opposite the old platform frame; it had 28 levers. It also controlled a new facing connection to Ashington Colliery, just beyond the bridge (later bridge 5). Ten years later the Newbiggin branch was doubled as far as Woodhorn Colliery, and this, along with a new double line to Ashington Colliery, were controlled from the new Ashington cabin, just on the Newbiggin side of the road bridge, replacing the previous one opposite the station buildings (TNA: MT 6/759/4). The trailing connections to the goods yard (at the south end of the station) were about 300 yards from this cabin, so right at the limit of the operating distance permitted by the the Board of Trade at the time. As John mentions, there are some useful photos on the Disused Stations website.

By the way, has anyone got a photo of Ashington Junction, which wasn't at Ashington, but on the up side of the ECML between Pegswood and Longhirst? A bit of a "holy grail" as it closed in 1939 and, being a timber cabin, probably turned into firewood fairly rapidly...

All the best for the coming New Year
Neil