Preserved Railway Signal Boxes and Signalling Regulations

[Stumpytrain]

Guys,

Just out of curiosity I was wondering which standard gauge UK preserved railways have signal boxes and operate as such ie. with a "Signalman" (even if they can be switched out and used as a ground frame). My next question would be, how many signal boxes and which Signalling Regulations (if at all) could their block controls be compared to? Since originally posing this question I've also started to think about Level Crossings and which locomotive carries the staff if there is one.

If possible I will edit this initial post as more information becomes available. Thank you for your help!

Regulations
==========

* Absolute Block
* Absolute Block with Train Staff
* Absolute Block with Train Staff and Ticket Working
* Acceptance Lever Working
* Electric Token Block
* No Signalman Token Block
* One Train Working with Train Staff
* Permissive Block?
* Rotary Interlocking Block
* Tokenless Block?
* Track Circuit Block

Level Crossings
=============

^ Automatic half-barrier crossing (AHBC)
^ Automatic barrier crossing locally monitored (ABCL)
^ Automatic open crossing locally monitored (AOCL)
^ Manned crossing with barriers (MCB)
^ Manned crossing with gates (MG)
^ Remotely controlled crossing with barriers (RC)
^ Barrier crossing with closed-circuit television (CCTV)
^ Traincrew operated (TMO)
^ Open crossing (non-automatic) without road warning lights (OC)
^ Barrow or foot crossing with white light indicators
^ Crossing with red and green warning lights (R/G)
^ Occupation and accommodation (including bridleway) crossing with a telephone (UWC)

Railways
=======

Battlefield Line

Bluebell Railway
- Sheffield Park Signal Box (Manned)
- Horsted Keynes Signal Box (Manned - Planned to be able to switch out)
- Kingscote Signal Box (Can Switch Out)
* Electric Token Block [Sheffield Park / Horsted Keynes] [Horsted Keynes / Kingscote]
* One Train Working with Train Staff [Kingscote / East Grinstead] (Tyer EKT)
... Staff / token shown to Driver of leading engine and delivered to and carried by Driver of rearmost engine.

Bodmin & Wenford Railway
- Bodmin Signal Box

Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway
- Bo'ness Signal Box

Churnet Valley Railway
- Consall Signal Box
-- Cheddleton Shunt Frame
-- Cheddleton Station Siding Ground Frame

Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway
-- Chinnor Ground Frame

Dartmouth Steam Railway
- Britannia Crossing Signal Box
* Track Circuit Block
^ MCB - Britannia
^ CCTV - Kingswear
^ TMO - Sands Road ?

Dean Forest Railway
- Lydney Junction Signal Box
- Norchard Crossing Signal Box
* Absolute Block with Train Staff and Ticket Working
* Electric Token Block [Norchard / Lydney Severn And Wye]
* One Train Working with Train Staff
^ MCB - Lydney Junction
^ ABCL - A48 Bypass
^ MG - Lydney Town, Whitecroft and Parkend

...Staff / Token shown to all drivers, issued to rearmost. Every driver has a ticket if not issued the staff.

East Lancashire Railway
- Bury South Signal Box
- Ramsbottom Signal Box
- Rawtenstall West Signal Box

East Somerset Railway
- NO SIGNALMAN
One Train Working with Train Staff [Cranmore - Mendip Vale]

Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
- Toddington Signal Box
- Winchcombe Signal Box
- Gotherington Signal Box (From Dec. 2012)
- Cheltenham Race Course Signal Box
* Electric Token Block
* One Train Working with Train Staff
... Train Staff / Token with the rearmost leading driver!

Great Central Railway

Gwili Railway
- Bronwydd Arms Signal Box
* One Train Working with Train Staff

Isle of Wight Steam Railway

Keighley & Worth Valley Railway

Kent & East Sussex Railway

Llangollen Railway
- Llangollen Station Signal Box
- Goods Junction Signal Box
- Deeside Loop Signal Box
- Carrog Signal Box

Mid-Hants Railway
- Alresford Signal Box
- Alton Signal Box
- Medstead Signal Box
- Ropley Signal Box

Mid-Norfolk Railway

Nene Valley Railway

North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Peak Rail
- Darley Dale Crossing Signal Box
- Church Lane Crossing Signal Box
* Divisible Train Staff & Insructions [Matlock / Matlock Riverside]
* One Train Working with Train Staff [Matlock Riverside / Darley Dale] [Church Lane / Rowsley]
* Absolute Block [Darley Dale / Church Lane]
* No Signalman Token Block [Church Lane / Rowsley] (Planned)

Severn Valley Railway
- Bridgnorth
- Hampton Loade
- Highley
- Arley
- Bewdley North
- Kidderminster
* Absolute Block
* Acceptance Lever Working
* Electric Token Block (ETT in the absence of token on back road between BN and BS)
...Staff issued to leading driver, no requirement for rear to see it.
^ AOCL - Northwood Crossing
^ OC - All Others

Somerset & Dorset Railway
- Midsomer Norton South Signal Box (opening Spring 2012)
* One Train Working with Train Staff

South Devon Railway
- Bishops Bridge Signal Box
- Buckfastleigh Signal Box
* Absolute Block with Train Staff and Ticket Working [Bishops Bridge / Totnes]
* Electric Token Block [Buckfastleigh / Bishops Bridge]
* One Train Working with Train Staff [Buckfastleigh / Totnes] [Bishops Bridge / Totnes]
...Staff / Token on shown to all, issued to rearmost driver, ticket to all without staff during TST, staff stays with failed train.
^ MG - Staverton Station Crossing
^ OC - Nappers Crossing
^ UWC - Station House Crossing

Swanage Railway
- Corfe Castle
- Harmans Cross Signal Box
- Swanage Signal Box
* Electric Token Block
* No Signalman Token Block
* One Train Working with Train Staff
... Token / Tablet shown to / given to?
^ AOCL - Quarr Farm
^ OC - Pondarosa
^ UWC - Cowpat, Dickers, Wurzel, Castle View, Norden Heath, Cats Eye
^ TMO - Wytch Farm

Swindon & Cricklade Railway
- Blunsdon Signal Box
- Hayes Knoll Signal Box (Not Yet Open?)
* One Train Working with Train Staff ???

West Somerset Railway
- Bishops Lydeard
- Crowcombe Heathfield
- Williton Signal Box
- Blue Anchor Signal Box
- Minehead Signal Box
* Electric Token Block
* No Signalman Token Block
... Token shown to all, issued to leading driver - not sure how rear loco is dealt with if assisting.
^ ABCL - Seaward Way
^ AOCL - Roebuck, Leigh Wood, Sea Lane
^ MG - Williton, Blue Anchor
^ OC - Dunster West

Apologies in advance to any standard gauge preserved railway with working signal boxes I've missed but hopefully it won't take too much effort to complete the picture!

Cheers,
Alex

[Chris Osment]

West Somerset Railway:

SBs - you have forgotten Crowcombe Heathfield, Williton (the last surviving operational B&ER broad-gauge era box) and Minehead boxes. Sadly NO box at Watchet (closed in 1920s and demolished in BR days). All sections from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead are EKT, but NSKT for Bishops Lydeard - Norton Fitzwarren.

LCs: Roebuck (AOCL), Leigh Wood (AOCL), Williton (MG - hand gates, locked from SB), Blue Anchor (MG - wheel gates worked from SB), Sea Lane (AOCL), Dunster West (OC), Seaward Way (ABCL).

[Stumpytrain]

West Somerset Railway

Thank you Chris, corrections and amendments have been made!

Alex

[Danny252]

SVR:
ETT between Bridgnorth-Hampton Loade (Switches Out)-Highley-Arley (Switches Out)-Bewdley North
AB between Bewdley North and Bewdley South on the Mains
"ETT in the absence of token" on the Back Road between BN and BS
Acceptance Lever between BS and Kidderminster

Northwood Crossing ia AOCL, I believe everything else counts as OC.

[dscroggins]

Gloucestershire Warwickshire has One Train Working with a Staff and Electric Token Block - no Absolute Block.
Gotherington Signal Box opens in December.

[push-pull]

Swanage Railway:

Harmans Cross swiched IN
Swanage - Harmans Cross (short Section) Electric Key Token Block
Harmans Cross - Corfe Castle (short Section) Electric Key Token Block

Harmans Cross switched OUT
Swanage - Corfe Castle (long section) Electric Train Tablet Block

Corfe Castle - Norden NSKT Block

Norden - Motala Train Staff (supervised from Corfe Castle)

Note: Swanage can be switched out, but Corfe Castle cannot.

Level Crossings from Swanage, where a telephone is provided on Passenger Running Line:

Cowpat (UWC), Dickers (UWC), Pondarosa (OCC), Quarr Farm (AOCL), Wurzel (UWC), Scool Lane (PFP), Castle View (UWC)

Non Passenger Line:

Noerden, Wytch Farm (TMO), Norden Heath (UWC), Cats Eye (UWC)

Hope this helps!

[Stumpytrain]

Updated!

Gloucestershire Warwickshire has One Train Working with a Staff and Electric Token Block - no Absolute Block.
Gotherington Signal Box opens in December.

And the staff / token goes with the leading Driver?

Alex

[Stumpytrain]

Hope this helps!

Thanks Push-Pull, that's great. From a signalling regulations point of view is there any difference between Electric Key Token Block and Electric Train Tablet Block? On the Swanage Railway does the token / tablet go with the leading or rearmost driver?

Cheers,
Alex

[dscroggins]

Updated!

Gloucestershire Warwickshire has One Train Working with a Staff and Electric Token Block - no Absolute Block.
Gotherington Signal Box opens in December.

And the staff / token goes with the leading Driver?

Alex

It goes with the rearmost locomotive at the head of the train....... don't shoot the messenger.

[Roger Bell]

North Norfolk has Sheringham, Weybourne and Holt boxes all of which can be switched out. Tyers No 6 tablet Sheringham - Weybourne, and Tyers Key token Weybourne - Holt. Also long section OTW staff.

AOCL at Sweet Briar Lane ( Sheringham) and two accomodation crossings.

Token carried by rearmost loco.

Peter Kays "Signalling Atlas and Signal Box Directory" - updated to end of 2010 - has lots of details of all ( I think) heritage railway's boxes and some operational details which are being expanded on here.

Roger

[Peter Jordan]

Your list of boxes fror the Severn Valley has omitted Bewdley South.

Peter Jordan

[John Hinson]

Just out of curiosity I was wondering which standard gauge UK preserved railways have signal boxes and operate as such ie. with a "Signalman" (even if they can be switched out and used as a ground frame). My next question would be, how many signal boxes and which Signalling Regulations (if at all) could their block controls be compared to? Since originally posing this question I've also started to think about Level Crossings and which locomotive carries the staff if there is one.

Reasonably up-to-date information on this exists in the Signalling Atlas and Signal Box Directory, Great Britain and Ireland. See http://www.s-r-s.org.uk/bookstall.html#atlas for more info.

John

[Chris Osment]

Bodmin & Wenford Railway:

two separate 'OTW with staff' sections, one Bodmin General - Bodmin Parkway, the other Bodmin General - Boscarne Junction

[push-pull]

From a signalling regulations point of view is there any difference between Electric Key Token Block and Electric Train Tablet Block?

Cheers,
Alex

No, just the method to extract the darn things!

On the Swanage Railway does the token / tablet go with the leading or rearmost driver?

Driver to be in possessions of token.

The Driver must be in possession of the correct token before entering or fouling the single line section unless:-

the train is worked by two or more locomotives, in which case the token must be shown to each Driver and be carried by the Driver of the rear most locomotive.


Marco Ailano
Swanage Railway Volunteer Signalman.

[gwr4090]

On theWest Somerset Railway, the token goes with the rearmost driver.
David