One for the train buffs.

NewcastleFalcon · Unread post by **NewcastleFalcon** » 29 Jun 2023, 15:57

An interesting little aside

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/VacationR ... istri.html

Neil

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 30 Jun 2023, 05:41

The Alston one is lovely Neil

I like a good signal box

The Cranmore one is currently non-operational. You may see in one of the pictures all the semaphores have white crosses on them.

In the hour or so I spent talking to the signalman he was telling me of the big project, already ongoing, to fully recommission the 'box. I was spellbound... I would love to be part of it...

The signalman also explained to me exactly how the Tyers Electric Token Machine works from a fully technical point of view. There are two in the 'box and one is set up as a fully functional demonstrator to both explain its operation and the bell codes between signal boxes...

: Tyres Electric Token Machine

NewcastleFalcon · Unread post by **NewcastleFalcon** » 30 Jun 2023, 09:27

CitroJim wrote: 30 Jun 2023, 05:41 The Alston one is lovely Neil I like a good signal box

I think this article puts it nicely in the first sentence

"To me, no structure screams ‘RAILWAY!’ more than a signal box…
"

South Tynedale Railway-Signal Box Safari
https://railwaymiscellany.co.uk/2020/05 ... e-railway/

The other signal box on the short narrow gauge South Tynedale Railway is at the name-spotters village of Slaggyford
Not as picturesque as the Alston box, but the South Tynedale Railway built a very convincing replica of the original NER type N2 structure that contains a 28-lever frame obtained from Battersby signal box (which closed in August 1989) on the Esk Valley Line that runs from Middlesbrough to Whitby

New Signal Box At Slaggyford

© Copyright Les Hull and
licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Slaggyford Station

© Copyright Christine Johnstone and
licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Neil

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 30 Jun 2023, 10:52

Slaggyford... What a great name

I'd love to say, 'I live in Slaggyford...'

I didn't realise until we were back home from our June Jolly just how close we passed to both the South Tynedale Railway and the Tanfield Railway...

Those two alone means I'll be well up to a return visit sooner rather than later

I'm thinking a visit to those two and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway... And a return visit to Beamish of course

Unread post by **mickthemaverick** » 30 Jun 2023, 11:35

CitroJim wrote: 30 Jun 2023, 10:52 Slaggyford... What a great name I'd love to say, 'I live in Slaggyford...'

I didn't realise until we were back home from our June Jolly just how close we passed to both the South Tynedale Railway and the Tanfield Railway...

Those two alone means I'll be well up to a return visit sooner rather than later I'm thinking a visit to those two and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway... And a return visit to Beamish of course

Sounds like a plan!!

Unread post by **myglaren** » 30 Jun 2023, 12:07

I did think of taking my Japanese granddaughter to Beamish, but then my house is a lot like Beamish anyway.

NewcastleFalcon · Unread post by **NewcastleFalcon** » 30 Jun 2023, 12:29

CitroJim wrote: 30 Jun 2023, 10:52 Slaggyford... What a great name I'd love to say, 'I live in Slaggyford...'

I didn't realise until we were back home from our June Jolly just how close we passed to both the South Tynedale Railway and the Tanfield Railway...

Those two alone means I'll be well up to a return visit sooner rather than later I'm thinking a visit to those two and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway... And a return visit to Beamish of course

Over the top to Penrith but would this be a treat or sacrilege for accommodation on a jolly?

NewcastleFalcon wrote: 29 Jun 2023, 15:57 https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/VacationR ... istri.html

Few others in the general North, Keithley and Worth Valley Railway in Yorks, and Lakeside and Haverthwaite at the bottom of Windermere, then there's the iconic Carnforth with its "brief encounter" connotations, and the East Lancs from Rawtenstall to Bury which does seem very active and regularly appears in some iconic photos from their special days. It's not every day you can get hauled by a purple Deltic from Ramsbottom though...

Neil

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 30 Jun 2023, 14:06

There's just so much choice Neil! Given half a chance I'd be keen to visit them all

NewcastleFalcon · Unread post by **NewcastleFalcon** » 30 Jun 2023, 22:47

What goes on in the lovely signal box at Alston

This sort of thing, turn a wheel and the level crossing barriers magically move for one thing!

Neil

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 01 Jul 2023, 05:44

Although you can't directly see it, this 'box has a wheel like Alston's to operate the crossing gates...

This 'box, at Blue Anchor, was part of my playground whilst closed between 1972 and 1976 when it became the West Somerset Railway.

We boys used to try to operate the crossing gates but the gates and the wheel were all firmly chained up...

We were able to operate the points and signals and learn all about interlocking... I also used to climb up the signals

Happy days!

A BR Standard 4 and a nice blue MGA is a nice bonus in this picture!

EDIT: Just found this picture... This time with a Hymek and the same car!

NewcastleFalcon · Unread post by **NewcastleFalcon** » 01 Jul 2023, 08:25

Lovely images and memories dug up there Jim!

The Alan Snowdon Archive...a treasure trove, and you can still make the journey from Haltwhistle to Alston, in colour on the "full size" line as it was up to the 1960's...

Neil

NewcastleFalcon · Unread post by **NewcastleFalcon** » 02 Jul 2023, 11:14

The Alston signal box is particularly pleasing,

Its vital statistics are

https://railwaymiscellany.co.uk/2020/05 ... e-railway/
Alston signal box is a North Eastern Railway (NER) type S5 structure that originally stood at Ainderby on what is now the Wensleydale Railway in North Yorkshire. Rebuilt at Alston in 1991 (on a new brick base) the box contains a 21-lever McKenzie & Holland frame, part of which came from Leeming Bar (also on the Wensleydale Railway).

but say you wanted to know its length breath and height just in case you wished to recreate a scaled down reconstruction as , well lets call it a "folly", or a shed that looks like a signal box.

That's when the new built brick base becomes very useful, in combination with photos and videos. I have been looking to see if I could find some original building drawings with dimensions on without success. Really that internet thing is sometimes totally useless

So it is down to a bit of chatty DIY with the constraint that while not impossible, a jaunt down to Alston with a tape measure and a set of ladders has been ruled-out for now.

So as a rule of thumb a brick is 65mm in height with a mortar bed of 10mm...75mm/course high
and a brick is 215mm in length with a "perp" of 10mm in between....225mm/course length.

Working papers...
Of course had to scale it down to feet for folly sizing purposes.

: Its a nice piece of artwork in its own right!
Accuracy not guaranteed!
Falcon Original montage

Neil

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 02 Jul 2023, 17:42

Can we expect a signal box to appear in your garden some time in the near future Neil?

NewcastleFalcon · Unread post by **NewcastleFalcon** » 02 Jul 2023, 18:20

CitroJim wrote: 02 Jul 2023, 17:42 Can we expect a signal box to appear in your garden some time in the near future Neil?

Just playing Jim, but It does have a physical existence though and a brick substructure from recycled bricks is effectively at scaled signal box window height. From that point upwardsit wil be a timber construction but I have no intention of using any new timber, glazing, or slates so it’s as and when these things fall into my lap sort of indeterminate time-scale.

Neil

NewcastleFalcon · Unread post by **NewcastleFalcon** » 02 Jul 2023, 18:45

This is an example of the NER type S5 signal box this time single story like the one plonked ontop of the brick base at Alston. Nice simple looking construction.

Cattal Signal Box and Crossing, North Yorkshire. by Adrian Nicholls, on Flickr

Neil

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