As previously posted the Aller Junction Lever Frame has been refurbished by S&T and will be used in the Broadway Signal Box. BAG Volunteer Jim Hitchen has gathered together the following pictures showing the Aller Box in action. Pictures 2-8 were purchased by Jim from the Totnes Image
Bank. We are grateful to the TIB for kind permission to use the photos in GWSR and BAG Publications.An informative contribution by BAG Volunteer Jim Hitchen on the Aller Junction Signal Box.
Aller
Junction SB was located on the Great Western main line between Newton Abbott
and Totnes, approximately 195 miles from Paddington. It controlled the junction with the branch
line to Paignton and Kingswear, the latter now forming part of the Dartmoor
Steam Railway & Riverboat Company.
It was also the point where the Up and Down main lines became a four-track
railway with main and relief lines in both directions into Newton Abbot station.
Beyond Aller
Junction in the down direction was the infamous climb to Dainton Summit. It was key to the punctual running of down
trains that the Aller signalman was able to obtain acceptance from Dainton
Summit SB and then be able to clear his signals before the train reached the
Down Main Distant. This indicated a clear
road ahead and drivers could “open up” in order to attack the bank which had
gradients as steep as 1 in 34 in places.
Aller
Junction SB was closed with the introduction of the panel box at Exeter in May 1987. The lever frame was originally purchased by
G.M. Kitchenside, author of several
railway books including “British Railways Signalling”. It was intended to be utilised in conjunction
with a garden railway project at his home in Newton Abbott. However, this project never materialised and
some ten years later the frame was sold on to the GWSR. The GWSR Signal Engineer Malcolm Walker and
Broadway volunteer John Simms spent a busy weekend retrieving the frame and
arranging transportation to the GWSR.
Since then the S & T Department have been gradually restoring and
re-engineering the frame for its future life at Broadway.
Whilst the
Aller Junction lever frame consists of 46 levers as against the original 37 at
Broadway, the current proposals to signal Broadway as a fully bi-directional station
with all shunt movements also signalled, is likely to result in more working
levers in this location than were in use towards the end of its days at Aller
Junction. If funding allows, then it is
likely the frame will start its new life in Worcesterhire some thirty years after it was declared
redundant in Devon!
For the sake
of completeness, here is a complete inventory of the GWSR signal boxes as they will be when the Broadway project is completed.
Location
|
Structure
|
Frame
|
Cheltenham
|
New Build
|
Whiteball
|
Gotherington
|
New Build
|
Claydon Crossing
|
Winchcombe
|
Hall Green
|
Honeybourne West Loop
|
Toddington
|
Original Restoration
|
Earlswood Lakes
|
Broadway
|
New Build
|
Aller Junction
|
There must be a story behind the demise of the Aller Box and the retrieval of the Lever Frame. If you email me I will be happy to post it on the Blog
6 comments:
Lovely pictures. I especially like the view of the wooden window frames!
Fantastic shots of Aller Jct.
Aller Jct. bridge was demolished over the Christmas period in preparation for the Kingskerswell bypass.
Matthew J.
I cringed inwardly when I heard that UPVC window frames were being proposed. HORRIBLE!! HORRIBLE!! HORRIBLE!!! This station is going to be a GWR GEM. Let's avoid this sort of thing at all costs.
Oh yes, and we want proper coal fires in the Waiting Rooms. passengers love them cf Arley, Bewdley etc etc....
Howard Parker, Heritage Dept & Steam Dept
problem is with wood, you have to paint it every three years. and hire a scaffold to do the painting. and painting this kind of window is horribly fiddly, even on a scaffold in the winter. leave wood any longer than three years and in an exposed spot like that and it becomes an ever more major job.
and period plastic windows have come a long way recently, even in the past couple of years. they used to be horrible, I will grant you.
When the subject of PVC window frames was first mentioned (in the comments on the post 'The Broadway Signal Box' of Thursday January 21 - scroll down to see it) someone pointed out that the plans for the signal box specified original-style timber window frames.
Now we're talking about PVC window frames again, as if the plans have changed. But I have not seen any official word on the subject - just comments going to and fro.
What is the real story? Timber or PVC?
Is it possible for someone with real decision-making authority to give us the definitive word?
I'm sure Alan Bielby (Special Projects director) or Darren Fairley (Civil Engineering director) or Pat Green (head of Buildings & Services) could let us know what's happening.
I'd be happy to email any of the above people and ask the essential question - but obviously it would be better if one (or more) of them could explain matters upfront - before we end up with another batch of rumours flying around.
It's definately wood, hardwood, painted and profiles to match originals exactly. Box and station will be as close to the original as is physically possible (as far as joinery is concerned)
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