signal box diagrams

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The diagrams presented here are a mixture of actual box diagrams or office copies of box diagrams (denoted SBD) and working sketches (denoted WS). They are arranged by company which provided the railway line, not the diagram - most of the diagrams are in fact from the British Railways era.

If you find these diagrams of interest, you may also wish to visit Brian Begg-Robertson's Sectional Appendix site.

Additions to this page will be made from time to time, as circumstances - and my scanning inclinations! - permit.

Cheshire Lines Committee

Bewsey (SBD, probably 1930's) 718 kb

Hale (SBD, 1974) 266 kb

Glazebrook East Junction (SBD, 1926) 1165 kb

Great Central Railway

Aldam Junction SBD, the final layout before closure - diagram is dated 1982. The Worsborough Branch, and also Wombwell Main Junction, had closed the previous year. 380 kb

Chapeltown. GCR diagram, dated 1-5-1916. Diagram made available by Alan Whitehouse. 1002 kb

Darfield Main SBD, no date, but probably 1960s, courtesy of G Nicholson, 507 kb

Dodworth (BR) SBD, first diagram from current box, 1955, 271 kB. Dodworth (BR) SBD, a slightly later diagram, made available by Alan Whitehouse. 362 kb. Also Dodworth (GCR/LNER) SBD 350 kb

Dunford West (SBD, 381 kb) Shows arrangements for single line working in Woodhead tunnel, but does not show station yard, despite being dated March 1954 (compare with 'Woodhead - The Electric Railway' by E M Johnson, page 92). The edges of the holes in my diagram show evidence of having being 'chewed' - suggesting it was affixed over the original diagram shown in Johnson's book.

Here is the Dunford West block shelf layout diagram (831 kb, courtesy of Simon Foster). The photograph referred to above shows that the actual block shelf did not exactly match the diagram; although both main line blocks were Tyer 'black boxes', the goods line block to Dunford East was a standard GCR non-pegger, and the goods line block bell was of LNWR, not GCR, origin.

Elsecar Junction. No date, but probably the diagram prepared for the signalling alterations made about 1950, in connection with electrification. Shown in two sections: Elsecar Junction left (718 kb) and Elsecar Junction right (782 kb).

This diagram was made available through the courtesy of G Nicholson. It is drawn in a slightly different style to later diagrams - note the route indicators on the colour light signals, where the each of the five white lights is shown!

Subsequently, more track circuits were added and the line to the west reduced from four track to two track. The final layout controlled from the power frame is shown on this layout plan (836 kB) - note the footnotes at the bottom which show the dates when various changes were made. Finally (for the time being!), here is the block shelf layout diagram (311 kB). These last two diagrams are from the book of wiring diagrams for Elsecar Junction - the diagrams all bear 1950 dates, with the exceptions of a a few more recent ones. I hope to add more information about Elsecar Junction in due course.

Glasshouse Crossing Final layout, 1961. (I also have a diagram of the complete layout - I will get round to scanning that, sometime!) WS, 394 kb

Grange Lane Final layout, as gate box, but some of the previous layout can just be made out on this plan. WS, 1983 kb

Ickles (SBD 1984) 596 kb

Kendall Green Crossing SBD, 1924. Diagram made available by Alan Whitehouse. 435 kb

Maltby Colliery South (SBD, original rather faded, contrast enhanced, prior to closure of Maltby Colliery North) 463 kb

Mansfield Concentration Sidings - Rufford Junction panel (relay room diagram, circa 1981) 224 kb

Marsh Junction SBD, no date (but prior to Pasture Street PSB) 532 kb

Mitchells Main (WS, 1960's) 275 kb

Newbegin LNER diagram, made available by Alan Whitehouse, 663 kb

Old Oaks Junction (WS, 475 kb). Late diagram, with line to Oakwell Junction truncated.

Sheffield Victoria No 3 diagram, kindly provided by Richard Pike, 301 kb

Thurlstone Crossing WS, 1961, 454 kb.

Wentworth Junction (SBD, 271 kb, no date, but a BR diagram). This is a very faded office copy which has been coloured in; a contrast-stretched version can be seen here (432 kb). Diagram made available by Alan Whitehouse.

West Silkstone Junction signal box diagram, as removed at closure in 1981, no date, but probably dates from 1973 when the down loop was removed, 323 kb; also working sketch and locking, base diagram 1965 but shows later alterations and removal of down loop, 1016 kb.

Wharncliffe Colliery LNER diagram, made available by Alan Whitehouse. 572 kb

Wombwell Main Junction. BR diagram, very large, shows line to Stairfoot, kindly made available by G Nicholson. left (363 kb), centre (436 kb) right (422 kb).

Woodhead (SBD, 1954, 404 kb) Also available is the Woodhead block shelf layout diagram (2277 kb). For both Woodhead and Dunford West, photographic evidence survives showing that the main line block instruments were of the Tyer 'black box' variety. But I've never seen a photograph of the Woodhead goods line block; was it really an LNWR permissive as shown on this drawing? Both diagrams courtesy of Simon Foster.

Woodhouse East Junction SBD, 633 kb.

Worsborough Bridge Crossing (WS, base diagram 1941, but amended to 1961) 721 kb. Worsboro Bridge Crossing signal box diagram, courtesy of Alan Whitehouse, 439 kb.

Wrexham Exchange (SBD, mid 1970's, after singling of line to Wrexham Central) 515 kb.

Great Northern Railway

Lofthouse North SBD, no date, but probably late 1960's and final layout before closure (318 kb)

Lancashire Derbyshire and East Coast Railway

Langwith Colliery Junction SBD, 1954, 367 kb.

Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway

Freshfield SBD, no date, but shows station sidings, 305 kb.

Liverpool Overhead Railway

Dingle Station SBD, marked Railway Signal Company, Fazakerley, Liverpool, 14/8/29. 367 kb.

London and North Western Railway

Cock Lane LMSR SBD, dated 1936, courtesy Simon Foster, 248 kB.

Latchford (SBD, original faded, contrast enhanced, final layout). Although the final layout was rather minimal, the gradient profile is of interest: the railway through Latchford was re-routed in the 1893 in connection with the opening of the Manchester Ship Canal - note the 1 in 135 gradients on either side of the bridge over the canal. 234 kb

Mollington (SBD, no date). Mollington was a wartime box on the Chester-Birkenhead line, with IB sections in both directions. 308 kb

Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway

Oxford Road (SBD, 1931) 250 kb

Midland Railway

Barnsley Goods Yard LMSR diagram, courtesy of Alan Whitehouse, 445 kb

Cudworth Station South MR diagram, dated 12 May 1900 (702 kb)

New Mills Junction LMSR base diagram(?), amended to 1963 (SBD, 379 kb).

North London Railway

The following diagrams are copied from an offical North London Railway document entitled 'NLR Signalling Diagrams'. It is stamped 'North London Railway Superintendent 25 Sep 1907', and also bears the name 'H E Short'. The document comprises a bound collection of photographic prints - each about 11x5 inches - which appear to be copies of the actual box diagrams, and covers the whole system.

Broad Street No1 4773 kB

Broad Street No2 2658 kB

Skinner Street 2762 kB

New Inn Yard 2017 kB

Shoreditch No2 2623 kB

Shoreditch No1 1713 kB

Dunloe Street 667 kB

Haggerston No 2 2213 kB

Haggerston No 1 1845 kB

Dalston Junction No2 650 kB

Dalston Junction No1 758 kB

Western Junction 2345 kB