Retford North Signal Box Track Diagram
I visited this box on 6 November 1966. I visited 4 boxes that day, see my "boxes visited" log.
www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/51601553327/in/album-...
My visit was some 17 months after the area was altered with the GC flat crossing being removed and replaced with a dive-under in June 1965. When the flat crossing was in place Retford North worked to Whisker Hill Junction on the GC Sheffield line (Info about that box is here www.signalboxes.com/whisker-hill-junction.php).
Whisker Hill Junction became a flying junction (Thrumpton West Junction). To give a more complete picture there is a drawing of the modified Thrumpton layout here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52247535612/in/album-...
I took a photo, in 1993, which shows the connection to the GC line at Thrumpton West Jcn, seen here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52249008700/in/album-...
The signalling alterations were carried out on 13 June 1965. The GC line was diverted under the GN main line south of Retford Station. The Special Notice relating to the signalling alterations can be seen, starting here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52237541189/in/album-... Included in that are 2 diagrams of the area.
Box story:
The box opened in 1892, replacing an earlier box.
A diagram from the LNER days can be seen here, 4th photo down www.signalboxes.com/retford-north-and-south-signalboxes.php
On 27 May 1968 Retford South box was closed, the Down Goods from South to North abolished, the GC-GN connecting chord singled from crossover 54 to only run into the Western Platform line with signalling at the South end to exit onto main line via crossover. The remaining points at South (Up Slow to Up Main, Down Main to Western Platform and trailing main crossover) became motor worked from North.
The junction at Retford North for trains transferring to/from GN south (Newark) and GC line to/from west (Sheffield) was removed and all transfer traffic had to use the Western Platform and the points at the south end of the station. The facing junction points at Retford North were actually retained but remodelled to form a Down Main to Down Goods (towards Babworth) connection. The calling on signal (66) was no longer required but a calling on was required to the Down Goods, so the arm was removed from below the right hand mini repeater signal and added to below the left hand mini repeater signal.
The Western Platform had previously been worked by Acceptance levers between South and North boxes, they were abolished as the whole layout was now Retford North station limits.
The original position of the calling on arm 66 (as per my visit) can be seen in the 2nd photo down of this link www.signalboxes.com/retford-north-and-south-signalboxes.php
The photo shows the position of 62R & 64R signals, along with calling on 66. (By the way, in 1966, I didn't make a very good job of drawing those signals so, with the assistance of Owen, I have made some corrections using Photoshop).
In 1976 the track layout at Retford was to be remodelled.
There is a diagram of the final Retford North layout, valid from 18 January 1976, here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52237259166/in/album-...
That is when the Down lines were closed (Up lines were done one week beforehand). The layout remained until Retford North closed and new signalling from a panel box was brought into use 26 April 1976.
However, reopening of the fast lines through the station had to wait until 16 May 1976 because the Retford North box structure had to be demolished as it was on the new alignment of the fast lines.
The new signalling was controlled by a new NX panel called just Retford. It was located in the Portacabin alongside the Relay room as seen in this photo www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52237749250/in/album-...
There is a stitched photo of the Westinghouse panel drawings here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52239566083/in/album-...
Retford panel control area was extended to fringe with Lincoln Road on 22 August 1976. On 12 September 1976 the emergency crossovers at Grove Road were brought into use, the Ground Switch Panel being released by Retford. On 24 October 1976 the fringe box became Carlton.
The panel was recontrolled by Doncaster PSB on 13 January 1980. The panel would have then been relocated into the Relay Room for emergency use just for the Retford interlocking area. An added complication is that, within that interlocking area since 15 March 1998, Grove Road Gate Box became an Local Control Point only and the level crossing was worked using CCTV from Ranskill Gate Box such that if Retford Emergency Control Panel was required to be used there would be two signalling panels dealing with trains through Retford - though only Retford can operate the pointwork there.
Going back to my 1966 visit to Retford I do remember, in at least one of the boxes, the sight and the sound of the ex-GNR telegraph instruments clicking out their messages! I don't know the precise instruments which were there but here's a photo of an example www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52249242202/in/album-...
I didn't take any photos of the box but there's an exterior view here www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/5904753678/
An interior shot is the 7th photo down in this link www.signalboxes.com/retford-north-and-south-signalboxes.php
Some photos of the wider area are here:
1) A 1935 view of B3 4-6-0 6167 "Lloyd George" taking the line to Sheffield www.flickr.com/photos/66202473@N04/49759707273/in/photoli...
2) A 1950 view of B1 no 61208 in the Up Sidings head shunt www.inspirepicturearchive.org.uk/image/15144/Retford_Nort...
3) "Crab" no. 42715 between Retford North and Babworth in 1965 www.flickr.com/photos/sydhank/13473917204/in/photolist-mw...
4) D1771 in 1965 taking the line to Sheffield with the Pullman service www.flickr.com/photos/sydhank/47719279902
5) A 1975 North view from the Station www.flickr.com/photos/robertcwp/52057054484/in/photolist-...
The Sectional Appendix pages are below. The 1969 version is the one which shows the situation as per my visit in 1966 - even showing Retford South which closed in 1968!
GN main line:
www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52248524536/in/datepo...
www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52247553922/in/photos...
GC line:
www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52249027175/in/photos...
and to complete, the GC line at Thrumpton Crossing www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52248813079/in/photos...
The quite accurate location of the box was 470067 (Easting) 380438 (Northing), seen here on the NLS maps maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=16&lat=53....
A more detailed 25 inch to the mile map is here maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=16&lat=53....
Retford North Signal Box Track Diagram
I visited this box on 6 November 1966. I visited 4 boxes that day, see my "boxes visited" log.
www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/51601553327/in/album-...
My visit was some 17 months after the area was altered with the GC flat crossing being removed and replaced with a dive-under in June 1965. When the flat crossing was in place Retford North worked to Whisker Hill Junction on the GC Sheffield line (Info about that box is here www.signalboxes.com/whisker-hill-junction.php).
Whisker Hill Junction became a flying junction (Thrumpton West Junction). To give a more complete picture there is a drawing of the modified Thrumpton layout here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52247535612/in/album-...
I took a photo, in 1993, which shows the connection to the GC line at Thrumpton West Jcn, seen here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52249008700/in/album-...
The signalling alterations were carried out on 13 June 1965. The GC line was diverted under the GN main line south of Retford Station. The Special Notice relating to the signalling alterations can be seen, starting here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52237541189/in/album-... Included in that are 2 diagrams of the area.
Box story:
The box opened in 1892, replacing an earlier box.
A diagram from the LNER days can be seen here, 4th photo down www.signalboxes.com/retford-north-and-south-signalboxes.php
On 27 May 1968 Retford South box was closed, the Down Goods from South to North abolished, the GC-GN connecting chord singled from crossover 54 to only run into the Western Platform line with signalling at the South end to exit onto main line via crossover. The remaining points at South (Up Slow to Up Main, Down Main to Western Platform and trailing main crossover) became motor worked from North.
The junction at Retford North for trains transferring to/from GN south (Newark) and GC line to/from west (Sheffield) was removed and all transfer traffic had to use the Western Platform and the points at the south end of the station. The facing junction points at Retford North were actually retained but remodelled to form a Down Main to Down Goods (towards Babworth) connection. The calling on signal (66) was no longer required but a calling on was required to the Down Goods, so the arm was removed from below the right hand mini repeater signal and added to below the left hand mini repeater signal.
The Western Platform had previously been worked by Acceptance levers between South and North boxes, they were abolished as the whole layout was now Retford North station limits.
The original position of the calling on arm 66 (as per my visit) can be seen in the 2nd photo down of this link www.signalboxes.com/retford-north-and-south-signalboxes.php
The photo shows the position of 62R & 64R signals, along with calling on 66. (By the way, in 1966, I didn't make a very good job of drawing those signals so, with the assistance of Owen, I have made some corrections using Photoshop).
In 1976 the track layout at Retford was to be remodelled.
There is a diagram of the final Retford North layout, valid from 18 January 1976, here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52237259166/in/album-...
That is when the Down lines were closed (Up lines were done one week beforehand). The layout remained until Retford North closed and new signalling from a panel box was brought into use 26 April 1976.
However, reopening of the fast lines through the station had to wait until 16 May 1976 because the Retford North box structure had to be demolished as it was on the new alignment of the fast lines.
The new signalling was controlled by a new NX panel called just Retford. It was located in the Portacabin alongside the Relay room as seen in this photo www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52237749250/in/album-...
There is a stitched photo of the Westinghouse panel drawings here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52239566083/in/album-...
Retford panel control area was extended to fringe with Lincoln Road on 22 August 1976. On 12 September 1976 the emergency crossovers at Grove Road were brought into use, the Ground Switch Panel being released by Retford. On 24 October 1976 the fringe box became Carlton.
The panel was recontrolled by Doncaster PSB on 13 January 1980. The panel would have then been relocated into the Relay Room for emergency use just for the Retford interlocking area. An added complication is that, within that interlocking area since 15 March 1998, Grove Road Gate Box became an Local Control Point only and the level crossing was worked using CCTV from Ranskill Gate Box such that if Retford Emergency Control Panel was required to be used there would be two signalling panels dealing with trains through Retford - though only Retford can operate the pointwork there.
Going back to my 1966 visit to Retford I do remember, in at least one of the boxes, the sight and the sound of the ex-GNR telegraph instruments clicking out their messages! I don't know the precise instruments which were there but here's a photo of an example www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52249242202/in/album-...
I didn't take any photos of the box but there's an exterior view here www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/5904753678/
An interior shot is the 7th photo down in this link www.signalboxes.com/retford-north-and-south-signalboxes.php
Some photos of the wider area are here:
1) A 1935 view of B3 4-6-0 6167 "Lloyd George" taking the line to Sheffield www.flickr.com/photos/66202473@N04/49759707273/in/photoli...
2) A 1950 view of B1 no 61208 in the Up Sidings head shunt www.inspirepicturearchive.org.uk/image/15144/Retford_Nort...
3) "Crab" no. 42715 between Retford North and Babworth in 1965 www.flickr.com/photos/sydhank/13473917204/in/photolist-mw...
4) D1771 in 1965 taking the line to Sheffield with the Pullman service www.flickr.com/photos/sydhank/47719279902
5) A 1975 North view from the Station www.flickr.com/photos/robertcwp/52057054484/in/photolist-...
The Sectional Appendix pages are below. The 1969 version is the one which shows the situation as per my visit in 1966 - even showing Retford South which closed in 1968!
GN main line:
www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52248524536/in/datepo...
www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52247553922/in/photos...
GC line:
www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52249027175/in/photos...
and to complete, the GC line at Thrumpton Crossing www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52248813079/in/photos...
The quite accurate location of the box was 470067 (Easting) 380438 (Northing), seen here on the NLS maps maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=16&lat=53....
A more detailed 25 inch to the mile map is here maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=16&lat=53....