Rufford Junction Signal Box Track Diagram
I visited this box on 25 April 1966. I visited 4 boxes that day, see my "boxes visited" log.
www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/51602593738/in/album-...
The actual name of the box was "Rufford Junction". I have added (MR) in the Index to distinguish it from the other Rufford Junction box which was on the former Mansfield Railway.
On reviewing my 1966 drawing quite a few errors were found. Most were able to be corrected using Photoshop but, for 2 of them, I thought the best method would be to add some explanatory text notes within the diagram. Further understanding on the note about points 3 & 4 to Siding 2 can be gained by looking at an OS map, seen here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52303915044/in/album-...
A drawing of the 1965 layout is here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52296117250/in/album-...
Some dates:
21 March 1915 - Box opened as Rufford Colliery Sidings (later became Rufford Colliery Junction then Rufford Junction) between Mansfield Colliery Sidings and Farnsfield East. (Although on the 1915 Board of Trade sketch it is simply called "Rufford Sidings" www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52295627813/in/album-...). It became a block post using Tablets both ways (but was not a passing loop).
23 August 1917 - On this date a Board of Trade sketch shows that there was now a passing loop installed www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52295891264/in/album-... . It specifies the Tablet categories used for the line to Mansfield and Southwell but there is no mention of a Tablet for the line to Rufford Colliery. Apparently there was not a "no signalman" option for a Tablet instrument so we have to conclude that, as at 23 August 1917, there was no signal box at the end of the branch to Rufford Colliery. It is not known if the box had to be re-positioned to achieve the addition of a passing loop or, perhaps, it had been sited, when built, to allow for that option at a later date.
10 February 1918 - Rufford Branch 1st box opened and it is believed this is when Tablet working was introduced on the Rufford branch – prior to that the approach line was only a siding.
Post 10 February 1918 - At some point after this date the box was renamed Rufford Colliery Junction and the box on the Rufford Colliery Branch was named Rufford Colliery Sidings.
9 November 1926 - Blidworth Junction box opened between Rufford Colliery Junction and Farnsfield East, with Tablet working.
17 February 1929 - Rufford Junction new frame (in the rear of the box) fitted with double wire turnover levers. (I have no recollection of noticing those levers, disappointingly! I may have thought 1-5 look slightly different but not realised how different they were. They would all have been in the upright position similar to the main levers so not standing out as unusual with a lever pointing at the floor.)
7 April 1929 - Tablet working between Mansfield Colliery Sidings, Rufford Colliery Junction and Blidworth Junction was changed to key token working. Two signal boxes were renamed:
Mansfield Colliery Sidings became Mansfield Colliery Junction and this box, Rufford Colliery Junction, became Rufford Junction. The signalling notice can be seen, starting here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52305463773/in/album-...
1 October 1966 - Blidworth Junction box closed, the line towards Farnsfield remained and became a siding (wagon storage), Key Token retained as OTW staff.
30 October 1966 - Turnover levers taken out of use, ground frame provided to work 3/4 points, ground frame released by Key Token. Signals 7 & 28 removed too, signal 29 released by Key Token, Distant 32 fixed at caution. All 3 Track Circuits decommissioned.
A diagram, circa 1967, showed that 1-5, 7, 28 & 29 were abolished and a token-released Ground Frame was provided at the east (Farnsfield) end.
23 June 1967 - The siding towards Blidworth Junction was taken out of use, a buffer stop installed 640yards from this box (290yards from GF).
16 June 1968 - This box closed and the key token machine, was moved to Rufford Colliery Sidings box. The Key Token section then became Mansfield Colliery Junction to Rufford Colliery Sidings. The points were clipped for through running MCJ to RCS.
I didn't take any photos of the box but there are 2 here, taken on 16 March 1968 when The Railway Enthusiasts' Club operated The Collier No.2 Rail Tour, starting & finishing at Nottingham Midland. Details can be seen on the Six Bells Junction web site www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/60s/680316re.html
www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52294639767/in/album-...
www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52294639732/in/album-...
My transcribed copy of the box Special Instructions is here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52305511615/in/album-...
There's a web site "Rail Chronology: East of Mansfield which will be worth consulting
www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/East%20of%20Mansfiel...
The Sectional Appendix pages are here
www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/51720204287/in/datepo...
www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/51695016088/in/datepo...
The quite accurate location of the box was 458610 (Easting) 358774 (Northing), seen here on the NLS maps maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=16&lat=53....
Rufford Junction Signal Box Track Diagram
I visited this box on 25 April 1966. I visited 4 boxes that day, see my "boxes visited" log.
www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/51602593738/in/album-...
The actual name of the box was "Rufford Junction". I have added (MR) in the Index to distinguish it from the other Rufford Junction box which was on the former Mansfield Railway.
On reviewing my 1966 drawing quite a few errors were found. Most were able to be corrected using Photoshop but, for 2 of them, I thought the best method would be to add some explanatory text notes within the diagram. Further understanding on the note about points 3 & 4 to Siding 2 can be gained by looking at an OS map, seen here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52303915044/in/album-...
A drawing of the 1965 layout is here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52296117250/in/album-...
Some dates:
21 March 1915 - Box opened as Rufford Colliery Sidings (later became Rufford Colliery Junction then Rufford Junction) between Mansfield Colliery Sidings and Farnsfield East. (Although on the 1915 Board of Trade sketch it is simply called "Rufford Sidings" www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52295627813/in/album-...). It became a block post using Tablets both ways (but was not a passing loop).
23 August 1917 - On this date a Board of Trade sketch shows that there was now a passing loop installed www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52295891264/in/album-... . It specifies the Tablet categories used for the line to Mansfield and Southwell but there is no mention of a Tablet for the line to Rufford Colliery. Apparently there was not a "no signalman" option for a Tablet instrument so we have to conclude that, as at 23 August 1917, there was no signal box at the end of the branch to Rufford Colliery. It is not known if the box had to be re-positioned to achieve the addition of a passing loop or, perhaps, it had been sited, when built, to allow for that option at a later date.
10 February 1918 - Rufford Branch 1st box opened and it is believed this is when Tablet working was introduced on the Rufford branch – prior to that the approach line was only a siding.
Post 10 February 1918 - At some point after this date the box was renamed Rufford Colliery Junction and the box on the Rufford Colliery Branch was named Rufford Colliery Sidings.
9 November 1926 - Blidworth Junction box opened between Rufford Colliery Junction and Farnsfield East, with Tablet working.
17 February 1929 - Rufford Junction new frame (in the rear of the box) fitted with double wire turnover levers. (I have no recollection of noticing those levers, disappointingly! I may have thought 1-5 look slightly different but not realised how different they were. They would all have been in the upright position similar to the main levers so not standing out as unusual with a lever pointing at the floor.)
7 April 1929 - Tablet working between Mansfield Colliery Sidings, Rufford Colliery Junction and Blidworth Junction was changed to key token working. Two signal boxes were renamed:
Mansfield Colliery Sidings became Mansfield Colliery Junction and this box, Rufford Colliery Junction, became Rufford Junction. The signalling notice can be seen, starting here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52305463773/in/album-...
1 October 1966 - Blidworth Junction box closed, the line towards Farnsfield remained and became a siding (wagon storage), Key Token retained as OTW staff.
30 October 1966 - Turnover levers taken out of use, ground frame provided to work 3/4 points, ground frame released by Key Token. Signals 7 & 28 removed too, signal 29 released by Key Token, Distant 32 fixed at caution. All 3 Track Circuits decommissioned.
A diagram, circa 1967, showed that 1-5, 7, 28 & 29 were abolished and a token-released Ground Frame was provided at the east (Farnsfield) end.
23 June 1967 - The siding towards Blidworth Junction was taken out of use, a buffer stop installed 640yards from this box (290yards from GF).
16 June 1968 - This box closed and the key token machine, was moved to Rufford Colliery Sidings box. The Key Token section then became Mansfield Colliery Junction to Rufford Colliery Sidings. The points were clipped for through running MCJ to RCS.
I didn't take any photos of the box but there are 2 here, taken on 16 March 1968 when The Railway Enthusiasts' Club operated The Collier No.2 Rail Tour, starting & finishing at Nottingham Midland. Details can be seen on the Six Bells Junction web site www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/60s/680316re.html
www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52294639767/in/album-...
www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52294639732/in/album-...
My transcribed copy of the box Special Instructions is here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52305511615/in/album-...
There's a web site "Rail Chronology: East of Mansfield which will be worth consulting
www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/East%20of%20Mansfiel...
The Sectional Appendix pages are here
www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/51720204287/in/datepo...
www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/51695016088/in/datepo...
The quite accurate location of the box was 458610 (Easting) 358774 (Northing), seen here on the NLS maps maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=16&lat=53....