Washington Chemical Works Signal Box Track Diagram
I visited this box on 5 August 1966. I visited 5 boxes that day, see my "boxes visited" log.
www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/51603033999/in/album-...
I don't know when the first box opened but the Chemical Works was established by 1842 and by 1900 had become the world's largest producer of magnesia. A track diagram of the old box, circa 1945, is here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52599998673/in/album-...
Two photos showing the old box are here:
1) www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52608471635/in/album-...
2) www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52608471625/in/album-...
The activity of the Chemical Works over the years unfortunately took its toll on the workforce and there were many industrial related deaths.
Michael Rising, in his Tyneside Memories www.s-r-s.org.uk/videoPages/MichaelRising.php says that "the Chemical Works & Station were right opposite. The signalmen in those 2 boxes worked 4 hrs in each, changed in the middle of the shift. Never knew why but they came to the conclusion it might well have been something to do with the proximity of chemicals & asbestos - may have been a safety consideration"
13 December 1959 - New replacement box (this) - the old box was on a steep embankment and was leaning.
A drawing of the 1960 layout is here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52608311834/in/album-...
This line turned from Washington South and ran north and parallel behind Washington Station.
King Lever 16 removed the opposing locking on 17/15/5 to permit free shunting when the box was switched out. The box Special Instructions which document this, dated 13 December 1959 can be seen here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52608051761/in/album-...
8 October 1972 - Box closed.
My external photo of the box is here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52599738959/in/album-...
Two other external photos of the box can be seen here
1) www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52608471620/in/album-...
2) www.flickr.com/photos/paulyoung1/8518596666/in/faves-7262...
The Sectional Appendix page is here
www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/51694743596/in/photos...
The quite accurate location of the box was 432011 (Easting) 555730 (Northing), seen here on the NLS maps maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=16.0&lat=5...
A more detailed 25 inch to the mile map is here maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=16.0&lat=5...
Washington Chemical Works Signal Box Track Diagram
I visited this box on 5 August 1966. I visited 5 boxes that day, see my "boxes visited" log.
www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/51603033999/in/album-...
I don't know when the first box opened but the Chemical Works was established by 1842 and by 1900 had become the world's largest producer of magnesia. A track diagram of the old box, circa 1945, is here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52599998673/in/album-...
Two photos showing the old box are here:
1) www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52608471635/in/album-...
2) www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52608471625/in/album-...
The activity of the Chemical Works over the years unfortunately took its toll on the workforce and there were many industrial related deaths.
Michael Rising, in his Tyneside Memories www.s-r-s.org.uk/videoPages/MichaelRising.php says that "the Chemical Works & Station were right opposite. The signalmen in those 2 boxes worked 4 hrs in each, changed in the middle of the shift. Never knew why but they came to the conclusion it might well have been something to do with the proximity of chemicals & asbestos - may have been a safety consideration"
13 December 1959 - New replacement box (this) - the old box was on a steep embankment and was leaning.
A drawing of the 1960 layout is here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52608311834/in/album-...
This line turned from Washington South and ran north and parallel behind Washington Station.
King Lever 16 removed the opposing locking on 17/15/5 to permit free shunting when the box was switched out. The box Special Instructions which document this, dated 13 December 1959 can be seen here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52608051761/in/album-...
8 October 1972 - Box closed.
My external photo of the box is here www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52599738959/in/album-...
Two other external photos of the box can be seen here
1) www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/52608471620/in/album-...
2) www.flickr.com/photos/paulyoung1/8518596666/in/faves-7262...
The Sectional Appendix page is here
www.flickr.com/photos/192151030@N08/51694743596/in/photos...
The quite accurate location of the box was 432011 (Easting) 555730 (Northing), seen here on the NLS maps maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=16.0&lat=5...
A more detailed 25 inch to the mile map is here maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=16.0&lat=5...