penlea1954
Severn Bridge Junction Signal Box
Jointly constructed from 1902 to an enlarged standard LNWR design of 1876, the three story structure is built of two story’s of red brick and cement, with a third floor mainly of wooden weather board pin-panel containing the glass windows, all topped by a Welsh slate pitched roof. Access is via a door on the rear, with the lower two floors housing interlocking signaling equipment accessed via two internal wooden staircases. The main operational floor houses a 180 lever interlocked frame, divided into two sections: Abbey Foregate to Sutton Bridge; Shrewsbury station to Crewe Junction.
The frame scale makes it the largest remaining mechanical signal box on the British network, and from 2011 it became the largest mechanical signal box in the world, following the closure of the 191 lever box at Spencer Street in Melbourne, Australia.
Today only approximately half of the levers are in operational use, although it still takes two signal men to operate the complete system on a 24/7 basis, allowing 300 train movements per day.
Severn Bridge Junction Signal Box
Jointly constructed from 1902 to an enlarged standard LNWR design of 1876, the three story structure is built of two story’s of red brick and cement, with a third floor mainly of wooden weather board pin-panel containing the glass windows, all topped by a Welsh slate pitched roof. Access is via a door on the rear, with the lower two floors housing interlocking signaling equipment accessed via two internal wooden staircases. The main operational floor houses a 180 lever interlocked frame, divided into two sections: Abbey Foregate to Sutton Bridge; Shrewsbury station to Crewe Junction.
The frame scale makes it the largest remaining mechanical signal box on the British network, and from 2011 it became the largest mechanical signal box in the world, following the closure of the 191 lever box at Spencer Street in Melbourne, Australia.
Today only approximately half of the levers are in operational use, although it still takes two signal men to operate the complete system on a 24/7 basis, allowing 300 train movements per day.