GWR Route: Alcester to Hatton Junction

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Bearley Junction: gwrbj807

Bearley East Junction Signal Box in 1938 showing the two single-line Tyers Electric Key-Token instruments. The left hand one is for the Bearley to Hatton Section (which was a single line until mid 1939) and the other is for the Bearley North Curve Section. Pressing the main release plunger at the top right of the instrument would release the lock on the token instrument at the other end of the section allowing the Signalman to release a token. The dial at the top of the instrument displayed a needle, which indicated this.

Tokens were unique to the token instruments at either end of each single line section, and once a token had been removed, no further tokens could be removed from either of that section’s instruments until the original one had been replaced into either of the section’s instruments. The large number of key tokens in the magazine on the Bearley to Hatton section instrument were necessary because of the potential for a large number of unbalanced workings over this route.

Robert Ferris

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