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Birmingham New Street - Southern Approaches: lnwrbhm_sa2322

Looking towards Aston from just north of Lawley Street bridge on the Vauxhall viaduct on 2nd June 1954

Looking towards Aston from just north of Lawley Street bridge on the Vauxhall viaduct on 2nd June 1954. The signal bridge carrying the new LMS upper quadrant signals has now been installed resulting in a rationalisation of the number of posts erected for each direction of travel. Both directions have one post with much smaller signals and on the left an additional post with two small shunting signals has been installed. The viaduct's parapet has been rebuilt allowing the post to sit in the area once occupied by the wall. Lower quadrant signals were once the norm on the UK's railway network but after a serious accident most railway companies converted to upper quadrant signals. The term 'lower quadrant' meant that when trains could proceed forward the signal pointed downwards at an angle of some 45° whereas 'upper quadrant' pointed upwards at an angle of 45°. The accident occurred when snow compacted and prevented the arm returning the horizontal (danger) position. The GWR did not follow the other railways and remained committed to using lower quadrant signals.

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