Birmingham New Street Station: lnwrbns_str1871

Looking North from the East of Platform 2 towards the central footbridge and Navigation Street circa 1865. Richard Foster writes in the first volume of 'Birmingham New Street The Story of a Great Station' that the signal probably consisted of an arm pivoted at its lower end and is completely hidden inside the section of post adjacent to the quarter-circle-shaped iron frame. The policeman standing at the base of the signal would most likely, in addition to operate the signal, operate the hand operated points which were near by. The signal, as seen without any arm visible, would indicate to drivers that the route ahead was clear.

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