LMS Route: Birmingham New Street to Nuneaton LMS Route:
Birmingham New Street to Tamworth
Lawley Street Goods Depot: mrls302a
Close up of image 'mrls302' showing Lawley Street 'B' Signal
Box and opposite the single-storey building housing Lawley Street's main yard
offices, mess and stores opposite. The steps up to the signal box are off set
in relation to the door which is a feature common to Midland Railway signal
boxes. This was to prevent the signalman, or 'bobby' as he was known in railway
parlance, from accidentally falling down the steps when leaving the box at
night or poor weather. The signal box was fitted with a cantilevered cat walk
under the windows to facilitate their cleaning which in the dirty smoky
atmosphere of the goods yard would certainly need to be on a regular basis.
They were accessed from inside the cabin by sliding open
one of the windows and stepping directly on to the walkway. The rain water from
the room is drained via gutters and the drain pipe which fed the water tub next
to the open door. This door provided access to the mechanics of the signal box
where the levers pulled by the signalman would pull or push the rodding or
wires operating the points and signals. Adjacent to the signal box was the
toilet facilities which would be a chemical closet rather than a 'flushed'
toilet.
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