GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Acocks Green & South Yardley Station: gwrag2462

A low resolution version of the Signalling Diagram for Acocks Green Signal Box showing the track layout and signalling arrangement post 29th June 1947, until closure of this Signal Box in 1st September 1969. This Signalling Diagram has been reproduced courtesy of the Signalling Record Society (S.R.S.). Details of how to purchase their full resolution content is available here.

The first Signal Box at Acocks Green had been built by 1875 at the north end of the up platform as a block box (see 'gwrag16b'). It was built by McKenzie & Holland and the frame had twelve levers. In May 1879 a trailing crossover between the double tracks was installed and in June 1892 two refuge sidings (one for each direction) were connected by trailing switches to the main line. When built the signal box had a wooden nameplate, but this was changed to a cast iron plate ordered on 18th July 1899 (order No210). According to the Summer 1904 Service Time Table, this Signal Box was open continuously with the exception of Sundays between 4:00a.m. and 1:30p.m.

Over the years, traffic demands resulted in the Great Western Railway gradually quadrupling the Birmingham main line between Handsworth Junction and Lapworth. This was a huge undertaking and the work was done piecemeal and was only finally completed in 1934. The first section south of Birmingham to be quadrupled was that between Olton through Acocks Green Station to Tyseley in January 1907 and as part of the work, a new Signal Box was constructed adjacent to the Roberts Road bridge near the southern end of the down island platform of the rebuilt station (see 'gwrag2455'). This short section of quadrupled track was initially operated as a main line with refuge loops on either side for slower trains and this ‘paired by direction’ running arrangement was retained even after the opening of the North Warwickshire line and extension of the quadrupling to Small Heath South in November 1907. Only after the track was quadrupled to Small Heath North in June 1913 was the operating arrangement altered to provide main and relief lines.

The Second Signal Box which had opened in January 1907, was of timber construction with a hipped roof (Great Western Railway standard type 27C). The sloping ridge tiles were held in place with hip hooks and there were torpedo vents on the main ridge. By this date brick chimneys had been replaced with stove pipes, but the Signal Box had the distinctive three up / two down window panes. The Signal Box was 29 feet long by 12 feet wide and the operating floor was 9 feet above rail level. Here the stud lever frame had 33 levers at 5.25 inch centres. The cast iron nameplate was ordered on 21st May 1906 (order No 253). In addition to the 33 lever frame, two small two lever frames were provided for the remote detonator placing machines on the main and relief lines.

When Acocks Green Signal Box was open it controlled the block sections on the main and relief double lines. The Signalman sent messages to the preceding Signal Box to give permission for trains to enter the block section on their line and used signals to indicate to train drivers when they were allowed to proceed. Distant Signals, distinguished by their forked tails and yellow colour (post September 1928) gave train drivers advance warning of the status of the next ‘Stop’ Signal.

From June 1913 Acocks Green Signal Box also controlled train movements associated with access to the down goods loop from the down and up relief lines and the associated crossover switches, which were extended to the main lines on 25th June 1933, following the abolition of Olton Signal Box. The Signalman could set a route with the point switch levers. These were interlocked with various types of signals (including ground disc signals), operation of which informed the locomotive driver of the selected route and when to proceed. This interlocking with signals ensured that these indicated to other trains, when they could no longer proceed safely and had to stop.

Visibility was important in the days before track circuit indications and the Signal Box was positioned where it could oversee the most complex trackwork which in this case included the facing switches on the down relief line, but at an early date track circuit indication was added to the up main line (circuit 2T) which was partly obscured by the main island platform buildings. Beyond Woodcock Lane road bridge towards Olton the other three lines were also provided with track circuit indication (circuits 32AT, 9T and 27AT) and it was also provided on both up lines beyond the Sherbourne Road bridge (circuits 2AT and 8AT) and the down relief line (circuit 27T). In July 1947, track circuit indication was provided on both up tracks through Olton station (circuits 4T and 10T) and in September 1957 it was added to the remaining the crossover connections to prevent fouling of the lines adjacent to the switches (circuit 22T). Track circuit indication is shown as a dotted line on the signal diagram.

Acocks Green Signal Box closed on 1st September 1969.

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