GWR Route: Moreton-in-Marsh to Shipston-on-Stour

Moreton-in-Marsh Station: gwrmm3173

A low resolution version of the Signalling Diagram for Moreton-in-Marsh Signal Box dated 1952 produced courtesy of the Signalling Record Society (S.R.S.). Details of how to purchase their full resolution content is available here.

There was a signal box at Moreton-in-Marsh by 1881, but this was replaced circa 1883 with a second signal box to the standard Great Western type 4b located at the end of the up platform. This type 4b design was similar to that constructed by contractors, it had a brick built ground floor locking room and rear wall with brick chimney, horizontal weather boarding at high level on the gable ends and a steep gabled roof with tall wooden finals and two roof ventilators were added to the ridge. The operating floor was twenty feet, five inches long by eleven feet, six inches wide with horizontally sliding sash windows each containing large panes. The operating floor was nine feet above the rail level and accessed by an external wooden staircase to a small landing and porch, which also gave access to a lavatory. From 2nd November 1911 the signal box housed forty levers at four inch centres in a vertical tappet, three bar locking frame. There was also a small two lever frame for remotely placing detonators on the up (lever 2) and down (lever 1) main lines.

The weekly opening hours for Moreton-in-Marsh Signal Box over a selection of years were:

The Signal Box at Moreton-in-Marsh controlled the block sections on the main double line. 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 gave train drivers advance warning of the status of the next ‘Stop’ Signal. The Signal Box also controlled the issue of the ‘train staff’ that authorised access to the single track Shipston-on-Stour Branch (see misc_equip251) and train movements associated with the trailing cross-overs, station yard and various sidings. 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 circuits and the Signal Box was positioned where it could oversee the most complex track-work. On the 1952 Signalling Diagram, six track circuits sections (2AT, 11T, 4T, 37T, 39T and 39AT) are detecting the presence of locomotives or wagons on the main lines, one of these (11T) also includes detection over the facing switch and catch point at the end of the down goods loop. Most of these sections of track were difficult to see from the signal box because of the two road bridges at either end of the station. Note that the facing switch at the end of the goods loop (lever 11) was 912 yards from the Signal Box, which was considered too far for conventional signal-rod operation, so these were operated by an electric motor powered by a hand generator (a system first patented by Nicholson & Roberts in 1923 and marketed by Westinghouse) and operation was interlocked with track circuit 11T. This was in line with the Ministry of Transport Regulations (1928) which stated: Points to be so situated that movements over them shall be within view of the signal-box from which they are worked, unless an approved alternative for direct vision by the signalman, e.g. track circuited diagram is provided. The limit of distance from levers working points to be 350 yards, unless the points are power worked and occupation of the lines is electrically indicated in the signal-box, in which case the distance may be indefinitely extended. Also of note is the fixed distant signal on the Shipston-on-Stour branch line to warn drivers to slow down when approaching the station from the branch line.

Robert Ferris

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