Gibbet Hill Signal Cabin

LMS Route: Nuneaton to Leamington

Coventry Station had been a choke point for goods traffic for a number of years. The substantial coal traffic emanating from the North Warwickshire Coal Fields to points south and south-west often needed to pass through the station to proceed through Leamington either via GWR lines to Oxford and beyond or via the LNWR's subsidiary lines to the London and other points to the south via Weeden & Daventry. This was initially addressed by the building of the Coventry Loop Line via Three Spires Junction on the Nuneaton to Coventry line and Humber Road Junction on the Coventry to Rugby line. Commenced prior to the outbreak of the First World War it was 1916 before it was fully functional. In the same year, 1916, additional attempts were made to increase the amount of coal being transported to aid the war effort. This took the form of the Coventry to Leamington branch's track being doubled from Coventry to Wainbody Wood, just short of Gibbet Hill. The majority of the trackbed and bridges were already capable of taking the extra line and therefore no Act of Parliament was required for the work. There were three short stretches where the way was not quite wide enough and about 400 yards of embankment needed widening where the doubling ended with a passing loop. A new 30-lever signal box was built in the middle of the 245 yard long loop and the staff apparatus from Coventry was moved there. On the initial curve out of Coventry, adjacent to the engine shed, an existing siding became the down line and a new siding was built alongside it. Gibbet Hill Signal Cabin finally closed during the month of December in 1972.

Natalie Jones writes on the Signal Box Forum, 'I have taken photographs yesterday of the MT6 file at The Nat Archives which deals with the opening of extension of the double track from Coventry No 1 to Gibbet Hill and the provision of a bidirectional goods loop and new signalbox. As the date of Inspection by the BoT was 10th March 1916 then I am assuming that a LNWR type 5 box was supplied. I also have the diagram from the 1960 Coventry PSB numbering plan which seems to suggest TCB was in use between Gibbet Hill and the PSB although the Gibbet Hill down advanced starter (No 4) remained a semaphore (albeit motorised). It is possible that AB was in use as No 4 signal is marked as 'LR' (Line Repeater) although no 'B' appears on the signal post to suggest released by the block. The goods loops are fitted with facing point locks on the trap points at the exit but have ground shunting signals for departure. As they appear on the 1916 LNWR plan submitted (as well as the 1960 Coventry PSB numbering plan on Keith Norgrave's site-) they were obviously installed from new this way. Not having found an answer in Foster's "LNWR Signalling" I am not sure if this was standard practice for the LNWR or be dependent on each individual site. The use of small arms on the entry signals and ground discs at the exit I assume that this 'up and down goods loop' was not available for passenger use.'

Select an image below to view the larger version with accompanying text:

Ref: lnwrgh2352 D Churchill View of Gibbet Hill's signal cabin looking in the direction of Wainbody Wood and Coventry in August 1972

Ref: lnwrgh2607 P Kingston Looking towards Coventry from the cab of a DMU with Gibbet Hill Signal Cabin sited between the passing loop

Ref: lnwrgh3766 LNWR Society The Daimler experimental Railcar returning to Coventry between Gibbet Hill Signal Cabin and Kenilworth Junction

Ref: lnwrgh2606 R Sharratt Ray Sharratt at the controls of Ivatt 2-6-0 No 46477 travelling towards Coventry from Gibbet Hill in 1961

Ref: lnwrgh2352 Signalling Record Society Map of Signal Record Society's diagram of Gibbet Hill Signal Cabin's track layout showing the loop line

Ref: Accident Report Major GL Hall Board of Trade report of accident between a passenger and goods train at Gibbet Hill Signal Cabin on 21st November 1919

Accident at Gibbet Hill Signal Cabin on 21st November 1919

"The 2.50 a.m. up passenger train from Birmingham to Leamington, after leaving Coventry, collided with the rear of a coal train, which was standing on the loop line opposite Gibbet Hill signal-box. The 3.0 a.m. down goods train from Leamington to Crewe, which was running at the time on the single line alongside the loop, came into collision with some of the derailed vehicles of the coal train. Fortunately there was only one case of personal injury; a passenger in the Leamington train being slightly hurt." The collision between the passenger train and the standing coal train resulted in considerable damage to the latter. The brake-van and the four rear wagons were badly broken up, and two other wagons mrere derailed. There was no derailment of the passenger train, and the damage to the coaching stock was slight, being chiefly confined to broken glass. The engine was more considerably damaged, but not derailed.
The full report by GL Hall, Major, Royal Engineers can be read via the PDF file (see above) courtesy of Railways Archive.