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LMS Route: The Shakespeare Route

Kineton Station: smjk204

A colour view of Kineton station with the signalman's platform to exchange the token on the right

A colour view of Kineton station with the signalman's platform to exchange the token on the right. Before radio 'pips' broadcast Greenwich time throughout the land, correct 'railway time' had to be signalled along the line from one box to another. The name WH Wade on the face of the signal box clock referred not only to the clockmaker of Kineton but to the custodian of the SMJ's time. Every morning, just before 10:00am, Wade walked from his little shop to Kineton station, checked the signal box clock and then, on the stroke of 10 O'Clock, the signalman tapped out the time signal to all signal boxes along the line, whereupon each signalman adjusted his clock and recorded that fact in his train register. Since the SMJ was a single line with passing loops at stations, some method of ensuring that only one train was in any section at one time had to be employed. For the Stratford-upon-Avon to Broom Junction section the Staff and Ticket system was in use. Two locked wooden boxes were located, one in the signal box at Stratford and the other at Broom Junction. These could be opened only by a key fixed to the end of the one and only train staff, being a thick metal rod with brass rings.

The wooden boxes contained the tickets printed with an authorisation to the driver of a train that he could proceed through the section without being in possession of the train staff, although he should have satisfied himself that the staff was held at the signal box from which he was proceeding. The purpose of the ticket system was to enable more than one train to be sent in the same direction through a section otherwise, if only a single staff was employed, trains would be compelled to pass in alternate directions through the section. It follows that a signalman needed to be very clear as to future traffic requirements over the section otherwise, he could be caught out with a train to despatch but no train staff and consequently no tickets either. Between Stratford-upon-Avon and Broom Junction were two stations both with sidings controlled by ground frames which would only be unlocked by the key on the train staff. So here was another trap for the unwary signalman. Sending a train which needed to shunt at these intermediate stations, and therefore in possession of the train staff, and no more trains would be able to follow in the same direction until the train staff was returned. It has be known for a light engine be sent through the section just for the sole purpose of conveying the train staff to the end where it was required.

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