GCR signalbox drawings

[Chris Grouse]

Hi all,
I'm after a set of drawings for a GCR all timber 40 lever signalbox, either the same type as the box at Whetstone(and other places) or the current box at Quorn & Woodhouse. It's for a potential modelling project that may result in a laser cut kit in N gauge, but is currently and selfishly for my Whetstone layout!
Also drawings and or good photos of the timber stilts that some of the London Extension boxes sat on when they were on embankments, the boxes at Whetstone, Rothley(original box) and Swithland are three that spring to mind...

Chris

[Chris Grouse]

It's for the larger type 4 GCR signalbox...

[Drop_Shunt]

Pedantic, perhaps, but Swithland Sidings cabin was never on stilts. It was, uniquely, on a two storey brick base. When built the line throught the site consisted only of the Up and Down mains, although provision for the loops had been made (they were finally provided in the 1930s).

One of these provisions for future expansion was to build the box sufficiently far from the mains to permit the loops to be added. As the embankment was not built out until the loops were added the box was free-standing, hence the masonry base.

[Chris Grouse]

Yes, I'd forgotten about that, and yes, pedantic indeed! But that doesn't really help with what I'm looking for. Whichever structure was used as a foundation or support for the box is a secondary objective, the signalbox drawings are what I really need.

Chris

[Mickey]

I always had a bit of a liking for some of the BIGGER Great Central Railway s/boxes with there brick built lower half (locking room) and there attractive barge boards fitted to there gable end roofs i thought they were attractive looking s/boxes on the whole.

Heres some examples- http://www.annesleyfireman.com/id10.html

Woodford no.2
Woodford no.4
New Basford
Bulwell South
Rugby Central
Ashby Magna
Leicester South Goods
Leicester North Goods
Leicester South Passenger
Leicester North Passenger
Loughborough
Abbey Lane Sidings
Ruddington
Queens Walk Goods
Weekday Cross

Mickey

[Drop_Shunt]

Further pedantry for you, the current box at Quorn is not, strictly, a GCR box, and is certainly not prototypical for the London Extension. I would not base anything for Whetstone on that structure.

The current Quorn box is a 21' MS&L Type 3, of c. 1885. S&T fun fact . . . the lever frame, however, is the closest of the four currently in work on the preserved GC to the type of frames originally fitted on the LE (RSCo standard at 5.5" centres).

[Drop_Shunt]

Chris,

When you say "set of drawings", what are you wanting to see on them ? Framing ? Constructional details ? Elevations ? Plans ? Cross sections ?

[Chris Grouse]

I've asked a kit manufacturer if they would consider doing a GCR Type 4 box(namely Whetstone or another the same size) as a laser cut out in N gauge, and they've asked for drawings, so whatever gives them the information they need to scale down to 2mm scale to produce a kit...

Chris

[William Thorpe]

Hello Chris,
When I did some research at the Nat. Archives at Kew I found Rail 463/180 a drawing stamped 18/3/1904 G C R Signal Dept with what I take to be A F Bound's initials for a G C R Signal Cabin Standard Drawing No 1 which gives plan & section views of a generic signal box. Also on the drawing is detail for a lamp room with bins for coal and ash. The drawing has a stated scale of 4 feet to 1inch. The drawings will probably give you an idea of the dimensions of timbers etc.
It will likely not look like any specific box you have in mind to model, but if you can't get to Kew I can make some photocopies on A4 of the various elements. You'll need to let me have a postal address to forward them to unless you are happy to wait a few days and I'll try to scan the copy I have- again still in sections as the document is 36" x 18"
Let me know what you think.
Dave

[Drop_Shunt]

Hi William,

If that is the sheet entitled "GCR Signal Cabin, Standard Drawing No. 1." which I have here, then that illustrates the GCR built (post LE) Type 4, with brick base. I believe Chris is after the timber based variant of the RSCo built Type 4.

Regards

Shawn

[Chris Grouse]

Yeah it's the all timber Type 4 that I'm after.

Chris

[Tony west]

Chris, seems that the bottom line is that no such drawing exists, certainly in all the years that I've been studying the line I've yet to find a drawing for any LE type 4 box. The modelled examples I've seen have all been worked out from photos by the modellers concerned.

[65447]

According to the SRS Register Volume 3, the box was a GCR Type 4 with brick base measuring 28' by 12' containing an RS Tap 40-lever frame.

The Signalling Study Group's 'The Signal Box a Pictorial History and Guide to Designs', OPC, 1986, contains a textual description on pp125-6 and a photograph of the type having the same dimensions but at Ashby Magna on p125.

[Tony west]

Whetstone station box was definitely of all wooden construction !.

[William Thorpe]

Came across an interesting photo of Whetstone box in Walker's 'Great Central Twilight' photo 124 -shows it from an elevated position with the stilt supports ,walkway and rodding all visible.

Dave