Welwyn Garden City s/box 1972/73.

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Mickey
LNER V2 2-6-2 'Green Arrow'
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Re: Welwyn Garden City s/box 1972/73.

Post by Mickey »

Agree Stevie on reflection it does seem a bit of a strange thing to do on both the S&T part and on the signalman's part as well?. I didn't say anything it wasn't my place to as the 'box lad' so I just watched everything that unfolded inside and outside the box. As far as can I recall there was no 'come back' over what took place or if there was I never heard anything more said about it. Maybe old Ted Bosnall signalling manager had 'a word with the signalman over it when I wasn't around?.

A train like the 12:00 midday Kings Cross to Edinburgh in 1972 being Deltic hauled hauling a 13 or 14 coach train would have been made up of mainly B.R.Mk2 coaches with two or three B.R.Mk1 BGs in the consist as well and yes the driver did well pulling up in such a short distance after making a full emergency brake application!.

I can only presume Stevie that even though the S&T blokes could have just 'dropped the track circuit' and replicated what they wanted they also wanted to see that when no.23 lever was returned back in the frame and the signal arm correspondingly returned to danger before the track circuit through the station was showing occupied if that would still put the colour light signal outside the box to red/danger which it did.
Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
Mickey
LNER V2 2-6-2 'Green Arrow'
Posts: 1192
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2019 7:27 am
Location: London

Re: Welwyn Garden City s/box 1972/73.

Post by Mickey »

Below- A early 1970s view of Welwyn Garden City station looking north from the Up slow line platform with either a Royston or Hitchin train of B.R.Mk1s arriving behind a Brush type 2 (class 31) along the Up slow line from Digswell where it would have been turned off the Up fast line at the south end of the Welwyn viaduct by Welwyn North box.

The colour light signals seen standing outside the box were of LNER heritage and were applicable to the Down fast line and Down slow line/Down goods line and were usually unlit and would only 'light up' or become illuminated when either track circuits 200 yards on the approach side to either the Down fast line outer home signal no.22 or the Down slow line outer home signal no.8 (both signals were carried on the same bracket post signal) and sited just beyond the tall Twentieth mile bridge would show occupied after which they would both remain illuminated on the Down fast line until all the track circuits up to the Down fast line starting signal no.24 were showing clear again (or not showing occupied) and on the Down slow line after a train had passed the signal and entered onto the Down goods line beyond the box when they both would be unlit again. The Down slow line/Down goods line search light type signal was worked off no.10 lever which necessitated either pressing button A for the Down slow/Down goods line or button B for the 'turn out from the Down slow to Down fast line which also illuminated the 'feathers' (route lights) on no.10 signal towards no.24 the Down fast line starting signal with both A & B buttons being mounted on the block shelf directly above no.10 lever.

The Down fast line x2 aspect colour light signal (outside the box) WASN'T worked off a lever in the box because it was kind of a 'auto signal' which also acted as Welwyn North's Down fast line outer distant signal with the inner distant signal being a 'motorised' semaphore distant signal beneath the WGC semaphore starting signal no.24. Under normal or any circumstances a train on the Down fast line running through WGC station COULDN'T be stopped at that colour light signal because a train would only approach that signal when it was either showing a single yellow with no.24 signal at danger or a double-yellow with no.24 signal showing off but Welwyn North's inner distant signal at caution or green with both no.24 signal showing off and Welwyn North's inner distant signal showing off as well.

The barrow crossing seen outside the box lasted until the late 1970s after which it was removed on safety grounds as it was occasionally used by members of the public as a 'short cut' into the town centre.

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Original start date of 2010 on the LNER forum and previously posted 4500+ posts.
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