The LNER Encyclopedia

I am located on the GN sections of the ECML and post to a number of Yahoo posting sites with daily movements etc.

A number of members over the past couple of years have also been involved in recording the signs that the LNER placed lineside, at relevant distance or positions, to give notice to passengers... e.g.... London to Edinburgh - Halfway, YORK with Directional arrow...LONDON 100Miles etc.

A Fotopic site has been set up to record existing signs and hopefully removed or historical signs. http://lnerlinesidesigns.fotopic.net/

I wonder if any members on this forum have any anecdotes, memories or pictures that would be of interest with the collection.

Steve W

I remember that in about 1976 I visited the former Relly Mill triangular junction just south of Durham.I approached it by a narrow lane and found the LNER wooden signalbox nameboard "BAXTER WOOD N0 2" fixed to the fence with the "N0 2" removed. In the middle of the triangle there were 2 LNER cut out signs <--- BISHOP AUCKLAND and <----CONSETT lying felled in the long grass. I never went there again and don't know what happened to them, although I tried lifting one corner and couldn't move it, so if anyone did move it they'd need a crane! Since the site was landscaped I suppose they may have just bulldozed soil over them?

Any photos showing Stainmoor summit sign in situ?

There is a picture of the Summit sign being felled with an Oxy Acetylene torch in Ken Hoole's book "The Stainmore Railway" by Dalesman, and of course there are photos in Peter Walton's book on the line.

Seen some photos possibly those.

What I am looking for is an situ shot of the sign itself rather than as a background detail.
Reason for asking is our group is looking at the possibility of erecting a pair of brand new signs on the NYMR at Goathland Summit at either side of the track.
We are using the Stainmoor sign as a base to copy from, as the lettering span will be of approximately the right length.
The sign in the NRM has also been measured for confirmation.

Does anybody have any detail on below ground foundations for signs like these?

There were other lineside mileage signs off of the GN. Are there plans to include these?

Bryan wrote:Seen some photos possibly those.

What I am looking for is an situ shot of the sign itself rather than as a background detail.
Reason for asking is our group is looking at the possibility of erecting a pair of brand new signs on the NYMR at Goathland Summit at either side of the track.
We are using the Stainmoor sign as a base to copy from, as the lettering span will be of approximately the right length.
The sign in the NRM has also been measured for confirmation.

Does anybody have any detail on below ground foundations for signs like these?

The shot of the sign being torched through in Ken Hoole's book is (by definition) an in situ photo, and there are two very clear photos of it in Peter Walton's definitive history of the line. Although I've never seen a LNER official drawing of it I would guess such a sign might have 4 feet underground buried in concrete. As far as I remember the other Summit sign is in Darlington North Road museum.Since the S&DR sign at Darlington was a New replacement" have you considered tracking down it's makers? They must have dimensioned drawings.

We have a copy of the drawing done of the Stainmoor sign, which is dimensioned.
It is going to be the same size due to letter count.
But its the below ground detail that is lacking.
We may end up planting a couple of 20ft pieces of rail as support.

Concrete or bloomin' great land-ties for your summit sign. Depends on the ground conditions where you are going to plant it. Stainmore is predominantly peat that is heavy and stodgy when wet so for the effort involved I'd hazard a guess on land-ties up there. It all depends on what the NYMR summit conditions are like - oh and don't forget to look at the direction of the prevailing winds before making a judgement call. Best of luck with that project.

It could be rock but seeing that the location is just to the side of Fenbog then the name might give a clue to the possible ground conditions.

After Steve's original posting, the LNER Lineside Signs Survey fotopic site became unavailable until further notice.
A new Yahoo Flickr site has been opened here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60710035@N02/
Click on 'SETS' for the images at individual locations. Comments and indeed any other contributions including images old & new are welcomed. The Survey has also compiled a locations list for these distinctive trackside markers along the London King's Cross - Edinburgh route.
To our knowledge, going north from King's Cross the first such marker was a rarely photographed single 'London 20 Miles' on the Down side just north of Twentieth Mile Bridge, Welwyn Garden City which may have been removed late 1960s / early 1970s.

Regards Alan

Just 2 thoughts - since the Stainmore Summit signs were torched that means the foundations will still be there, at least on the far side from the A66? I've read that someone (the Stainmore Railway?) has a plan to re-erect a Stainmore sign - that will be great news for scrap metal thieves in the area!
Also was the "S&DR" sign at Darlington either moved or new? There'd be some record of the foundations if it was.

I mentioned a while back that we were providing the NYMR with new summit signs at Goathland summit near the Lyke Wake Walk footpath crossing.
Well a sign of progress has appeared.
Currently our tame welder is fabricating the crossbar for the height detail, as can be seen in the photo. Also we have had made the stencils to mark out the steelwork for cutting out.

In the photo we have the height detail stencil in place as a trial fit.
It will be a while before we cut them though and the main wording is arched as in the Stainmore original but not enough room available to layout fully at the moment.
The plate is just over 16 ft in length. The legs for the foundations are on the floor.
We will be providing 2 signs 1 for each side of the line.

As a further point my Snowplough 18 is the vehicle at the top of the photo, makes a bit of a connection with Stainmore.

It may be wishful thinking, but anyone else have any comment on a vague idea of mine that there used to be a large "London 1 Mile"(+ arrow) ER blue enamel sign on the front of one of the Holloway North signal boxes; North Up I seem to think?

Yes there was, and I'm sure I have a photo of it somewhere. I can remember the large blue "Doncaster" sign which used to be on Marshgate Goods signalbox till it closed in 1979 too.