Roy Revell has shut the signalbox

[Mickey]

I do like the slang name for Cambridge Junction s/box 'the junk shop' was that only your dad who called the box that or was it know by that name by all the other Hitchin regular and relief signalmen in the area?.

The fairly large Cambridge Junction box that stood beside the Up Goods line near the V of the junction to the Cambridge branch north of Hitchin station and opposite Hitchin diesel depot stood guard to the entrance to the GNRs 'racing grounds' north of Hitchin towards Three Counties box and beyond towards Peterborough and it was always a great sight to see especially a Deltic hauled Up express getting a 'signals check' on the approach to Cambridge Junction after a Down Cambridge 'parly' had been crossed over in front of it through the flat junction onto the Cambridge branch. Once the Down parly had cleared the facing junction points the Down slow to Down Cambridge branch stop signal on the Cambridge Junction signal gantry would be replaced to danger and the various locking bar & points levers would be thrown back and forth in the lever frame with the 'boards' for the Up fast line through Hitchin on the Cambridge Junction home signal(s) gantry being 'whipped off' pretty smartly for the Up express with 'the yards distant signal' coming off as well at the same time as the Up express with it's rake of B.R. Mk1s & Mk2s behind the loco that was nearly down to a walking pace slowly got underway again passed Cambridge Junction box and headed south through Hitchin station with clouds of Deltic exhaust fumes heading skywards!!.

The early 1970s on the GN main line...

Mickey

[R. pike]

A couple of diagrams of CJ..

It was a pleasure to have Roy come to Ely North Junction with his son a few years back.

[Mickey]

The top track diagram I believe was only a temporary diagram circa 1975(?) and the bottom track diagram is pre Cadwell box closing circa 1969/70.

I knew Cambridge Junction and the Hitchin area overall better between 1970-1974.

Mickey