The LNER Encyclopedia

I've been watching quite a few 'cab view' videos on YouTube recently, particularly those on secondary or cross-country lines (eg: Manchester to Sheffield, Manchester to Hull, Manchester to Chester via Northwich). I was pleased to see that pockets of semaphore signals remain and have noticed that they are normally in association with major crossings still controlled by signal cabins. One exception is Greenford Junction, which still has ex-GWR style lower quadrants. Are there any lines, or locations, still predominantly controlled by semaphores?

Greenford box to the west of London on the former GWR route from Old Oak Common Junction through West Ruislip towards High Wycombe and Banbury is an interesting little location that still retains a few B.R. western region lower quadrant signals as you mentioned.

Another area in north west London that still retains a small number of semaphore signals to this day this time being upper quadrant signals is the predominantly freight line that runs between Acton Wells Junction and Dudding Hill which then fringes with West Hampstead power box on the Midland main line. After leaving Acton Wells Junction which has had a 'workstation' installed for several years now which replaced a small NX panel that was installed around 1989 which in turn replaced a North London Railway 'stirrup lever frame' the other s/boxes on the Acton Wells Junction-Dudding Hill branch are Acton Canal Wharf, Neasden Junction & Dudding Hill all those three boxes are of Midland Railway origin although after a Network Rail refurbishment job performed on those three boxes about 10-15 years ago any original character that was left with those boxes was swept away!.

On a personal note I worked Acton Wells when it was a lever frame box for about a year between 1988-89 and then for about a year after the NX panel was installed during 1989-90 when I was a relief signalman around the North London line back then which also included working Acton Canal Wharf & Neasden Junction amongst a small number of other boxes around the North London line although I never worked Dudding Hill because at that time Dudding Hill was still part of the West Hampstead area and it wasn't one of 'our boxes' although it did become one of our boxes later on in the 1990s by which time I had come off the relief and had gone back as a resident signalman again.

Pyewipe Junction wrote: ↑Mon Oct 21, 2019 12:35 amAre there any lines, or locations, still predominantly controlled by semaphores?

There are still a fair number, but they are going down like flies. If you want to see semaphore-controlled large stations, try Shrewsbury and Worcester.

John

I noticed yesterday that most of Buxton to Stockport still has semaphores.