Signals at Toddington

14/9/05

Toddington is the main station on the GW(S)R. This is the view from the station footbridge towards Winchcombe, with a train preparing for departure from the up platform.

The up innerhomes bracket, with the station throat beyond.

The down advanced starter.

The up home, with the rear of the above signal visible beyond it.

Between the up home and innerhome is this shunt disc. It can read either along the main line, as here (this is known as a "running shunt") or into the yard. The points, and the latter move, are controlled from a ground frame released from the signalbox. For normal running movements, it is controlled by lever 1 in the signalbox - there can't be many boxes where lever 1 controls a running shunt!

The signalbox here is the original GWR one, though its original lever frame had been removed so it now contains the one from Earlswood Lakes. The signalman prepares to hand the single-line token to our driver.

The down starter, with the advanced starter visible beyond.

The up distant.

The far end of the station, and headshunt beyond.

The headshunt starter, which has a "cash register" route indicator similar to the one at Worcester Shrub Hill.

The calling-on signal cleared to allow a loco to shunt onto its train in the up platform.

Inside the signalbox.

The box diagram, and some of the instruments and indicators on the block shelf.

A close-up of part of the block shelf. The leftmost indicator is a signal repeater; the adjacent one indicates whether the ground frame release lever can be operated. In the centre is the Winchcombe block bell, and on the right is a signal lamp (lit/out) indicator. The plungers below the instruments are used to activate the electrical releases for levers that can be locked electrically by other equipment.

A view of the interior from a different angle.

A selection of signal lever leads (description plates). The small numbers below the lever function descriptions indicate other levers that have to be pulled before this one can be - hence the term 'leads'.
The short pillar behind with the handle allows the signalman to adjust the tension in the wire to the associated

A close-up of the lever lead on the left, an ex-GWR brass style. This is the lever that allows the signalbox to 'switch out', after which signals can be cleared to allow the station to be used as a dead-end terminus.

The token instrument for the single-line section to Winchcombe.

More information about Toddington signalbox can be found at the following sites: