Signals at Gobowen

24/9/05

Gobowen station looking towards Shrewsbury, with the up innerhome in the foreground. The slotting equipment can still be seen on the signal post, from the days when it had a lower-arm distant for Gobowen South. Only the North signalbox remains nowadays, though the station buildings and platform canopies are well looked-after. Beyond the station is the connection to the Oswestry branch. The lack of a shunting signal on the down line by the branch connection is a little odd. The route indicators on the position-light to the right of the crossover suggests that this signal is used to control moves to the branch, though this would seem to imply that trains arriving from Shrewsbury to reverse that way would have to cross the level crossing twice.

Here is the signalbox, note the modernised windows.

The down starter (GN4) stands at the end of its platform, diagonally opposite the signalbox over the leve crossing. It is unusual both for a signal so close to the box to be motor operated and to position the motor higher up the post - this was apparently done to avoid having any wires too easy for vandals to tamper with. Note the ground disc on the right for shunting moves from the up platform over the crossover.

The view towards Wrexham from the up platform. The signals shown here, plus GN4, are the only semaphores that now remain. Somewhat ironically. both signals in the up direction are lower quadrants while those for the down are all upper quadrants!

The down advanced starter and up outerhome.

A closer view of the Oswestry branch junction. The banner repeater for the down starter can also be seen on the right, while the colour-light up starter and down home can be seen beyond the junction.

A closer view of the branch line and its bay platform, taken from the down platform. If this line is preserved this will become a convenient terminus for its trains.

The down starter pulled off for a passing freight train.

My thanks to Nick Allsop for clarifying the reason for GN4 being motor operated.