Signals at (Lincoln) Pelham Street Junction

March 1983

Pelham St Junction. To the top left is the former GC line to Wrawby Jct and Grimsby, while the GN & GE Joint line to Sleaford and Spalding heads away towards the top of the photo, past Sincil Bank level crossing and signalbox.
The line from Newark and St Marks station entered at the bottom right and continued to become the Wrawby Jct line at Durham Ox Junction (left of the shunter loco). There was also a DMU depot just beyond there. The sidings immediately left of Sincil Bank are the stub of the former line to Bardney.

The view towards Central station, with High Street signalbox and crossing visible at the far end.
The signal in the foreground was the down starter, which admitted trains into Central station. The route indicator below the calling-on arm lit up to indicate which line the train was signalled onto.

A closer view towards Sincil Bank. In the right foreground is Pelham St Jct's co-acting down main home.

The signalbox. The down home from St Marks can just be seen on the right.

The view towards Wrawby Junction, with Durham Ox Junction in the foreground. The up outer and intermediate homes can be seen beyond the junction signal.

The junction signal for trains departing from Central station, with the signalbox beyond the bridge.

The throat of Central station. Note the angle cranks in the point rodding at the bottom left.

Inside the signalbox. The stirrups in the lever frame operated detonator placers.

The block shelf. The block instruments for the GN & GE Jt line were at this end - five to High Street and two for the double line to Sincil Bank - while those for the St Marks to Wrawby Jct line were on the far side of the diagram.

The two instruments on the right were for the two tracks to Sincil Bank, while the left-hand pair were the peggers for the up main and Platform 5 lines from High Street. Between the instruments were bell tappers; there was only one tapper for Sincil Bank because one bell can always be shared between a pair of simple double track lines.
The indicators on the front of the block shelf were a combination of signal repeaters (ones with red in the top halves of the dials) and point indicators (white). Indicators like these were positioned directly above the levers whose equipment they indicated. The lever numbers were shown on the circular white labels.

The signalbox diagram. Central station was at the top left, with the line from St Marks below and the lines to Wrawby Jct and Sleaford on the right.
Two of the track circuit indicators were lit up to show there are trains standing in platforms 2 and 3 at the station.

Block instruments and Welwyn control release

The block instruments for the Newark - Wrawby Jct line. The BR instrument on the left worked to St Marks Station; Monks Abbey was then the next signalbox towards Wrawby Jct.
The circular metal box with a winding handle below the St Marks instrument was a Welwyn Control Release. Welwyn Control is a system which interlocks the signals and block instruments with track circuits. Basically, the entry signalbox can only clear its section signal when line clear has been pegged up on the block instruments, and once a train has been signalled the exit signalbox cannot peg another line clear until the arrival of the previous train has been detected by track circuits and the home signal at the end of the section has been replaced to danger. But if, for example, clearance has been given for a train to run but this then needs to be cancelled, eg if the train is unexpectedly delayed, after unpegging the line clear the controls have to be manually reset before another train (or the same one) can be signalled. To do this, the signaller has to wind the release handle continuously for approximately two minutes - enough time to allow second thoughts if appropriate!

The non-pegging instruments for the lines through Central station to High Street.

The end of the lever frame tread plates, with its GNR frame number and Tyer's manufacturing signature.

A pair of mechanical repeaters for the up homes at Sincil Bank. Interesting that the indicator for the Grantham line signal had survived despite that line having been closed many years previously.

A selection of lever leads. Signal 62 was the down starter, controlling entrance to Central station. It was called a directing signal because the same lever operated routes onto more than one line: the signal's route indicator lit up accordingly depending on how the points were set. (The more usual arrangement is to have separate levers for each route.) The white stripe painted on the signal lever meant it was a section signal that could only been cleared when the appropriate block instrument was showing line clear, as stated on its lead. Signal 59 was the calling-on arm beneath no 62. Because this was for signalling trains into occupied platforms, it could only be cleared when the corresponding block instrument showed line occupied.

24-26/6/08

The station throat from the station footbridge.

The up homes, with the junction signal beyond.

The signalbox, seen from the road overbridge.

A close-up of the junction signal, another one which had been renewed like-for-like. The distant on the right had been retained for an IB signal on the line to Metheringham.

The diverging lines eastwards. Quite a contrast with the first photo on this page!

The line to Metheringham. Sincil Bank level crossing is now worked by CCTV.

The line towards Wrawby Junction, with still the same three down homes, and up starter. New colour-light signals for arriving trains can be seen just before the down outerhome, while beyond the up starter is a new facing crossover that will allow down trains to run directly into the up platforms. The doll on the innerhome that had previously carried the signal for St Marks still remained, long shorn of its arm.

The down starter.

The view into the station from Sincil Bank level crossing.

The up advanced starter on the line towards Wrawby Junction.

The station throat from the road overbridge.