When the West Somerset Railway was re-opened in stages, the old signal box at Crowcombe had long been demolished and with the planned re-instatement of the passing loop, a replacement needed to be found. Very fortunately, the old box at Ebbw Vale Sidings (South) that had been in use as an office, became available and was brought to Crowcombe on a low loader.

The old original site was excavated, a new concrete base and rear wall constructed and a new brick locking room professionally built. The wooden operating room from Ebbw Vale was craned on top and the lever frame which had been acquired from Frome (North) installed. The resulting signal box was commissioned in May, 1994, and after track re laying in the loop, trains again passed each other at Crowcombe

This picture shows the new locking room being professionally built.

The box Operating room had been acquired from Ebbw Vale Sidings South and had been brought by low loader to the station site and offloaded onto the old siding loading bank. Here, initial work was done on it before it was lifted onto a Weltrol wagon and hauled by a Class 14 diesel, (visible in the up platform), into a position from where it could be craned onto the newly built brick base.

The box Operating room being craned onto a Weltrol wagon from its temporary resting place on the old loading bank.

Base construction is complete and the Operating Room has been craned into place. Things are beginning to take shape but there is a long way to go.

As well as the box itself, the signals had to be fabricated and installed before signal wires and point rodding could be connected. The Great Western Society (Taunton) Group were a tower of strength and took on the former task. Here, David Hartland is welding the bracket that will become the Down platform starting signal.