SIGNALLING
AROUND THE
JUNCTION
BY ALAN
ROBERTS
This page is compiled and maintained by Alan Roberts who has been a Relief Signalman in the Llandudno Junction area since 1981, also a railway signalling historian for North Wales and Corresponding Member LNWR lines Chester to Holyhead & Branches for the Signalling Record Society
If you have any details regarding signalling around the Llandudno area which you think would be of interest please contact Alan on alnrbrts9@aol.com
Have a look at my photo collections at
MY
PHOTO GALLERY
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November 24th 2007
NANT HALL
The box opened in 1936 and was merely a second-hand LNW signal hut placed on
a brick base measuring 11ft 4ins x 6ft. It contained an REC 4 1/2" tappet
frame of 5 levers which, unusually, although the cabin was raised, were ground
frame style and placed parallel with the running lines. The signalman faced
Talacre, rather than the trains, when working. The opening times for the box was
merely for the Summer Saturdays traffic.
The box, unusually for this area, only controlled the down lines as trains on
the up were not planned to be so bunched together !. However, whilst watching
the up trains go by but without being involved in their movement, Nant Hall
signalmen still had to observe any emergencies and advise adjacent boxes by
telephone if action was required.
The down slow line between Mostyn and Prestatyn was closed to traffic on the
19th March 1967 during the "rationalization" rage, which left Nant
Hall with just two working levers for the remainder of its life.
The box lasted until the 1970's; with 1973 being the last summer the box was
used. In early December 1975 the block instruments were removed and formal
closure came into effect a couple of weeks later on the 16th December. The
wooden hut then became "third hand" as a shed in the garden of
Tyn-y-Morfa crossing further up the line until the 1990's
The first signalman who opened the box was Bill Jolley who retired as a Relief
Signalman in 1980. Other Relief Signalmen used to tell me that when the box
opened on its first day during the Summer the place was infested with flies and
cobwebs !
The photograph below shows the exterior of Nant Hall box
(courtesy of John Powell)
and my diagrammatic view of the main line track layout.
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November 6th 2007.
Interior view shot of Deganwy Quay Crossing GF taken in April
2003 showing the 1 lever GF operating the gate lock for gates. The lever when in
the normal position as shown in the photograph locked the gates across the
roadway. Additionally the lever in this position was electrically locked from
the signalbox
at Deganwy enabling signals to be cleared.
CLICK THUMBNAIL
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November 6th 2007.
The photo below shows Colwyn Bay signalbox prior to it's demolition
at about 04.00 hrs on
Sunday 19th March 2000.
The signalbox was taken out of use from Saturday 2nd November 1991 and a new
signalling controlled from Llandudno Junction took over a week later.
CLICK THUMBNAIL
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September 6th 2007.
A 1966 view of the old signalbox at Llanfairfechan is shown
below.
It was in use as a cabin for the permanent way. The signalbox itself
closed way back in 1889
when a newer one opened and located on the up platform.
The new box arrived from Abergele as a second hand structure following
alterations there.
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July 6th 2007.
Below is part of an old plan
of Llandudno Junction No2 in 1924 showing proposed alterations to be carried out
.
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June 2nd 2007.
Below is a diagrammatic view
of the lever frame and block shelf layout of Colwyn Bay signalbox
before first lot of alterations took place in 1980.
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May 30th 2007.
Below is an extract of the weekly operating notice showing the opening of the
new box at
Llandudno Junction Crossing in 1950.
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April 12th 2007.
Interior
view of Rhyl No2 taken in 1987.
Alan Roberts
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April 11th 2007.
Photo
(1) shows the signalbox at Penmaenmawr in 1984 before they put new windows
in.
The second photo shows the original LNWR block instruments inside.
(1)
(2)
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April 11th 2007.
Below
are two views of the fixed distant signal for Llandudno Junction coming off the
Conwy Valley line. It was an LNWR style fixed distant signal on a timber post
although the original 'corrugated' style signal arm had been renewed sometime in
the 1960's. The signal remained in use until the 16th November 1980 when it was
replaced by a 'working colour light' distant signal located further back as part
of the Llandudno Junction East End remodelling.
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April 4th 2007.
Below is a diagram of Tal-Y-Cafn Station , level crossing and signalling.
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March 16th 2007.
Two
views of Llanrwst signalbox :
First picture shows the Single Line Train Staff exchanged between the Signalman
and the Train Crew. Here it shows two trains passing in the loop at Llanrwst in
1979 with Relief Signalman Glyn Thomas and Guard Gilbert Owen exchanging the
Staffs over from the Llandudno Junction - Llanrwst to the Llanrwst - Blaenau
Ffestiniog sections.
The second photo taken in 1981 shows the Staff Instrument for Blaenau Ffestiniog
with the new and present token instrument not in use on the left of the picture.
The new token instrument to the Blaenau Ffestiniog section of the line was
commissioned in November 1981.
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Two
photos showing the new freight terminal at Llandudno Junction under construction
in 1980. This was built to compensate the loss of the one at Colwyn Bay which
was to disappear for the A55 road construction and the yard at Llandudno
Junction (now occupied by Iceland and Netto stores)
The area of land for the new yard was originally a brickwork site which disappeared
in the early 1940's. The connection to the Blaenau Ffestiniog line
was moved nearer to Colwyn Bay ; a section of track can be seen in the
foreground of the photo and the new alignment beyond forming a new curve. The
old branch connection beneath Queens Road bridge became an extension from the
holding sidings alongside the station and leading to the new yard. The new yard
had 3 sidings ; coal road, crane traffic, and oil. These fell into disuse in the
1990's and was thereafter used for storing wagons.
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A
1979 view of Llandudno Junction Platform 1 home signal showing its unusual
design to enable drivers to observe it when trains stand beneath the station
canopy. Originally it carried 3 miniature arms reading left to right - Along Up
Slow , Up Slow to Up Fast, Up Slow to Branch (Blaenau Ffestiniog). It was
modified following the remodelling of the east end of Llandudno Junction 1967/68
to carry one full size arm. The signal survived until 16th November 1980 when it
was replaced by a colour light.
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March 12th 2007.
Photo taken on 12th October 2000 shows new
signals reading from platform 3 at Llandudno. The two new posts on the right
replaced the signals seen to the left of the photograph. The signals on the left
located on a bracket had been moved twice in over 30 years. Firstly they were
located by Queens Road bridge acting as up fast home 2 signals for Llandudno
Junction No1. They were removed in the late 1968 and moved to Llandudno to form
platform 4 and 5 starting signals. During the remodelling and resignalling of
Llandudno in 1978 they were moved again to form new platform 3 starting signals.
The signals were finally abolished on Sunday 29th October 2000 and replaced by
the present 2 post signals located to the right of the running line. The main
arm (lever 7) reads to the up main and the miniature arm to the right of it
(lever 8) reads to the down sidings.
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March 12th 2007.
Photo of Llandudno signalbox getting refurbished in early 2003.
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December 9th 2006.
Picture shows Mochdre & Pabo signalbox. It was a tiny box to split the section between Colwyn Bay No2 and Llandudno Junction No1 during the summer period. The box had 10 levers numbered as "A" and 1 - 9. Originally had 8 levers when it opened in July 1904.The "A" and 9 levers were added around 1911 when new down starting signals were added to the layout. There was also a siding off the up slow which served the Garth Shale Quarry nearby but fell into disuse and were lifted by 1944. Marl Siding off the down slow near Pensarn Bridge at Llandudno Junction was also released from this box but was transferred to Colwyn Bay No2 when switched out. Marl Siding closed during 1962/63 and was lifted in 1964.
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October 18th 2006.
A
view of Colwyn Bay No2 signal box taken about 1960.
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September 5th 2006.
The Down Main Fixed Distant signal for
Llandudno is due for renewal quite soon to a reflectorised
distant board seen here on Tuesday 5th September 2006.
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1948 box roster for Llandudno No2 signal box. is reproduced
below.
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A 1981 photo below showing the former down
starting signal for Colwyn Bay box (lever 32). View shows prior to the
commissioning to colour light signals in May 1981. The new signal with a
"X" on it was to become CB33. Six months later a new I.B.
(Intermediate Block) signal was commissioned at Mochdre which became CB32. With
the closure of Colwyn Bay box on the 2nd November 1991 the control of this
signal was transferred to Llandudno Junction and re-plated LJ53. Also the
picture shows the main lines running on what is now the A55 and the old Brompton
Avenue bridge can be seen in the background. A new bridge was built here to span
the new A55 and the realigned railway located to the right of this picture. The
old bridge was then demolished using explosive charges during a weekend
possession of the line.
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Below is a self portrait of me working Rhyl
No2 in 1984. This box had a frame of 126 levers, the largest in the area. The
box closed on the 25th March 1990. Nowadays it stands boarded up and has a Grade
2 listed status.
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A 1960's signalling diagram of Conway Morfa is shown below. The main functions of the box was the control of the down sidings to the stone quarries on Conwy Mountain. The siding on the up side led to the gas works.
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Below
is a list of signalboxes in the Llandudno Junction
area during the 1960’s with closure dates.
|
Signalbox |
Type |
No
of Levers |
Closed |
|
PENMAENMAWR |
BR BRICK |
25 |
STILL OPEN |
|
|
LNW
COMPOSITE |
20 |
|
|
|
LNW
COMPOSITE |
25 |
|
|
LLANDUDNO
JUNCTION NO2 |
LNW
COMPOSITE |
154 (A+ 1-153) |
|
|
LLANDUDNO
JUNCTION NO1 |
LNW
COMPOSITE |
101 (A,B + 1-99) |
|
|
LLANDUDNO
JUNCTION CROSSING |
LMS
ALL WOOD |
10 |
|
|
DEGANWY
NO1 |
LNW
COMPOSITE |
26 |
|
|
DEGANWY
NO2 |
LNW
COMPOSITE |
18 |
STILL OPEN |
|
LLANDUDNO
NO1 |
LNW
COMPOSITE |
15 |
|
|
LLANDUDNO
NO2 |
LNW
COMPOSITE |
86
(Reduced to 34 as from April 1978) |
STILL OPEN |
|
LLANRWST |
LNW
COMPOSITE |
20 |
STILL OPEN |
|
MOCHDRE
& PABO |
LNW
ALL WOOD |
10 |
|
|
COLWYN
BAY NO2 |
LNW
COMPOSITE |
45 |
|
|
COLWYN
BAY NO1 |
LNW
COMPOSITE |
20 |
|
|
|
BR
LM TYPE 15 |
35 |
|
|
OLD
COLWYN |
LNW HUT |
6 |
|
|
LLYSFAEN |
LNW
ALL BRICK |
25 |
|
|
LLANDULAS |
LNW
COMPOSITE |
26 |
|
|
ABERGELE |
LNW
COMPOSITE |
60 |
STILL OPEN
|
Notes:
Llandudno Junction new box opened 9th-11th February 1985 replacing No. 2 box.
Conway Morfa, Deganwy No.1,Llandudno No.1,Mochdre and Pabo & Llandulas
boxes were classified as seasonal i.e. only manned during the summer or as
required.
Colwyn Bay No.1 & 2 boxes were replaced by the new box located at the end
of the up platform.
The up slow line between Llandudno junction No.1 and Colwyn Bay No.2 was taken
out of use from July 3rd. 1967.
Down
slow line between Colwyn Bay No.2 and Llandudno Junction No.1 was taken out of
use from July 31st 1967. (Portion retained at the Colwyn Bay end and used as a
headshunt)
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Below is an interior view of the old Llandudno Junction signalbox in 1982. This was the former No2 box and was the largest on the coast. Evidence can be seen in the photo of a space at the station end where levers 1 to 45 were removed during the 1968 remodelling of Llandudno Junction.During its heyday it was double manned on early and late turns. A box lad was employed during its latter years as a working box to deal with the train register book and telephone work. This job was carried on through with the new box until 1991 to cover additional telephone work in conjunction with work sites during the A55 road construction.
Another interior view of
Llandudno Junction old box, this time in March 1984. Further remodelling had
taken place by this time and the box had approximate 11 months to go before
its replacement took over. Most of the semaphore signals at the east
end of the station had been converted over to colour lights during the east
end remodelling of 1980 and 1983 and the platform starting signals at
the signalbox end of the station.
Below is a diagramatic map of the Llandudno Junction area showing siding connections and boxes - this is purely a map showing the main connections and not the full layouts.
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Below is a photograph of the new Llandudno Junction signalbox under construction during 1984. It also shows the old box (formerly No2 box) during its final months before its closure. The new box actually arrived in sections by train to Llandudno Junction and was second hand from the redundant West Hampstead Resignalling Scheme in the late 1970's. It was also the last box of its type to be constructed by the then London Midland Region of British Rail ; a type which was introduced in 1954 and lasted until 1983. Colwyn Bay new signalbox was another example in the area.
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Llandudno Junction new box taken in 1992 on a glorious Sunday morning!.
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Below is the newly refurbished box at Deganwy taken on 5th April 2004. The work was carried out by SERCO and was completed by May 2002.
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An interesting signalling diagram of Llanrwst dated 1960 is shown below
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The diagram below shows Llysfaen 1960
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Below is a signalling diagram of the small box at Old Colwyn.
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This 1978 view of Colwyn Bay signalbox shows Frank Griffiths on duty. Frank was a relief for few years until 1981 when I took over his job after been working 5 years previously in Llandudno Juction and Colwyn Bay stations. By this time Colwyn Bay box controlled a full layout including up and down loops and no colour light signals in sight apart from the up distant signal. trains were regulated here at times and trains for the goods yard, now occupied by the A55 and the Bay View Shopping Centre
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Further up the line at Llysfaen this 1980 photo shows Dennis Delaney signalling a down train which was passing the box.
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COLWYN BAY No1 Signalbox.
Colwyn Bay No1 signalbox controlled the east end of the station. It opened in March1908 following the completion of the new station at Colwyn Bay. It was built to a later LNWR design and had a LNW tumbler frame of 20 levers. During the summer down trains were regulated here for either Bangor or Holyhead and the branch to Llandudno. The usual practice was, that any down trains for Bangor and Holyhead were routed here on to the down slow and trains for Llandudno were kept on the down fast ; this was done to save any conflicting movements in Llandudno Junction i.e. Llandudno bound trains could, as a result, depart from Llandudno Junction station without a requirement to regulate other sevices. In the up direction, trains from Llandudno were kept on the up slow from Llandudno Junction, again to save conflicting moves. With only two lines between Colwyn Bay No1 and Llanddulas boxes, this section became a bottleneck at times, so during busy periods the boxes at Old Colwyn and Llysfaen became very useful and provided a short headway of about a minute between trains.
Of interest was the up fast outer distant signal located approximately 1,600 yds from No1 box. The signal also acted as up fast distant signal to No2 box. With the distance for No1 box to clear the signal, it was provided with a multiple lever ; something which was quite common in certain locations on the LNWR. The first lever took up the slack while the second lever cleared the slot to the "off " position enabling No2 box to clear his signals for an up fast train.
Colwyn Bay No1 closed on the 15th September 1968 at 0525hrs ; control was then taken over by the new Colwyn Bay signalbox.
CLICK THUMB
CLICK THUMB
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COLWYN BAY No2
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Enclosed is a photo showing a LNWR Boundary
post. This example can still be seen near to Queens Road Bridge at
Llandudno Junction at the top of the path which used to run to 6G shed.
Alongside the path used to be railway allotments. I wonder how many
railwaymen, mainly shed staff have trodden on this path on their way to
work. The path brings happy memories for me during my train spotting years
in the 1960's and 1970's.
The path now leads to the multiplex cinema.
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MOCHDRE & PABO
Located
between Colwyn Bay and Llandudno Junction it was also the site of the first
water troughs ever laid down enabling LNWR engines to replenish their
tenders by scooping water from between the rails while travelling at speed.
In October 1860 experimental water trough designed by John Ramsbottom, the
LNWR locomotive engineer, was installed on the down line at Mochdre; this
was then followed for the up line. The troughs were later removed to Aber in
1871 where water was more plentiful.
A level crossing did exist here before a box was erected manned by a
crossing keeper and was located at the end of the platforms at Mochdre &
Pabo; the station opened here in 1889 comprising of two 120yds long sleeper
platform s.
In 1904 ,in conjunction with widening of the main line between Colwyn Bay
and Llandudno Junction a new box was erected between the fast lines. This
tiny box was built to a LNW Type 4 design (the last of its type before the
Type 5 was introduced). It had a LNW tumbler frame of 8 levers fitted with
an additional added around 1911 to work new down starting signals. The box
was manned mainly to split the block section between Colwyn Bay No2 and
Llandudno Junction No1 during the summer months when traffic was heavy. It
wasn't unusual to see all signals "off" for all lines as train
service was quite frequent at times with trains running "on block"
behind each other. A private siding off the up slow was put in around 1912
serving the nearby Garth shale quarry but was taken out of use during the
Second World War ; this was worked by a single lever ground frame released
by an "Annetts Key" from the box. Further down the line towards
Llandudno Junction another siding led off the down slow was released by key
and was transferred to Colwyn Bay No2 when the box was switched out. Mochdre
& Pabo box finally closed in July 1967 after being switched out since
September 1966.
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Below
is a signalling diagram of Llandudno No1 signalbox. It controlled the
Llandudno Junction end of the carriage sidings connections to the main line.
The box was seasonal and was usually opened during the summer months to
assist with the movements in and out of the sidings, known locally as Cae
Mawr sidings. The box fell into disuse in the late 1960's and was finally
closed on the 13th September 1970.
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LLANDULAS
Below
is the signalling diagram of Llandulas box (nowadays known as Llanddulas !
). This is the location where the lines were quadrupled east to Muspratts
Siding signalbox , west of Flint. Earlier proposals show that the lines
west of Llandulas to Colwyn Bay were to be widened but did not take place
and the section remained just double track. This caused some problems with
summer traffic on the main lines hence the box was only open during the
summer months during Saturdays and Monday to Friday twice a day (0900 - 1000
and 1700 - 1800 ) to relieve congestion. During the winter months coaching
stock was authorised to stable on the slow lines between Abergele and
Llanddulas due to the capacity of stabling stock in Rhyl and Llandudno
Junction carriage sheds. The slow lines between Abergele and Llandulas were
abolished on the 14th March 1965. The box lasted another 2 years before
finally closing on 20th August 1967.
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Colwyn Bay signalbox diagram 1982 following the abolition of the down sidings to make way for the new A55 road through Colwyn Bay.
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THUMBNAIL
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Enclosed is a layout inside the signalbox at Mochdre & Pabo. All of the 10 levers were in use for the main line signals.
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Picture below shows the old down fast and slow homes for Colwyn Bay No2
signalbox. These signals were one of the highest along the coast and were
replaced in the early 1950's by smaller structures on single posts. The top
