1. The S & C and Tyne Valley to Haydon Bridge-19.08.14

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2014 > 50. The S & C, Tyne Valley & Durham Coast-19 & 20.08.14 > 1. The S & C and Tyne Valley to Haydon Bridge-19.08.14

We made a ridiculously early start in absolutely foul weather. With time in hand Andy and I decided to nip off the M6 in Birmingham to 'do' Bescot Stadium station that had eluded us for a number of years. We then continued to Lancashire following the route of the Ribble Valley as far as Hellifield to then follow the entire route of the S & C to pick up the Tyne Valley at Wetheral. We spent the night in a hotel in Haydon Bridge partaking in a 'meal ordinaire' before returning to the station to take the evening air!

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Images 1-49 of 49 displayed.

Rainbow & sunrise over Bescot Yard, Bescot Stadium station footbridge
The rain was absolutely coming down when we arrived at Bescot Stadium station but amazingly the rising sun managed to find a hole in the cloud and crated this double rainbow scene looking north from the station footbridge. Notice the traffic on the elevated section of the M6 motorway in the background.
Keywords: Rainbow & sunrise over Bescot Yard, Bescot Stadium station footbridge

Andy, Bescot Stadium station
Andy and I have been trying to 'bag' Bescot Stadium station for a number years always finding ourselves passing over it on the elevated section of the M6 motorway late in the evening on our way back home never actually taking the time to detour and stop. This time we have done it even if it is in the pouring rain at six in the morning! Notice the two redundant and stored Class 08 shunters to the left just appearing above the fence.
Keywords: Andy Bescot Stadium station

Daisyfield (Station) signal box (L&Y, 1873)
According to Historic England Daisyfield signal box is 'a rare surviving example of the once numerous Saxby and Farmer Type 6' (signal box). It was built in 1873 to a rather utilitarian design but today remains a Grade II listed structure so its future is secure even when closure inevitably comes. The signal box is located to the east of Blackburn close to where the line to Hellifield diverges from the Colne Valley line.
Keywords: Daisyfield Station signal box L&Y 1873 Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway

Daisyfield (Station) signal box (L&Y, 1873) & level crossing
A view of the Moss Street level crossing in Blackburn with its controlling signal box, delightfully named Daisyfield, to the left partially obscured by the trees. The single line in the foreground heads roughly north east along the Ribble Valley ending up at Hellifield. However, at the present time passenger trains only go as far as Clitheroe with plans under discussion to extend them to the Settle and Carlisle station.
Keywords: Daisyfield Station signal box L&Y level crossing Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway

150214, NT 09.03 Manchester Victoria-Clitheroe (2N57), Whalley viaduct
The forty eight arch Whalley viaduct was took four years to build being completed in 1850. At just over half a kilometre long it remains the largest viaduct in Lancashire carrying the former Lancashire and Yorkshire line between Blackburn and Hellifield across the Calder Valley. In this view taken from the end of Whalley station 150214 approaches the station working the 2N57 09.03 Manchester Victoria to Clitheroe service.
Keywords: 150214 09.03 Manchester Victoria-Clitheroe 2N57 Whalley viaduct Northern

153307 & 150214, NT 09.03 Manchester Victoria-Clitheroe (2N57), Whalley station
Whalley station is one of a handful on the national network that having been closed, in this case by the British Transport Commission in September 1962 when passenger services were withdrawn from the Hellifield to Blackburn line, that has subsequently been reopened. In 1994 services were restored as far as Clitheroe and the station was reopened. 150307 and 150214 pause at the station working Northern's 09.03 Manchester Victoria to Clitheroe service.
Keywords: 153307 150214 09.03 Manchester Victoria-Clitheroe 2N57 Whalley station Northern Trains

Horrocksford Junction signal box (L&Y, 1873)
Horrocksford Junction signal box is another example of a superb Lancashire and Yorkshire signal box that was constructed in 1873. Its windows were replaced by UPVC units in 2008 gaining its steel steps and handrails a lot earlier in BR days. It has been announced by Network Rail that this box and the others in the area will close but no specific date has been given so they may be around for a while to come yet.
Keywords: Horrocksford Junction signal box L&Y Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway

150118, NT 11.14 Leeds-Heysham Harbour (2H84), Hellifield station
150118 approaches Hellifield station working the 2H48 11.14Leeds to Heysham Harbour Northern service. The unit is about to pass the superb 1911 Midland signal box that controls all movements around and through the station. The gantry to the left is now a rarity on the network with this one now carrying just two arms.
Keywords: 150118 11.14 Leeds-Heysham Harbour 2H84 Hellifield station Northern

150118, NT 11.14 Leeds-Heysham Harbour (2H84), Hellifield station
The 11.14 Leeds to Heysham Harbour Northern service arrives at Hellifield station being worked by 150118. Having passed the 1911 Midland box it is adjacent to the south-facing redundant bay platform. Whilst Hellifield station is a delightful example of a Midland station it is a shadow of its former self and looks very dowdy in places with overgrown platforms and tatty stonework.
Keywords: 150118 11.14 Leeds-Heysham Harbour 2H84 Hellifield station

150118, NT 11.14 Leeds-Heysham Harbour (2H84) Hellifield station
Hellifield station is a superb structure that is disproportionately large for the settlement it serves. However, the Midland Railway built it at what became a busy junction and deemed that it should be this size. Today the 1880 built structure that was designed by the esteemed and Midland Railway 'favourite' Charles Trubshaw is Grade II listed and undergoes regular maintenance to keep it looking good. However, vast swathes of the platforms surrounding the building are overgrown and spoil the overall ambiance. 150118 pauses at the station working the 11.14 Leeds to Heysham Harbour service.
Keywords: 150118 11.14 Leeds-Heysham Harbour 2H84 Hellifield station Northern

Midland Railway insignia, Hellifield station
The cast iron work that characterises Hellifield station is absolutely superb and there is plenty of it! Here, supporting the glazed roof is a section that includes a Midland Railway roundel very cleverly cast uniting the two letters. Notice the wire mesh glass panels that make up the glazed roof. These will be replacements for the original roof, one wonders what type of glass the Victorians will have installed when they built the station back in 1880?
Keywords: Midland Railway insignia Hellifield station

Settle Junction signal box (MR, 1913)
Forgive another photograph of Settle Junction but it is such a delightful structure and is extremely well maintained. I stood in a virtually identical spot some thirty-four years earlier (almost to the day!) and took a similar photograph, see...... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/29735524404/settle-junction-signal-box-midland The horrendously busy A65 is directly behind where I am standing meaning that this scene is not a peaceful as it may appear!
Keywords: Settle Junction signal box Midland Railway

Former Settle Station signal box (Preserved, Mid, 1891)
Settle station signal box was closed by BR in 1984 in an effort to cut the running costs of the line or was it to further facilitate their case for closure? Either way, the signal box was not simply destroyed but was dismantled and moved to this location slightly back from the line. It is now run as a small working museum dedicated to mechanical-era railway signalling on the Settle-Carlisle Railway being staffed and maintained by a small group of dedicated volunteers and is open to the public on a regular basis. According to the Historic England website, the Midland Type 2a box is Grade II listed box that dates from 1891 cost £235 to construct including its associated signalling, that equates to £27,000 today!
Keywords: Former Settle Station signal box Preserved, Midland Railway 1891)

158844 & 158877, NT 10.49 Leeds-Carlisle (2H86), Settle station
During the busy summer months services that traverse the Settle and Carlisle route are usually strengthened to two-car sets. Here at Settle station 158844 and 158877 arrive working the 2H86 10.49 Leeds to Carlisle service. The photograph does not reveal the many passengers waiting to board the train ready to enjoy a journey over one of the most dramatic railway lines in the country.
Keywords: 158844 158877 10.49 Leeds-Carlisle 2H86 Settle station Northern

158787 & 158844, NT 10.49 Leeds-Carlisle (2H86), Settle station
The long drag begins! 158787 and 158844 leave Settle station working the 10.49 Leeds to Carlisle service commencing its climb up to Ais Gill summit at 1,167ft in some twenty-three miles time. I took a similarly angled photograph back during my visit to Settle in 1981 but from platform level, see.... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/29735524204/x47456-07-05-glasgow-central-nottingham
Keywords: 158787 158844 10.49 Leeds-Carlisle 2H86 Settle station Northern

Horton-in-Ribblesdale station
Horton-in-Ribblesdale station is a delightfully balanced and symmetrically designed building penned by the Midland Railway company architect John Holloway Sanders. It was opened in 1876 simply named Horton to gain its present name in 1923. It was closed to passengers in 1970 under BR but following the reprive of the Settle and Carlisle line, it was reopened, along with a number of other stations on the route, in 1986. The building is now a private residence and certainly looks to be in far better condition than when I visited in 1980, see...... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/29532792604/horton-ribblesdale-station-midland
Keywords: Horton-in-Ribblesdale station

Blea Moor signal box (LMS, 1941)
On arrival at Ribblehead, I left Andy behind in an effort to get to Blea Moor signal box. In anticipation of it being quite a trek, I had borrowed my son's mountain bike and folded it up in the back of Andy's Nissan Micra using it to pedal as far as I could to the location of the box high up on the fells. The 1941 LMS box is incredibly remote with no road access with a very rough track that doubles as a footpath leading past the rear of the box. I took a less direct route as I needed a view from the front that involved some 'off-piste' cycling followed by some scrambling! The box has an interesting history that is documented, along with details on its operations, in a series of SRS videos on their website at...... https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/videoPages/BleaMoor.php
Keywords: Blea Moor signal box LMS

Blea Moor signal box (LMS, 1941)
Even on a benign but cloudy August day Blea Moor signal box is a pretty isolated place to be high up on the fells at one thousand one hundred feet and in the shadow of the bulk of Whernside over which traverses the Pennine Way long distance footpath. However, on a stormy night in December, it must be a heck of a place to work; it's no wonder that the stove pipe is at a jaunty angle!
Keywords: Blea Moor signal box LMS

Blea Moor, looking south
Looking south opposite Blea Moor signal box revel the disused down sidings that are now very overgrown. The refuge siding on the up side is still very much in use that can also be accessed from the down main if so required.
Keywords: Blea Moor looking south

Blea Moor, looking north
A final view of Blea Moor signal box just before I head back towards Ribblehead to meet up with Andy again. This view makes clear why the box is dubbed Britain’s most remote signal box see..... https://www.networkrail.co.uk/stories/meet-britains-most-remote-signal-box/ Whilst the race to modernise signalling continues apace plans to re-signal this incredible railway line are some year away yet.
Keywords: Blea Moor looking north

66199, 12.40 Newbiggin-Arpley-West Burton (4B13), Ribblehead station
With some welcome sunshine just catching the fells in the background but not the passing train 66199 passes Ribblehead station. It is leading the 4B13 12.40 12.40 Newbiggin to West Burton power station gypsum empties. Ribblehead station closed in May 1970 as the line was being run down as plans for closure took shape but reopened again in 1986 following the saving of the line. Today, the station is leased by the Settle and Carlisle Railway Trust and is put to a variety of uses including holiday accommodation, a museum and a café.
Keywords: 66199 12.40 Newbiggin-Arpley-West Burton gypsum 4B13 Ribblehead station

Dent station
Some summer sunshine brightens the scene at Dent station. Andy is seen taking a photograph of the large wooden sign just out of shot proclaiming that the station is the highest in England at one thousand one hundred and fifty feet. The station reopened back in 1986 along with many others on this dramatic and scenic line mainly for tourists as, in this case, the station is somewhat divorced from any settlement. The station building has been used for holiday accommodation that unfortunately, my wife seemed singularly uninterested in renting out for a week when I told her all about it; I can't understand why?
Keywords: Dent station

158796, NT 12.49 Leeds-Carlisle (2H88), Dent station
With the cloud having obscured the sun again it's a little gloomy up on the high fells at Dent station. Northern's 158796 pauses working the 2H88 12.49 Leeds to Carlisle service. The remoteness of Dent station is clear in this image as are the ramshackle remains of the snow fences off to the left. I must have stood in almost exactly the same position back in the summer of 1980 to take this photograph, see.... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/29532792004/x40047-down-freight-dent-station
Keywords: 158796 12.49 Leeds-Carlisle 2H88 Dent station Northern

Garsdale signal box & station (Mid, 1908)
Garsdale station is located very close to the summit of the Settle and Carlisle route being at an altitude of just over one thousand one hundred feet above sea level. It must have represented real solace for train crews to reach this remote outpost as it offered a place of safety in the form of sidings and loops if a locomotive or train had run into difficulties climbing either side of the 'Long Drag'. The 1908 Midland signal box occupies this dominant position on the down platform and looks particularly well kept as does this station in general.
Keywords: Garsdale signal box station 1908 Midland Railway

Garsdale signal box & station (Mid, 1908)
A second view of Garsdale signal box situated on the down platform of the station of the same name. This is a wild spot high up in the Yorkshire Dales at the head of Garsdale itself that stretches all the way from Sedbergh close to the M6 near to Kendal. On a summer's day such as this, despite it being dull and overcast it must be a benign place to be a signalman but on a wild and stormy night in January, it must be a very different proposition!
Keywords: Garsdale signal box station 1908 Midland Railway

158844 & 158877, NT 14.04 Carlisle-Leeds (2H93), Kirkby Stephen station
Again I have missed the sun! With the fells in the background dominated by the dramatic Mallerstang Edge 158844 and 158877 accelerate away past Kirkby Stephen signal box and the former goods shed. The pair of Northern units are working the 14.04 Carlisle to Leeds train that will continue its accent of the Long Drag over the Settle and Carlise route.
Keywords: 158844 158877 14.04 Carlisle-Leeds 2H93 Kirkby Stephen station Northern

Kirkby Stephen signal box (BR, 1974) & former goods shed
The former goods shed at Kirkby Stephen is now in use as commercial premises being occupied by a haulage company. The signal box is a relatively new structure being erected by BR in 1974 making it forty years old this year! The box was formally located at Kendal being moved to its new location a short distance over the fells. I stood in a very similar spot to this back in the spring of 1981 capturing 46229 'Duchess of Hamilton' passing with a northbound Cumbrian Mountain Express, see ..... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/30022686219/x5-46229-outward-leg-cumbrian-mountains. Notice that the down home signal post has been shortened somewhat during the intervening thirty-three years but apart from that little has changed!
Keywords: Kirkby Stephen signal box former goods shed

Kirkby Stephen station
Kirkby Stephen station building is a classically designed structure on this route being penned by John Holloway Sanders for the Midland Railway. It is located somewhat inconveniently for the nearby town being over a mile and one hundred and fifty feet above it! This was in an effort to keep the gradient of the line within planned limits with the town better served by Kirkby Stephen East station on the North Eastern Railway's Stainmore and Eden Valley lines that was shut in 1964 much to the chagrin of the local residents no doubt! Today, the station is owned and managed by the Settle and Carlisle Railway Trust, which comprehensively restored it in 2009.
Keywords: Kirkby Stephen station

Kirkby Stephen signal box (BR, 1974)
Kirkby Stephen signal box is a Type 15 London Midland signal box that was commissioned on 29.10.74 replacing an 1894 Type 2a Midland box located slightly south of this box opposite the down-home signal post. Previously named Kirkby Stephen West the present-day box, according to the SRS database, was moved from Kendal in part or as a whole but there is some debate on this.
Keywords: Kirkby Stephen signal box 1974

4979, undergoing restoration, Appleby station sidings
Having been in this spot for some years and looking a little sorry for itself, 4979 'Wootton Hall' is seen stored on a short section of track in Appleby's station car park. Built in 1930 the Hall was withdrawn from service by British Railways in the summer of 1964. It was saved from Barry's scrap lines in 1986 and then it moved between various preservation groups with little done towards restoring. Eventually, it ended up here in Cumbria at the Appleby Heritage Centre who have undertaken some preventative maintenance. I am not sure as to its future but there are talks underway with it perhaps moving to the Ribble Steam Railway in Preston.
Keywords: 4979 Appleby station sidings Wootton Hall

Appleby North signal box (LMS, 1951)
It appears that Network Rail has been undertaking some restoration and maintenance of Appleby North signal box with the 1951 LMS Type 11c+ structure looking very smart but it's a shame that the huge modern signal post and beam have been located adjacent to it! There were once a number of boxes in and around Appleby, the town even having two stations that were very close to each other. The sidings seen in this photograph lead to the Appleby Heritage Centre.
Keywords: Appleby North signal box LMS

158855, NT 15.05 Carlisle-Leeds (1E23), Appleby station
158855 arrives at Appleby station working Northern's 15.05 Carlisle to Leeds service. It is passing the impressive down home bracket signal that has two very tall dolls. The taller doll holds the down starter with the submissive one holding the shunting signal that permits access to the sidings owned by the Appleby Heritage Centre.
Keywords: 158855 15.05 Carlisle-Leeds 1E23 Appleby station Northern

158855, NT 15.05 Carlisle-Leeds (1E23), Appleby station
A busy scene at Appleby station as the 15.05 Carlisle to Leeds pauses on its journey south. The train was very crowded as it passed me standing on the platform that begs the question as to whether a two-car 158855 was sufficient for such a service during high summer? Notice the refreshment trolley that is about to be loaded on to the train via the ramp but I am not too sure how easily it would be able to move around the train given how busy it was!
Keywords: 158855 15.05 Carlisle-Leeds 1E23 Appleby station

Preserved water tower & water filler
The superbly restored Appleby water tower located at the southern end of the station. It has been restored a number of times but the Midland structure remains in good condition.
Keywords: Preserved water tower water filler

Culgaith signal box (Mid, 1908)
Culgaith is a smashing example of a Midlands Type 4a box that was opened in 1908. It stands adjacent to one of only two level crossings on the entire length of the Settle and Carlisle route. It is situated next to the former station of the same name that closed in 1970. The building remains a private residence and is an interesting structure as it is of a totally different design to the rest of those the length of the line being slightly later in its construction and designed by John Holloway Sanders in a Derby Gothic style.
Keywords: Culgaith signal box Midland Railway

Armathwaite signal box (preserved) (Mid, 1899)
Armathwaite signal box certainly stands out wearing its authentic Midland Railway yellow and brown paint scheme! Despite being closed by BR in 1983 it is still owned by Network Rail being classified as a 'non-operational heritage asset' that is leased to the Freinds of the Settle and Carlisle Line (FoSCL) who maintain it. The FoSCL also welcome visitors to the 1899 box when it is manned and appreciate a donation towards its constant maintenance programme!
Keywords: Armathwaite signal box preserved Midland Railway

Armathwaite station
Like virtually all the other stations the length of the Settle and Carlisle route Armathwaite was closed in 1970 as part of BR's managed rundown of the entire route. However, the line was reprieved and now flourishes with stations such as this reopened in 1986. The waiting room on the southbound platform looks well maintained enhanced by the bunting draped between the lamp standards. The main building on the down platform is now a private residence.
Keywords: Armathwaite station

158861, NT 14.49 Leeds-Carlisle (2H92), Low House crossing
After what had been, ostensively, a grey summer's day the sky is now clearing and some pleasant afternoon sunshine is now the offing. 156861 rushes past Low House signal box and its associated level crossing working the 2H92 14.49 Leeds to Carlisle Northern service. To take this photograph I am standing on a conveniently placed mound of land giving just a little bit of height.
Keywords: 158861 14.49 Leeds-Carlisle 2H92 Low House crossing Northern

Low House Crossing signal box (Mid, 1900)
The delightfull Low House Crossing signal box is located at a remote spot getting its name from the nearby farm of the same name. It controls the second of the two level crossings on the entire length of the Settle and Carlisle route. The Midland box dating from 1899 once enjoyed a far more open aspect with the signalman on duty able to enjoy superb views of the fells from the rear of the box but the rapid growth of the massive coniferous plantation has put paid to that!
Keywords: Low House Crossing signal box Midland Railway

Former telegraph poles and linesman's hut, Cotehill NY479512
With remnants of the railway's past infrastructure in full view, the scene near the Cumbrian village of Cotehill is almost timeless. The telegraph poles still stand that between which were once strung the length of wires linking the signal boxes together whilst the linesman's hut reminds us of another past railway activity. Linesmen walked the length of the tracks with their large hammer checking for damage and knocking any loose keys back into place. These once plentiful huts complete with their small coal fire provided an opportunity for them to take a break and on a bitter winter's day to warm themselves up. In this view looking southeast I love the superb cloud formation and the beautifully proportioned bulk of, what I believe to be, Fiend's Fell at six hundred and thirty-four metres.
Keywords: Former telegraph poles and linesman's hut Cotehill NY479512

Former telegraph pole, Cotehill NY479512
Once strung with lengths of wire enabling the railway to communicate with itself this telegraph pole (along with a phalanx of others) still stands adjacent to a road bridge that crosses the very northern section of the Settle and Carlisle railway near the village of Cotehill. Normally, once the poles fell into disuse they were felled with just stumps left on the ground to rot for example see.... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/30014749301/x222016-09-00-sheffield-london-st The survival of this and the others on this stretch of line is a strange thing.
Keywords: Former telegraph pole, Cotehill NY479512

Howe & Co's Sidings signal box (Mid, 1916)
Some signal boxes are easy to find and to secure a photograph of some are not. This one, located between the Cumbrian villages of Cotehill and Cumwhinton, falls into the latter category being, firstly incredibly difficult to actually locate and secondly very tricky to get to with no direct access. Howe & Co's Sidings signal box is another example of a Midland 4A box built in 1916. It works Absolute Block to Low House Crossing box and Track Cuircit block to Carlisle and is the most northerly box on the Settle and Carlisle route. As its name suggests, it once controlled some sidings and short spur off the mainline into some sort of mine; local advice, please.
Keywords: Howe & Co's Sidings signal box Midland Railway

Corby Gates signal box (BR, 1955)
The impressively large Corby gates signal box is the first block box out of Carlisle on the route to Newcastle. Built by British Railways in 1955 it is a non-standard design replacing a previous structure across the River Eden to the west in Wetherall. The box has been extended witnessed by the different shades of bricks in the base. As well as controlling the semaphores it also operates the level crossing that is unusual in that it has no audible or visual warnings relying solely on the observation of the signalman. Notice the historical George V postbox incorporated into the base.
Keywords: Corby Gates signal box

Brampton Fell signal box (NE, 1918)
Brampton Fell signal box is located at a delightfully rural spot where the B6413 road crosses the Carlisle to Newcastle line at fifty miles and ten chains from the latter. The 1918 North Eastern Railway box contains its original twenty lever McKenzie & Holland frame only which of three are in use today. There used to be an up and a down refuge siding but these fell out of use and were removed in the early 1970s. Whilst the personal needs of signalmen is vital the Portaloo seen here does spoil the aesthetics of the box somewhat!
Keywords: Brampton Fell signal box North Eastern Railway

156495, NT SR 17.16 Newcastle-Glasgow Central (1S73), Brampton station
With the light now dropping a little at Brampton station 156495 waits to leave working the 17.16 Newcastle to Glasgow Central service. This 1S73 is a little unusual in that it is a joint operation between ScotRail and Northern, given its routing, this makes some sense. The station is a shadow of its former self having lost virtually all of its buildings and structures. It once boasted a horse-drawn (later converted to conventional haulage) branch line, known locally as The Dandy, to the town of Brampton itself some two miles to the northwest. However, this closed in 1923 and today its route can be enjoyed by walkers and cyclists alike
Keywords: 156495 17.16 Newcastle-Glasgow Central 1S73 Brampton station

Milton signal box (NE, 1893)
Architecturally Milton signal box is superb in its symmetrical dimensions being of North Eastern heritage dating from 1893. It is an intermediate non-block post that controls the level crossing where the very busy A689 crosses the line. Indeed, taking this photograph required some patience and judicious pressure on the shutter due to the number of vehicles passing on the road crossing the tracks!
Keywords: Milton signal box North Eastern Railway

Low Row signal box (NR, 2009)
Low Row signal box was opened by Network Rail some five years ago replacing the original 1874 box at the diagonally opposite northwest corner. The box is a Network Rail designed gabled structure with a brick base and UPVC clad top with plenty of windows. The downstairs houses the very spacious locking room, which is all electrical but utilising mechanical relays. The upstairs houses an NX (Entrance Exit) Panel which has three-panel faces, of which only the centre one is used. According to the Branch Line Society who have visited the box the reason for its size - totally out of proportion to the area it presently supervises - is that the intention was for it to control the entire Newcastle to Carlisle line from two signal boxes, Prudhoe and Low Row. This has never happened, on the assumption that York Rail Operating Centre will eventually take over the signalling; it means that Low Row Box will have most likely a 'life' of less than twenty years. Until its closure on 05.01.59 there was a station on this site too with the level crossing behind where I am standing the site of a dreadful tragedy on 30.08.26. There was a peculiar arrangement whereby the station porter on duty opened the crossing gates when a vehicle wished to cross the line. On this day, for some unknown reason, he opened the gates to allow the passage of a charabanc over the line without checking his instruments and a Newcastle to Carlisle train ploughed into the vehicle killing nine persons including the errant porter.
Keywords: Low Row signal box Network Rail

Haydon Bridge signal box (NE, 1877)
After our very disappointing evening meal at our hotel, Andy and I took a constitutional the short distance to the station at Haydon Bridge. The signal box seen on the platform end is a smart and early example of a North Eastern structure that, in this case, dates from 1877. In this view notice the non-standard and somewhat curious extension to the windows perhaps enabling the signalman to get a better view of the road prior to closing the gates.
Keywords: Haydon Bridge signal box North Eastern Railway

Haydon Bridge signal box (NE, 1877)
Taken from the platform end of Haydon Bridge station the superb 1877 North Eastern signal and crossing box is seen under an impressive evening sky. Notice the modern and luxurious personal needs addition at the bottom of the steps in the form of a toilet block! This box has a few years left in use until probably 2020 when the York signalling centre is due to take over control of the Tyne Valley line as far as Low Row box (the next one west from Haydon Bridge).
Keywords: Haydon Bridge signal box North Eastern Railway

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