Signal boxes of
BRITISH RAILWAYS (EASTERN REGION)

The Eastern Region was one of three that inherited the London & North Eastern's modern flat-roofed design of 1933. Apart from that, the eastern region continued the LNER's conservative approach to mechanical signalling and few technological strides were made.

In an interesting money-saving step, and large batch of lever frames were obtained from the Railway Signal Company in the late 1950s of a non-standard design conceived for the Great Northern Railway of Ireland. It is said that these had been ordered and then cancelled by that concern, but the purpose for which they might have been ordered has never been established. These frames were mostly installed by the ER in new boxes, whilst renewals in old boxes generally utilised second-hand frames.

The last mechanical box of the Eastern region was erected in 1974.

Please click on the thumbnail images for more information on each location.

	Sleaford South The Eastern Region developed the LNER architecture into the neat design seen here, which was used between 1955 and 1959. This example has a plain unglazed area in the centre of the wall, but whether this is regarded as the front or rear of the box is open to conjecture as it is located in the vee of a junction!
	Oxmarsh Junction Another box of the same style, fully glazed. Steel frames were very fashionable in those days.
	Gainsborough Trent Junctions A completely different standard design was introduced in 1961, built in plain brick. Above the large-paned windows, a heavy looking canopy was provided in timber.
	Seymour Junction Some quite large examples of this type of box were built. The last of this type was erected in 1966.
	Twenty Feet River After 1966, very few new manual signal boxes were built by the Eastern Region. The last "proper" mechanical installation reverted to a gabled roof, although retaining the windows of the 1961 boxes.