| THE SIGNAL BOX |
PHOTO GALLERY |
|
Furness Railway |
|
|
Opened: c1874 |
Closed: 1965 |
Location code: LM109/06 |
Ravenglass is one of the oldest boxes to
survive on the former Furness Railway's system, although it has been closed for
many years.
The stone-built base to the box is typical of the company's early boxes, although this one is unusual in being built partly up the embankment and the supports for the point rodding that used to run diagonally down to rail level can be clearly seen. This design was supersceded from 1875 by the type illustrated at Askam.
The box is also built unusually tall, to give the signalman a good view over an adjoining road bridge.
The box has survived though being purchased by the Ravenglass &
Eskdale Railway and it was used for some while as a library. At the time of the
photograph it was empty and inaccessible as the staircase has rotted and fallen
away. However, during 1999 the box was repaired and repainted, and even a
garden area provided. The railway's S&T department are installing a lever
frame which may be connected up to some one-third scale signals in the garden
behind.
All photographs copyright © John Hinson unless otherwise stated