Signal boxes of the
LANCASHIRE & YORKSHIRE RAILWAY

The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway introduced block working throughout most if its network during the 1850s, but the signalling at that time would have been simple. Interlocking of the signalling and points was completed in 1882 (a remarkable achievement) which caused a large number of boxes to be erected by various contractors throughout the system in that period. Some of these survive in use today.

The L&Y opened their own signal works at Horwich in 1889, and thereafter all signal boxes and lever frames were built by the company, although they closely resembled the Railway Signal Company's products which the L&Y had used exclusively since 1881.

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

	Horrocksford Junction This early box was one of many built for the L&Y by Saxby & Farmer to their plain pre-1874 design.
	Whitley Bridge A Smith & Yardley box to their pre-1878 architecture.
	Bromley Cross A similar box, still surviving.
	Milner Royd Junction Another Smith & Yardley box, demonstrating their new design introduced in 1878.
	Rufford A later development of the Saxby & Farmer design incorporating additional glazing could also be found on the L&Y; these lower panes were to appear in quantity on later designs throughout the L&Y system.
	Brierfield Station A minor change to the Saxby & Farmer design featured a small row of glazing above the main panes, although in this example these and the lower row have been panelled over.
	Clayton West Station This box, to Saxby & Farmer's 1876 design, features the additional lower row of windows also found on Railway Signal Company boxes of the era and ultimately adopted as standard by the L&Y.
	Clayton West Junction The L&Y started to manufacture its own signalling equipment and signal boxes in 1889. These cabins were modelled on the Railway Signal Company's boxes, but lacked the decoratively cut bargeboards and also had stove pipes in place of chimneys.