The South Eastern Railway's first design
of signal box, introduced in the 1880s, is well depicted by Edenbridge box,
which was situated on the east-west route between Redhill and Tonbridge. This
type of box was distinctive by its small window sections with unusual (for
signal boxes) sash windows. The North British Railway used the same features in
their early designs, as at Cambus Junction.
The weatherboarding of South Eastern boxes is a common architectural feature in
non-railway buildings in Kent.
The sleepy town of Edenbridge has the good fortune to have two stations to this day, but the South Eastern Railway's has never had a qualifying name, unlike the London, Brighton and South Coast's station at Edenbridge Town.
The interior of Edenbridge box is as
steeped in history as the exterior. The lever frame is the original, built to
the design of the South Eastern's Engineer, Francis Brady, that was introduced
in 1867. The design is crude, with a relatively short stroke to the levers and,
unusually, wooden segments between the lever quadrants at floor level.
Nevertheless, they obviously stood the test of time as several are still in use
today.