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Whilst this section of the web site was never intended to include "preserved" signal boxes, no excuses are made for the inclusion of this, the last survivor of this design of box, now in use on the Bluebell steam railway.

This was the first "in-house" design of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (as Saxby & Farmer carried out nearly all work before 1898) and came about with the opening of new branch lines between 1881 and 1883 where boxes were designed by the same architect that drew up the station buildings. This design was not found elsewhere.

The box contains the original 40-lever Saxby & Farmer Rocker frame, although this was relocked to tappet interlocking around the turn of the century.

In the foreground is a splendidly preserved LBSC lower-quadrant home signal, whilst in the siding behind the box is something completely out of character that rather spoils this view - a sleeping car in British Railways blue and grey colours.

British Railways closed the box in 1962 when the electric service from Ardingly ceased, but the Bluebell Railway (one of Britain's earliest preserved railways) already had a foothold in the area and the box was soon re-opened in their ownership.

More information on Horsted Keynes signal box can be found at the Bluebell Railway's web site.

All photographs copyright © John Hinson unless otherwise stated