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Lynton and
Barnstaple Railway An Introduction to the Signalling |
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| Introduction | Original Signalling | Signal Boxes | Ground Frames | Economic FPLs | Later Changes |
This page provides a general introduction to the Signalling of the former Lynton and Barnstaple Railway (L&BR). Other pages in RailWest cover specific L&BR signalling topics in more detail - click here for an L&BR Index.
By the time that the L&BR was opened in 1898 railway photography was becoming quite common, so there is a reasonable photographic coverage of the early installations before any significant changes were made. However the signalling was not usually the main focus of any photographer's attention, so much of it appears in pictures only by chance and views of signal-box interiors and equipment are virtually non-existent. A limited number of paper records have come to light, but not in sufficient quantity to give more than a brief glimpse into this complex subject. Consequently there remain many gaps in the author's knowledge of L&BR signalling, but it is hoped that the various pages in RailWest will provide a useful reference on the subject.
The L&BR was opened at a relatively late date in terms of railway construction in Great Britain, and the entire line was built and opened at the same time. Consequently it was signalled throughout at the beginning by a single contractor, which meant that the signalling installations all conformed to a consistent style - it did not have various signalling installations added intermittently over the years by different contractors to different styles. The firm of Evans O'Donnell (EoD) were chosen as the signalling contractor for the L&BR and so all the signalling equipment originally used reflected the practice of that company. After the takeover of the line by the Southern Railway (SR) in 1923 some different equipment did appear as a result of alterations and general maintenance and these are described in more detail in the separate RailWest page on L&BR Signals.
Evans O'Donnell erected signals and signal-boxes at the two terminal stations at Barnstaple and Lynton, at Pilton, and at the intermediate passing-loops at Chelfham, Bratton Fleming, Blackmoor and Woody Bay stations. There was a fairly standard provision of signals across all the installations and further details are given in other RailWest pages about the actual signals and the intermediate passing-loops. One feature of all the installations was the use of 'economic' Facing Point Locks. The line was regarded as 'Up' to Barnstaple and 'Down' to Lynton and it was divided into six different single-line sections - the operating arrangements are described in more detail in a separate page about the Electric Train Tablet (ETT) instruments.
There were two public road level-crossings with gates on the line, both of which came under the control of Pilton signal-box. One crossing was across Pilton Causeway immediately next to the signal-box, while the other one was at Braunton Road (a short distance towards Barnstaple Town station), where a crossing-keeper was provided.
At Barnstaple and Pilton there were elevated signal-boxes (SB) of a similar design. There is plan evidence that it had been intended for the SB at Barnstaple to have a timber superstructure on a stone base, but in fact the SB was built as an all-timber construction. In contrast, it appears that the SB at Pilton was constructed originally as a timber superstructure on a tall masonry base, which subsequently was reduced to little more than a thick plinth (possibly circa-1918). Both SBs were equipped with a 9-lever interlocking frame, mounted at the front of the box. It is probable that both SBs were manned throughout the day by their duty signalmen, and that the single-line ETT instruments were housed in the SBs.
At
the other stations only small platform-level wooden huts of identical design were provided and the
photograph shows the former Woody Bay SB (after restoration in 1999) - this SB was
recorded in the 1935 Sale Catalogue as measuring 6’x5’x7’. (Note
the concrete plinth which had been added at some date as a result of
timber rot.) In each hut the
entrance door was in the front wall with the lever-frame mounted ‘back-to-track’
against the rear wall. This arrangement probably reflected the fact that these SBs were
not manned permanently, but simply was visited as and when necessary by the stationmaster
or porter who also acted as signalman. At these stations the
single-line ETT instruments were kept in the booking-office.
As well as the SBs and their lever-frames, a small number of uncovered ground-frames (GF) existed on the railway. One GF was located at the Lynton end of Pilton yard and worked the points for the exit from the yard at that end - this GF was unlocked by the tablet for the section to Chelfham. At Blackmoor a new Down Siding was installed shortly after the line was opened and this was worked by an adjacent GF - the control for this was probably by a key from the main signal-box lever-frame, but records are conflicting. Each of these GFs contained just a single lever. Between the two level-crossings at Pilton there was a siding to serve a wharf on the River Yeo and in later years (when the siding points faced toward Barnstaple Town) this was also worked by a local GF; however it is unclear whether originally (when the points faced towards Pilton) the siding had its own GF or was worked directly from Pilton signal-box.
The use of 'economic Facing Point Locks' was a feature of the original signalling on the L&BR which merits further comment. It is a requirement of signalling installations for any points over which passenger trains pass in a facing direction to be properly secured to prevent accidental movement under the train. For convenience and ease of operation this is achieved usually by means of a device called a 'Facing Point Lock' (FPL), in effect a large bolt located between the rails which engages with a notch in a stretcher bar between the point blades to prevent them moving. Normally a FPL would be operated from the controlling signal-box by a separate lever and rodding from that which worked the points themselves.
Because of the need for an extra lever and associated mechanical rodding, the provision of FPLs added to the cost of a signalling installation, so many railways (including the L&BR) saved money by using 'economic' FPLs. The basis of an economic FPL was that it was worked by the same lever and rodding as that which worked the associated points, thereby saving money (hence the term 'economic') by avoiding the need for the second lever and additional rodding. There were a number of different designs of economic FPL used on various UK railways, but in most cases they employed some form of cam mechanism to enable a single movement of the rodding from the signal-box lever to withdraw the bolt, move the points, then re-insert the bolt.
Because of the narrow gauge used by the L&BR the operating
mechanism for their economic FPLs (including the lock-bar) was located outside of
the running rails, rather than between them as was normal on standard-gauge lines.
Unfortunately it is not known whose pattern of economic FPL was used by the L&BR,
because the few available photographs show a design unlike any others known to the author
or described elsewhere. Although Evans O'Donnell were the signalling contractors, it would
have been quite possible for them to have used under licence some specific item of
equipment such an economic FPL which had been patented by another engineer.
During the L&BR's 25 years of independent existence very little of any significance happened on the line that would have required substantial changes to the signalling installations. It was not until a few years into the period of Southern Railway ownership that noticeable changes began to occur:-
© Chris Osment 2003 & 2013
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© West Country Railway Archives 2003 Page last updated: 05 Apr 2013 |
Home Page: http://www.railwest.org.uk E-Mail: railwest@bigfoot.com |
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