Lake Crossing

Introduction

Lake Crossing was a minor road level-crossing in Dorset, located between Wimborne Junction and Corfe Mullen Junction on the original Dorset Central Railway (DCR) section of the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway (S&DJR). It probably came in existence when the first section of the DCR was opened on 1-Nov-1860 and it survived until 18-June-1933, when the line between Corfe Mullen Junction and Wimborne Junction was closed to all traffic. Although a short section of the line was retained as a siding from Corfe Mullen, this ended immediately before it reached Lake Crossing, which became redundant (S&DJR Signal Instruction 338).


		Lake - the crossing-keeper's house and one of the level-crossing gates

Signalling

Lake was one of the simplest signalling installations on the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway. The signalling consisted simply of two semaphore arms, mounted on the same post to face in opposite directions, and worked from a single ground lever. The lever pulled both signal arms 'off' simultaneously, as it would be necessary only to indicate that it was safe for a train to proceed across the crossing without bothering about the actual direction in which the train was travelling. There was no interlocking with the level-crossing gates, which were worked by hand on the ground.

Signal diagram of Lake Crossing

The signalling details have been taken from a S&DJR signal diagram copy dated 16-June-1930. The date of the original diagram negative was 27-Sep-1911, which raises the question of what change may have taken place at that earlier date to warrant the production of a new diagram. S&DJR Signal Instruction 270 advised that on 28-Sep-1921 the signal post would be replaced by a new one that was 10' lower, with the Up signal shown at a lower height than the Down signal.

It is difficult to say exactly when any signalling was first provided here, as there is no specific mention of Lake Crossing in early Working Timetable Appendices. By the time of the March 1886 issue there were entries detailing the bell-codes sent by the signalman at Bailey Gate to the gate-keepers at Bailey Gate Crossing and Corfe Mullen Crossing to warn of approaching trains, but it was not until the 1905 edition that similar details appear of bell-codes sent to Lake Crossing by the signalman at the Wimborne S&D Junction signal-box. The full entry from the 1905 edition reads as follows:

INSTRUCTIONS to be OBSERVED as to the USE of BELL SIGNALS
between S.&D. WIMBORNE JUNCTION and LAKE CROSSING.

BELL CODE

To Call Attention		1 beat of the Bell
Up Train left S&D Wimborne Junction		2 beats of the Bell
Down Train left Bailey Gate		3 beats of the Bell
Testing Bells		16 beats of the Bell
Closing of Signal Post		17 beats of the Bell (thus 7-5-5)

All Bell Signals are to be acknowledged by being repeated, and the "Call Attention" signal must in all cases be sent and acknowledged before the distinguishing Bell Signal is forwarded.

The Signalman at S&D Wimborne Junction must send the Bell Signal to Lake Crossing for an Up Train on its passing his Post, and for a Down Train on receiving the Departure Signal from Bailey Gate.

The instructions to Gate-keepers, Rules 116 to 124 inclusive, and all other Regulations in the Committee's Book of Rules and Regulations must be strictly attended to.

References

S&DJR Signal Instructions: 270, 338
S&DJR WTT Appendix: 1905
"The Somerset and Dorset Railway" - Robin Atthill, pub David & Charles 2nd edition 1985