NINETEEN SIXTY TWO – PART 83
Dutton & Co Signal Boxes on the Cambrian
Michael L. Roach
In Part 80 the series visited Pantydwr on the Mid-Wales Line to see a Dutton & Co. signal box dating back to 1891. It originally measured just 10 feet by 8 feet, but when the extensions were added in 1921 it became 16 ft 6 ins long. The extensions were necessary to house the single-line block instruments (previously kept in the station building) and moved to the box as result of the horrific head-on crash at Abermule earlier that year. Pantydwr had a crossing loop but, to the best of my knowledge, in the last few years it was only used to cross trains once a day before closure at the end of 1962 a few months after my visit. It would have been very different during the two world wars when some coal trains from South Wales to the North of England and Scotland were diverted this way to avoid congestion on other routes. Some of those heavy trains would have been banked for about ten miles from Doldowlod, through Rhayader, to the summit of the line half a mile north of Pantydwr. The Mid-Wales was single line throughout and the loop at Pantydwr would have been essential as the only crossing loop in the 14 miles from Llanidloes to Rhayader.
The next station to the south was St. Harmons, which was fully signalled because of the level crossing beside the station, but the station had only one platform, no crossing loop and was not a block post. The simple crossing box was also by Dutton & Co. and dated from 1892 with nine levers. There was one short siding. The box was reduced to a ground frame in 1927 staffed by a crossing keeper. The floor level of this box was just above platform level and the box had not been extended. The third box to be shown in scan 1264 is the similar box at Boughrood & Llyswen Station which had 15 levers and was adjacent to a level crossing, with this box extended at one end only. Boughrood & Llyswen Station was some 24 miles south of Rhayader and just 2¾ miles from the wonderfully named Three Cocks Junction where the former Midland route from Hereford joined the Mid-Wales en-route to Brecon. Boughrood & Llyswen Station had a crossing loop and two platforms.
For many decades I thought that those three signal boxes had been provided by McKenzie & Holland because there was signalling equipment there so marked. For many years up to 1890 McK&H were indeed the signalling contractors to the Cambrian which worked the Mid-Wales Railway from 1 January 1888. The works manager of McK&H was one Samuel Telford Dutton but in 1888 he left the company and set up his own signalling company taking some of his patented designs, and some of McK&H's customers with him. Dutton & Co. got into financial difficulties in 1899 with the assets sold to the Pease family who had been instrumental in forming the Stockton & Darlington Railway. However the Pease family withdrew from signalling in 1901 and sold the assets to McK&H. The wheel had come full circle, but the buyers were a logical choice because Dutton and McK&H operated from adjacent factories in Worcester. Many other Welsh railways used McK&H and Dutton signalling equipment. The fourth and last Dutton box to be shown here was at Llwyngwril on the Cambrian Coast line between Towyn and Barmouth Junction. It is believed to have been one of the very last of the small Dutton boxes in use, closing on 5 November 1972. A Dutton box, complete with lever frame, survives at Caersws on the main line between Shrewsbury and Aberystwuth, although no longer in use.
At the Grouping in 1923 when the Cambrian Railways fell into the Great Western camp the railway operated 300 route miles of three different gauges; but in 2024 just 46 percent of the route mileage remains in passenger use. 288 route miles of the Cambrian was single line; and of the 100 stations and halts no less than 73 had a crossing loop where trains could pass each other, needing a lot of signalling equipment and signalmen. In 1921 the Cambrian had 2,300 employees with 2,000,000 passengers starting their journey at a Cambrian station. The company was profitable at the time of the Grouping.
The next station to the south was St. Harmons, which was fully signalled because of the level crossing beside the station, but the station had only one platform, no crossing loop and was not a block post. The simple crossing box was also by Dutton & Co. and dated from 1892 with nine levers. There was one short siding. The box was reduced to a ground frame in 1927 staffed by a crossing keeper. The floor level of this box was just above platform level and the box had not been extended. The third box to be shown in scan 1264 is the similar box at Boughrood & Llyswen Station which had 15 levers and was adjacent to a level crossing, with this box extended at one end only. Boughrood & Llyswen Station was some 24 miles south of Rhayader and just 2¾ miles from the wonderfully named Three Cocks Junction where the former Midland route from Hereford joined the Mid-Wales en-route to Brecon. Boughrood & Llyswen Station had a crossing loop and two platforms.
For many decades I thought that those three signal boxes had been provided by McKenzie & Holland because there was signalling equipment there so marked. For many years up to 1890 McK&H were indeed the signalling contractors to the Cambrian which worked the Mid-Wales Railway from 1 January 1888. The works manager of McK&H was one Samuel Telford Dutton but in 1888 he left the company and set up his own signalling company taking some of his patented designs, and some of McK&H's customers with him. Dutton & Co. got into financial difficulties in 1899 with the assets sold to the Pease family who had been instrumental in forming the Stockton & Darlington Railway. However the Pease family withdrew from signalling in 1901 and sold the assets to McK&H. The wheel had come full circle, but the buyers were a logical choice because Dutton and McK&H operated from adjacent factories in Worcester. Many other Welsh railways used McK&H and Dutton signalling equipment. The fourth and last Dutton box to be shown here was at Llwyngwril on the Cambrian Coast line between Towyn and Barmouth Junction. It is believed to have been one of the very last of the small Dutton boxes in use, closing on 5 November 1972. A Dutton box, complete with lever frame, survives at Caersws on the main line between Shrewsbury and Aberystwuth, although no longer in use.
At the Grouping in 1923 when the Cambrian Railways fell into the Great Western camp the railway operated 300 route miles of three different gauges; but in 2024 just 46 percent of the route mileage remains in passenger use. 288 route miles of the Cambrian was single line; and of the 100 stations and halts no less than 73 had a crossing loop where trains could pass each other, needing a lot of signalling equipment and signalmen. In 1921 the Cambrian had 2,300 employees with 2,000,000 passengers starting their journey at a Cambrian station. The company was profitable at the time of the Grouping.
The up (northbound) platform at Pantydwr. Before 1921 the block instruments were housed in the main station buildings on the down platform. It was this strange arrangement, and slack operating procedures, that led to the Abermule disaster of 26 January 1921 when 17 persons died in a head-on collision. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
St. Harmons single platform looking east. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
St. Harmons Crossing Box looking south. The signal box nameboard was original and consisted of cast iron letters on a wooden board. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
A wonderful array of street furniture guarding the approach to the level crossing at St. Harmons including a Cambrian Railways Notice. The B-road across the level crossing bent through 90 degrees and followed the hedge above the fence. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
The Dutton Box at Boughrood and Llyswen Station looking south. This box had a Great Western cast iron nameboard. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Boughrood & Llyswen looking north. The Cambrian signal had a wheel at the bottom of the post marked Dutton, but much of the signalling equipment in the station was marked McKenzie & Holland. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Llwyngwril Station looking north towards Barmouth Junction on 25 July 1976 with the 13-lever closed Dutton box on the left, and all trains using the opposite platform which was nearest to the village, a quarter mile away. Copyright Michael L. Roach.
Many thanks Michael, another interesting article.
To read more of Michaels articles, please click here.
To read more of Michaels articles, please click here.
Cardiff Central - 20.04.24
Ken Mumford
Friends,
As I had a speaking engagement in Cardiff, I decided to travel using the FLYING CUCUMBER type of travel, I also had time to take some photos of the station where I once stood doing the same some 50+ years ago!!! There was some noticeable changes especially to where the BUS STATION once stood!!
As I had a speaking engagement in Cardiff, I decided to travel using the FLYING CUCUMBER type of travel, I also had time to take some photos of the station where I once stood doing the same some 50+ years ago!!! There was some noticeable changes especially to where the BUS STATION once stood!!
Coded 0012 Margam to Westbury Down TC - a double-headed with 66 205 leading. Copyright Ken Mumford.
Was this 2P43 (Bargoed to Penarth) - things were getting out of sync because of some lateness!! - also was it 2C23 Radyr to Coryton disappearing out fo sight up to Cardiff (Queen Street) with an IET [1B11 Paddington to Carmarthen??] stuck on the incline awaiting a path into the station??? Copyright Ken Mumford.
1M99 waits to leave for Nottingham in platform 3. Copyright Ken Mumford.
1M99 awaits departure from platform 2. Copyright Ken Mumford.
I couldn't find details of this train on RTT BUT I did notce that it came in from the west when I was at the west end of platform 3 some time earlier and seemed to stay in platform 1 for a long time. It departed around 1300 being propelled by what seemed to be 67 015 - but what the working was I just don't know despite my researching!! Copyright Ken Mumford.
I waited quite some time for a train to cross this bridge BUT my back trouble told me to move after a while!! Copyright Ken Mumford.
The front of Cardiff Central station. Copyright Ken Mumford.
Many thanks Ken.
Ken has also kindly provided some photographs of Cardiff from over 50 years ago, which we will post tomorrow.
Ken has also kindly provided some photographs of Cardiff from over 50 years ago, which we will post tomorrow.