Cornwall  Railway  Society
  • April 21 Home Page
  • INDOOR & OUTDOOR MEETINGS PROGRAMME
  • CORNWALL RAILWAY SOCIETY GENERAL INFORMATION CONTACTS & WEBMASTERS MEMBERSHIP FORM ETC.
  • LATEST INPUT , NEWS & OLD PICTURES ETC.
  • FEATURES, MAIN INDEX & OUTDOOR EVENTS REPORTS.
  • CORNWALL GALLERIES
  • DEVON GALLERIES
  • North & East of TAUNTON & HONITON
  • Military and Industrial Tramways & Light Railways
  • Pleasure Tramways & Light Railways
  • RAILTOURS, AERIAL VIEWS ,MISCELLANEOUS
  • CORNISH RAILWAYS WAR DIARY
  • LOCAL YOUTUBE
  • Historical Outdoor Events INDEX
  • ARCHITECTURE
  • INDEX TO ARTICLES WRITTEN BY COLIN BURGES
  • ARTICLES SECTION.
  • ENGINEERING PLANT DIARY
  • News reports Jan to Aug 2012
  • Links
  • MAPS, PHOTOS, AERIAL VIEWS
  • Official Documents available to the General Public
  • Public notices and posters collection
  • March 21 Home Page

Items added on 23rd October 2017                                                                                               Those added most recently come first

23/10/2017

 

Urgent request for information on Redbridge, Track & Sleeper Depot.
By Mick House.

I visited Redbridge; Track & Sleeper Depot just after it had closed and took a great number of photos all over the site, my problem is that I want to identify the individual buildings within the site as at the time I neglected to write them down.
So I am looking for someone that worked on site or with knowledge of the site to help me out.
If you can drop me an email at: railwaymick@yahoo.co.uk  
Many thanks.
Picture
Overview of Redbridge Track & Sleeper Depot Looking North West, with the mainline to my right. Copyright Mick House.
Picture
Overview of Redbridge Track & Sleeper Depot Looking South East, with the mainline to my left. Copyright Mick House.
Picture
Redbridge Tar sidings OS 125,000 1937.61 Reproduced with permission of the National Library of Scotland. The main line to Southampton is off to the right, the line to the left is to Bournemouth and Weymouth, that turning north off the page is to Romsey and Salisbury. Redbridge Track and Sleeper depot is centre right. The Eling branch which can be seen origination from Totton station heads south. Looking at the map it carefully mentions the 'Red Bridge' crossing the river - was it from this the area got its name?
Chacewater
Roger Winnen

Picture
Chacewater Signalbox haunt of Roy Hart. Taken in April 1973 - from the up platform. Copyright Roger Winnen Note the presflo wagons and also the presence of the yellow, Blue Circle road vehicles. Perhaps Roy can tell us why the large 'C' notice was fitted below the already clear cast nameplate on the front of the signalbox.
We are greatly indebted to Roy who, again, within minutes, comes up with the answer.  The letter C on Chacewater box dates from 1957, when Baldhu box closed. Intermediate Block Signals (IBS) were installed. These were colour light home and distant signals, with continuous track circuiting. They acted as a separate block section, enabling a train to be running between the IBS and Truro and another one following between Chacewater and the IBS. When an up train passed the IBS home, a buzzer sounded in the box. The signals were operated not from a lever, but by a switch, no 100. Thus, the IBS distant carried a plate bearing the legend          C
                                                                                  100
                                                                                    R                            (Chacewater, repeater for signal 100. The IBS home was C100)
Back in the 1950s, only colour lights  carried identity plates  and usually  only IBS signals. Treverrin IBS between Par and Lostwithiel was just like Baldhu: the signals were P100 and L100 etc.
At Baldhu, the down IBS was controlled by Penwithers Junction (PJ). See photo of PJ on website! This IBS is still there, but controlled by Truro since 1971 (T45 & T45R).
Today you will find these plates on several Cornish boxes: P,  PR, LL etc.
​                                    Many thanks indeed Roy.
And furthermore - additional comments from Chris Osment (Rail West)
To add to the comments about the ‘C’ plate at Chacewater......

 
If my recollection is correct, the need to add ID plates to signals came about with the use of signals at locations remote from their controlling signal-box, hence the initial uses being mainly at IBS signals.  The idea arose because of the need for the driver of a train held at a ‘remote’ signal to know by which box that signal was controlled, once it was no longer possible for him just to look out of his cab and see the box in the distance.
 
In a similar vein, once large areas of complex junctions and sidings etc started to be controlled remotely from a ‘power box’, then it became essential for drivers and signalmen - when communicating over the telephone - to have the correct understanding of exactly where they were. In the absence of the former signal-boxes with their nameboards, new nameplates had to be erected at the lineside to identify each junction etc.

       Thank you Chris, you concur on Roy's comments.
Swanage
​John Cornelius
Picture
Copyright John Cornelius
Last 'train' on the Radstock branch!!
Ride a trolley on the Radstock branch.  A series of clips of a trolley ride on the abandoned and overgrown section of the Radstock branch can be seen here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0p-am4Zl2w This section is alongside a public footpath. Quite how one would stand regarding liability and insurance is not known, the CRS does not recommend this.

Comments are closed.

    Archives

    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011