Hawkeridge Jct.
Chris Bellett
Chris Bellett
Looking at the recent photographs of the track relaying work at Hawkeridge (near Westbury) reminded me of a visit I made to there in 1970 to record the signalling arrangements. I have attached some photographs for you.
Hawkeridge signalbox was opened on 14 July 1942 to control the new Loop Lines to Heywood Road Junction and a set of extensive War Department sidings (the latter being completed on 02 November 1943). The sidings didn’t last long as they were instructed to be removed by the War Department on 17 March 1949. Some of the connections, however, remained in situ until c1962. Hawkeridge signalbox was closed on 14 May 1984 and the area became controlled by Westbury Panel signalbox, as it is to this day.
Hawkeridge signalbox was opened on 14 July 1942 to control the new Loop Lines to Heywood Road Junction and a set of extensive War Department sidings (the latter being completed on 02 November 1943). The sidings didn’t last long as they were instructed to be removed by the War Department on 17 March 1949. Some of the connections, however, remained in situ until c1962. Hawkeridge signalbox was closed on 14 May 1984 and the area became controlled by Westbury Panel signalbox, as it is to this day.
The front of the signalbox. Note the Asbestos panelled roof and signalman’s Privy to the left. The two bracket signals to the right were of the ‘all steel’ type first introduced by the GWR in early 1942, so this was one of the first such installations. Copyright Chris Bellett.
Looking South towards the Junction and signalbox. Loop Lines to Heywood Road Junction to the left and Main Lines to Westbury North to the right. Copyright Chris Bellett.
Looking North towards the Junction and signalbox. Main Lines to Westbury North to the left and Loop Lines to Heywood Road Junction to the right. DMU just coming into view on the left on a Bristol bound service. Copyright Chris Bellett.
Looking North away from the signalbox towards Trowbridge. The War Department sidings were located on the barren land to the left. Copyright Chris Bellett
At the time of my photographs Hawkeridge signalbox was normally switched out of circuit (closed) and the Loop Lines not regularly used. In the last photograph there used to be a Westbury North distant signal No.1 under the higher signal arm but this was removed at some date yet to be determined and the stop signal arm became dual controlled (slotted in signalling terms) by Westbury North as its Outer Home signal No.1. At the foot of the right hand mast (left hand as we look at the photograph) you can see that the arm balance weight for Hawkeridge signalbox No.36 is in the OFF (cleared or raised) position, but that for Westbury North signal No.1 is in the ON (danger or normal) position and thus the signal arm itself is in the ON (danger) position. It therefore required both signalboxes to clear the signal to OFF. The distant signal on the left hand mast (right hand as we look at the photograph) was Heywood Road Junction Up Loop Line distant signal No.6 and was operated by an electric motor which is the black box that can be seen just above the signal platform.
Hope that bit of lost history is of interest.
Kind Regards,
Chris Bellett
Retired S&T Engineer
Hope that bit of lost history is of interest.
Kind Regards,
Chris Bellett
Retired S&T Engineer
Many thanks Chris
Exeter Central
Ron Kosys
Ron Kosys
A very interesting picture. Exeter Central on the 26th July 1988. Here we see 33109+33040 1O53 1417 Exeter to Waterloo. Copyright Ron Kosys. Note the sidings in use.
Very many thanks Ron.
N.B.L. Scrapyard
Neil Phillips
Neil Phillips
Neil writes in - Some excellent and very interesting photos of NBL diesel hydraulics due for the chop from Ken Mumford, and notes from Guy Vincent (I should have bought those books too!) D6122 was certainly nearby when Ken took the photos but the loco behind D600 ‘(In)Active’ was classmate D601 ‘Ark Royal’ which, like D6122, survived in an increasingly derelict state until June 1980, just over ten years after D600 was dispatched.
Looking at Guy’s list of Class 22s scrapped at Cashmore’s the liveries of the fourth and fifth locos in the row of six would have been D6325 and D6342 respectively. Neither of these ran in blue livery for very long, especially the latter.
The poor reliability of the diesel-electric Class 21s is beyond dispute, after all they were so bad that 20 were rebuilt with Paxman power units. Such drastic action was never considered for the diesel-hydraulic Class 22s – their poor reputation appears to have arisen from the thrashing they received from Old Oak Common drivers on Paddington empty stock workings which reputedly had their turbochargers glowing red hot – when they inevitably failed the crews made a lot of noise about it. Meanwhile in the South West these locos quietly trundled about on local goods workings and during my own observations in the Truro area from 1966 until the end of Class 22 operation I only recall one failure, and I have long thought their bad reputation was undeserved. I don’t believe their authorisation was a scandal, after all the Western Region needed a Type 2 (and thanks to the way the Pilot Scheme was abandoned virtually every diesel type had unproven reliability) – what would have been highly questionable was the proposal to construct an additional twenty Class 22s simply to keep NBL afloat........
Best regards,
Neil Phillips
(PS it’s my birthday today.......but I’m not talking numbers!)
Looking at Guy’s list of Class 22s scrapped at Cashmore’s the liveries of the fourth and fifth locos in the row of six would have been D6325 and D6342 respectively. Neither of these ran in blue livery for very long, especially the latter.
The poor reliability of the diesel-electric Class 21s is beyond dispute, after all they were so bad that 20 were rebuilt with Paxman power units. Such drastic action was never considered for the diesel-hydraulic Class 22s – their poor reputation appears to have arisen from the thrashing they received from Old Oak Common drivers on Paddington empty stock workings which reputedly had their turbochargers glowing red hot – when they inevitably failed the crews made a lot of noise about it. Meanwhile in the South West these locos quietly trundled about on local goods workings and during my own observations in the Truro area from 1966 until the end of Class 22 operation I only recall one failure, and I have long thought their bad reputation was undeserved. I don’t believe their authorisation was a scandal, after all the Western Region needed a Type 2 (and thanks to the way the Pilot Scheme was abandoned virtually every diesel type had unproven reliability) – what would have been highly questionable was the proposal to construct an additional twenty Class 22s simply to keep NBL afloat........
Best regards,
Neil Phillips
(PS it’s my birthday today.......but I’m not talking numbers!)
Thanks Neil and congratulations on the milestone!
