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The Signalbox

The Signalbox team and P-Way department in front of the foundations. - Owen Stratford

One of the major elements of the loop project is the construction of a Signalbox to control the layout. A few years back the MNR recovered a large amount of materials from the derelict signalbox at East Winch near Kings Lynn prior to it being demolished. The recovered items included vast amounts of timber, roofing slates and window frames. We are hoping to re use a majority of these materials on our box at Thuxton. The Brickwork that will support all this is going to be an almost exact replica to that seen at Shippea Hill Signalbox in Cambridgeshire.

Shippea Hill Signalbox, Cambridgeshire. The brickwork on the Thuxton box is going to replicate that seen in this picture, with the blanked arches and decorative plinthing/corbelling - Photo reproduced with kind permission of John Tilly.

Building a signalbox isn't your usual building job so the construction has proven both exciting and challenging for the volunteers involved. The first challenge was that the box is to be built on both an embankment and marshy ground. The foundations for the box therefore had to be substantial and were dug completely by hand; an acheivment in itself! Filling the large trenches required over 20 cubic metres of concrete including a large quantity of specialist flocrete; reinforcing bar and shuttering. The foundations took over 2 months to complete from the first shovel going in to the last piece of shuttering coming out.

(Above) The Foundations almost ready for the pour, the shuttering is complete and the Re-Bar in place.

(Below) The top section concrete being poured into the trench. - Both Photos, Bill Collins

After the concrete was poured it was time to get the shuttering out and start thinking about laying the bricks and blocks. 2700 blocks were kindly donated to us, meaning we had more than enough to complete the blockwork on both the Signalbox and Platform; We also needed to order in 1200 cream bricks and 3000 reds for the brickwork outer face. The professional bricklayer Richard started work and laid the first block on 15th August 2009; since then excellent progress is being made and we are hoping that the brickwork will be completed at some point in November 2009.

(Above) The blocks arriving on site, all of these had to be moved to the worksite by hand. - Bill Collins

(Above) Richard laying the first block on August 15th 2009. - Bill Collins

(Above) The Blockwork as it looked on 23rd August. The Pannier Tank provides a good backdrop. - Bill Collins

(Above) The Signalbox with the rails in place and the outer skin taking shape on September 13th '09 - Bill Collins

(Above) A coloured front elevation of the Thuxton Signalbox design. - Gary Hall.

The signalbox is going to control 2 Colour light signals, 3 point machines and 7 Semaphore signals, 5 of these being standard semaphore stop arms and 2 discs controlling the entrance and exit to the headshunt. It is hoped to source a 25 lever frame to operate the layout. Watch this space for more updates.