Changes

'''Buildwas station ''' was situated 28&frac12; miles from [[Hartlebury]] and 12&frac14; miles from [[Shrewsbury]]. It served both the Severn Valley Branch and the [[Wellington to Craven Arms Railway]], although it was an interchange station in open countryside with little passenger access except by rail.<ref name=Vanns30>[[Bibliography#Books|Vanns (1998)]] p. 30.</ref><ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Mitchell and Smith (2007)]] fig. 101.</ref><ref group="note">Vanns states that the station had "no passenger access other than by rail, train". Illustrations in Mitchell and was built on two levelsSmith refer to the "Station approach road"; Fig 101 notes that "the road in the foreground ran to the village. "</ref> The station building was of a similar design to that at [[Bewdley]].

West of Buildwas the Severn Valley line left the Severn Valley gorge and entered the flatter flood plain area leading towards [[File:Buildwas_Junction_OS_Map.jpg|600px|Buildwas Junction layout, Ordnance Survey 1903.Shrewsbury]]<br>.

Approaching ==History==Buildwas Station was the first station from on the south, the single track Severn Valley Line was joined from the right by the double track line from [[Coalbrookdale]], Railway at which crossed the river via the [[Albert Edward Bridge]]trains leaving and approaching Shrewsbury could cross. In the short distance between the bridge and the station, It also served the Much Wenlock line (the '''Much Wenlock and Severn Junction Railway ''' before its incorporation into the GWRin 1895) began to branch off to which opened on the left same day and climb, the single platform for this branch being on a higher level than which it was the northern terminus. The station had three platforms, two platforms for serving the Severn Valley Line (at opening Branch and one on 1 February 1862, Buildwas was a higher level serving the first station at which trains leaving and approaching Shrewsbury could cross)Much Wenlock line.

A In February 1927 the area between the station and the River Severn was selected to be the site of a new [[Ironbridge power station|power station]] came into use (later to become known as Ironbridge A Power Station). Construction began in 1932, requiring 1929 with much of the materials arriving by rail. This required the expansion of the 1923 signal box (see below) to control the extensive additional sidings and a new signal box to handle the coal traffic. The facility was officially opened on 13 October 1932 with a train of dignitaries arriving by train from Paddington.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Vanns (1998)]] p. 35.</ref> The station also handled limestone traffic from the quarries on Wenlock Edge.

West of Passenger services between Wellington and Much Wenlock via Buildwas ended on 23 July 1962. In the same year Parliamentary approval for Ironbridge B Power Station was sought and granted. Buildwas station closed along with the Severn Valley line left Line in September 1963, and was demolished in 1964 to make way for a new coal handling plant for the power station. ==Signalling==Early signalling on the SVR was primitive, with entry of trains into the platform controlled by signals operated from levers on the platform and departures controlled only by telegraph instruction.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Marshall (1989)]] p. 121.</ref> On 30 August 1871 the GWR Board authorised £22 for 'connecting the down starting signal with the Signal Box at Buildwas station', although this was probably only a small cabin covering a ground frame.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Marshall (1989)]] p. 127.</ref> On 4 February 1886 the Board authorised the block telegraph to be installed between Buildwas and Much Wenlock. On 16 November 1887 further work was authorised at a cost of £2,080 including provision of two signal boxes, renewal of locking apparatus and signals, and completing the block telegraph. Working by telegraph continued until October 1891 when train staff and ticket working in conjunction with the single-needle block telegraph was introduced. In January 1894 this became Electric Staff working between Hartlebury Junction and Buildwas Junction, followed shortly afterwards by the section to Shrewsbury.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Marshall (1989)]] pp. 130-132.</ref> On 12 April 1905 the renewal of the interlocking frame and point and signal connections at Buildwas was authorised at a cost of £692.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Marshall (1989)]] p. 133.</ref> In November 1923 the two signal boxes at Buildwas were replaced by a central signal box. This was a GWR Type 7D brick signal box with a 66-lever frame.<ref>Signal Box Register, Volume 1: Great Western, revised 2011 edition, Signalling Record Society (plus correction sheet #9 )</ref> A new 113 lever frame was brought into use on 9 December 1931 to handle the new layout and connections into the Power Station sidings.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Vanns(1998)]] p. 35.</ref> It was then the largest box on the Severn Valley gorge and entered Branch; the flatter flood plain area leading towards more remote points were motorised. <ref>[[ShrewsburyBibliography#Books|Marshall (1989)]]p. 134.</ref>  <gallery mode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">Buildwas_SB_Michael_Clemens.jpg|The Buildwas 1923 signal box.</gallery>

In the early 1960s a second power station, Ironbridge B, was in course of construction. The station Buildwas box closed along with the Severn Valley Line in 1963, and was demolished in on 15 March 1964 to make way for a new coal handling plant for the power station<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Marshall (1989)]] p. 133.</ref>.

<gallerymode=packed heights=180px style="text-align:left">

File:PGH_BuildwasJn.jpg|Buildwas station building in 1962. The signalbox is visible at on the far left of the frame. (PG Hindley)