Trustworthy, administrator
11,918
edits
Changes
add info on the plinth and lamp room
Construction of the two signal boxes at Bewdley was authorised by the GWR Board in October 1877 as part of the opening of the Kidderminster Loop line. They were the first 'proper' signal boxes on the Severn Valley Railway, all other boxes dating from after 1880<ref>[[Bibliography | Marshall (1989), p128]]</ref>. There is uncertainty as to whether the current Bewdley North and Bewdley South are these original 1877/78 built boxes, or marginally later replacements.
The Bewdley North box was raised bodily by around a foot in 1954 to allow greater space beneath the lever frame<ref>Marshall (1989), p135</ref>, to accommodate alterations that took place in a 1955 resignalling, which saw the arrival of the box's 'gallows' centre-pivot signal bracket immediately outside that has become an iconic part of the Bewdley scene. The additional courses of bricks used were of a different colour, and can be seen in the first photograph above.
==Signalling controlled from the box==
Signals 1 and 37, the Up and Down Distants respectively, are motor worked. Signal 37 is mounted beneath Bewdley South's signal 6, and is electrically slotted.
==Lamp Room and plinth==
SVR News issue 112 included an article, “The Lamp Room at Bewdley North Signal Box” by John Marshall. The article referred to a plinth which is situated adjacent to the north end of Bewdley North signal box. The plinth is set on foundations sunk into the embankment, with blue brick walls and a concrete deck supported on jack arches. It can be seen in [https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/t31.0-8/11174397_10204097765420037_5448357602381859999_o.jpg this photograph].
The original article provided the information that in February 1896, the GWR Traffic Committee authorised the construction of a corrugated iron lamp room at Bewdley, and also the construction of additional toilet accommodation (probably the original urinal on platform 2), at a total cost of £100. The article suggested that this lamp room was situated on the plinth, and included a copy of a photograph taken in May 1922 and reproduced on p40 of SVR News 112. This shows a view of the signal box looking northwards; visible behind it is the corner of a corrugated iron shed with a curved roof<ref>SVR News 112, “The Lamp Room at Bewdley North Signal Box”, John Marshall</ref>.
While the suggestion of the use of the plinth for the lamp room appeared uncontroversial, the article led to a number of letters in subsequent issues discussing the origins of the plinth. A letter from Michael V.E. Dunn in SVR News 113 suggested that the plinth appeared over-engineered for a simple corrugated iron lamp room, and that it may have been the base of an earlier signal box. John Marshall responded in the following edition, pointing out that the jack arches were typical construction of the very late 19th century (i.e. post 1880), and the detailed GWR Survey of 1890, which included the 1887-88 signal box, showed no structure in the position now occupied by the plinth. He also stated that prior to the construction of the signal box, signalling and points were controlled from small ground frames and line-side levers only.
The publication of [[Bibliography#Books | The Tenbury and Bewdley Railway]] by Keith Beddoes and William H. Smith in 1995 provided the information that [[List of signal boxes# Tenbury and Bewdley Railway (at Bewdley) | earlier signal boxes]] were built at both the north and south ends of Bewdley in 1864. This resulted in a further letter from Michael Dunn in SVR News 118 again suggesting the plinth as the possible site of the north box. The following issue brought a response from Keith Beddoes, noting that the itemised cost for the north end “one signal box at the junction £8-10-0” did not refer either to foundation work or indeed a ground frame, making it likely that it was just a small wooden hut to cover an existing ground frame.
==References==
