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[[File:Sutton Bridge Junction InteriorSutton_Bridge_Junction_Signal_Box_Front_20210507.JPGjpg|200pxthumb|thumb300px|right|An interior view of Sutton Bridge Junction Signal Box. Many of the white levers once controlled access to and from the SVR.(2021)]][[File:'''Sutton Bridge Junction Northern ViewSignal Box''' is an operational signal box on Network Rail.JPG|200px|thumb|right|The view northwards from the Box, towards It is located approximately ¾ of a mile south of Shrewsbury station. It can be seen that the bracket signal on the right still has the necessary space for another doll , and arm for the Severn Valley line.]]controls [[File:Sutton Bridge Junction SVR View]].JPG|200px|thumb|right|This view is taken from It originally controlled the connection between the Severn Valley Branch and the trackbed rest of the SVR. The signal box is on the rightnetwork at Shrewsbury, and still controls the junction between the Shrewsbury & Hereford line passed under and the central arch of the bridgeCambrian line to Machynlleth, Aberystwyth and Pwllheli. It can be seen that significant earthworks have been put up inside the arch also controls access to Coleham Yard, and beyondhas an Up goods loop, which is totally built over.]][[File:Sutton Bridge Junction SVR View the truncated 'Up Avoiding' goods only line which originally ran from Bayston Hill signal box to the south (Northwardsnow closed).JPG|200px|thumb|right|This photo is taken from the SVR trackbed. The signal box Up direction is to towards Shrewsbury for the left Cambrian and Hereford lines,<ref group="note">Up is the concrete walking route roughly follows direction towards the line principal terminus, which in the SVR would have taken in its divergence from case of the main lineS&H was Shrewsbury. Shrewsbury station is approximately 2</3 of a mile northwards, ref> whilst Up was to the left of this picture as south on the mainline takes a leftward curveSevern Valley line.]]
==Location==The box was is built in 1913 to replace earlier signalling installations at on the junction, and is built to conventional GW style eastern side of the time all in brick. However, because of its location Shrewsbury & Hereford line (sometimes in connection conjunction with the Severn Valley line, it has full height windows on the operating floor around the whole northern end, an amendment Hereford and Newport referred to as the standard designNorth & West). Originally, it had nameplates mounted both front and rear facing the Shrewsbury & Hereford and Severn Valley lines respectivelyBranch came in from the southeast, but passing behind the box to join the rearmost one has at some point been removed and its whereabouts is unknownS&H line immediately north of it.
The Box has a standard GW design 61 lever 3-bar vertical tappet frame, original box is situated just north of an angled road bridge which allows two roads to cross over the box from present and former railway lines. The junction and route by which the Severn Valley Branch passed under the date of constructionroad bridge can still be readily seen. Three of lines ran behind the levers retain brass lever leads (box, two forming the plate indicating Severn Valley Branch itself and a third leading to the leverstation's purpose and what levers must be reversed to enable it to be worked), whilst three road carriage shed. The Severn Valley Branch became single track at the others all have far end of the later rectangular traffolite stylecarriage shed. Interestingly Until 1988, the original lever leads related to a stub of the Severn Valley line referred remained in use, providing via a reverse move access to 'To' or 'From' Worcesterthe site of Shrewsbury Abbey station (Shropshire & Montgomeryshire Light Railway), for example 'From Worcester Safety' for which remained in use as a lever which worked fuel terminal. Today the route of the Branch south of the road bridge is now occupied by a trap point for any runaway train coming from Berringtonhousing estate.
In the 1960s the Shrewsbury & Hereford line came under the control of the London Midland Region (LMR) of British Railways as far south as Craven Arms, meaning the GWR design box and frame have since then undergone some notable changes. It now has standard BR bakelite block instruments, a LMR style block shelf - which bears LMR style lamp and arm indicators and the modern diagram - and electric lock releases actuated by catch handles on most electrically locked levers, rather than the GWR/BR(W) style block shelf plungers. Most of the test date stickers on the instruments and indicators date from 1966 suggesting the replacement of the shelf and equipment thereon occurred in 1966 or 1967.
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Sutton Bridge Junction Interior.JPG|An interior view of Sutton Bridge Junction Signal Box. Many of the white levers once controlled access to and from the SVR.
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The layout of the junction and access to Coleham Yard and other ancillary sidings and loops has over time been extensively remodelled since the late 1960s which has caused many levers to be taken out of or change use. This means for example that lever 5, which was originally the inner home signal reading off the Severn Valley line, is now the Up starting signal and therefore in continuous use.
==Signalling diagram==
[[File:Sutton Bridge Junction Diagram.JPG|800px600px|The current (2016) diagram of Sutton Bridge Junction Signal Box.]]
==Signalling controlled from the box==
As part of the significant remodelling of the layout at Sutton Bridge over time, many of the original GWR/BR(W) design signals have been replaced with standard BR(LMR) upper quadrant signals, unusually resulting in a GWR box controlling LMS style upper quadrant signals. The Up inner home on the Cambrian branch and the Down home bracket remain GWR/BR(W) lower quadrant design however. On the latter, the space can be made out for the signal that originally controlled the junction onto the Severn Valley line. The box also controls colour light signals in the form of its Up distant signals on both the Hereford and Cambrian lines, and the Up home on the Hereford line is a 3-position colour light, which only shows green when the Up inner home and starting signals are cleared. It will show a yellow when reversed, only once the home berth track circuit immediately in rear of it has occupied, effectively checking the train down to a low speed in accordance with what was (and still is on the SVR) Rule 39(a). The box's down distant signal, mounted beneath Severn Bridge Junction's starting signal, is one of only two remaining working lower quadrant distant signals on Network Rail.
The box works to Absolute Block regulations to the north and south, working to Severn Bridge Junction to the north and Dorrington to the south, and Marshbrook when Dorrington is switched out. It works to Machynlleth Signalling Centre under Track Circuit Block regulations as far as the commencement of Cab signalling board on the Cambrian, beyond which the in-cab signalling system European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) comes into effect. Controls on communication between Sutton Bridge and Machynlleth are mounted on the diagram. Unusually for a box of its size, Sutton Bridge Junction has the capacity to switch out and does so on a daily basis, causing Severn Bridge to work to Dorrington or Marshbrook.
==See Also==
* [[List of signal boxes]]
* [[Sutton_Bridge_Junction|Sutton Bridge Junction]]
==Notes==
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==References==
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==Links==
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