Bewdley North signal box

Bewdley North signal box as seen from the station approach road

A train waits adjacent to Bewdley North signal box, showing the layout before the major preservation-era alterations (Sellick Collection

A signal box at Bewdley, working to Bewdley South, Arley and Highley. Bewdley North signal box has interesting arrangements in that it works to Bewdley South by Absolute Block on the main line (platforms 1 & 2), by direction levers under ETT Regulations on the Back Road (platform 3) with the Rock Siding and Down Yard operated as through sidings.

Operation to Arley (short section) or Highley (long section) is carried out under ETT Regulations.

Contents

Diagram

Signalling diagram as shown on the svrsig website. There are a few inaccuracies: The banner repeater on the footbridge for 29 signal was removed some years ago. Ground signals 25 and 27 are actually miniature semaphore arms.

The layout at Bewdley North has been extensively altered in preservation to better suit modern needs and account for the loss of the Tenbury Line. A diagram of Bewdley North at 1956 may be seen here: [1]

History before preservation

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. There is uncertainty as to whether the current Bewdley North and Bewdley South are these original 1877/78 built boxes, or marginally later replacements.

Bewdley North has a 37 lever GWR 3-bar horizontal tappet frame with 5" centres between the levers, meaning the frame is noticeably longer than that at Bewdley South despite having only three more levers. With the exception of the distant levers, which are painted yellow in accordance with practice since the late 1920s, the levers are painted in line with GWR instructions from the Edwardian period, with goods line signals having a central black stripe on otherwise red levers, and the Back Road signal levers being painted to indicate relief lines, with half black/half red levers.

The signal box is the only place in the world still utilising 'pegging' (i.e. capable of giving a line clear to the box in rear) GWR Spagnoletti block instruments on the standard gauge. The Back Road instrument is a non-pegger over pegger double deck instrument, whilst the Up and Down Main instruments are single deck separate pegger and non-peggers, originating from Marshbrook Signal Box on the Shrewsbury - Hereford line.

The Bewdley North box was raised bodily by around a foot in 1954 to allow greater space beneath the lever frame.

See Also

• List of signal boxes