GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Greaves Sidings: gwrgs2256

A low resolution version of the Signalling Diagram for Greaves Siding Signal Box, showing the track and signalling layout circa 1952. This Signalling diagram has been reproduced courtesy of the Signalling Record Society (S.R.S.). Details of how to purchase their full resolution content is available here.

Opened on 3rd February 1918, this second Signal Box had 28 levers and replaced one half the size in approximately the same location. The Greaves Siding Signal Box was a brick built standard GW7D design, which was the final version of a design that had been introduced nearly twenty years previously. The Signal Box had torpedo vents on the ridge of the hipped tiled roof and a stove pipe chimney. The windows were the conventional three-up, two-down panes characteristic of the Great Western Railway. Greave Siding Signal Box was 25 feet long, by 11 feet wide, with an operating floor 11 feet above the track level and the locking room below. The Signal Box housed a three bar vertical tappet frame with 28 levers at four inch centres. Of these, 23 were working levers (including 2 levers for placing detonators on the main lines) and 5 were spares. Three of these spare levers were allocated for the switch to the original cement works siding and the two associated ground disc signals, but it is not certain that these were ever connected. The switch to the second siding was operated by lever 18, this being interlocked with three ground disc signals (levers 16, 17 and 19). The interface between the Railway Company trackwork and the private sidings of the Cement Works are marked on the diagram and the Signal Box had no control of the switches on the private railways within the Cement Works Complex.

Greaves Siding Signal Box controlled the block sections on the main double line and the access to the down goods loop, which ran parallel to the main lines for almost 1000 yards terminating just prior to Southam Road station. The Signalman sent messages to the preceding Signal Box to give permission for trains to enter the relevant block section on their line and used signals to indicate to train drivers when they were allowed to proceed. Distant Signals, distinguished by their forked tails and yellow colour (post September 1927) gave train drivers advance warning of the status of the next ‘Stop’ Signal. Access from the main down line to the down goods loop was via facing points, so for safety reasons these also had a facing point locking bolt (controlled by lever 20). This down goods loop could also act as a refuge siding with holding capacity for 126 wagons in addition to the engine and van.

Connections from the main lines to the Cement Works sidings were by trailing switches, so when wagons needed to be detached these were reversed into the siding. The Signalman could set a route with the point switch levers. These were interlocked with various types of signals, operation of which informed the locomotive driver of the selected route and when to proceed. This interlocking with signals ensured that these indicated to other trains, when they could no longer proceed safely and had to stop. The main line signals were semaphore signals on posts, but ground disc signals were used where slow speed operations such as shunting would take place. This prevented secondary signals from becoming a distraction to the drivers on the faster main line trains. Positioning Signal Boxes to give good visibility of the most complex trackwork was important to ensure safe operations, especially during shunting operations, which effected the main line. Details of specific locational operational requirements were provided in the Railway’s official Appendix to the Service Time Tables (STT) and those for Greaves Siding have been transcribed at the bottom of the location page (see Harbury Cement). These include the requirements for operating:
· The padlocked swing block arrangement across the track to prevent direct access from the sidings to the down goods loop.
· Handling station truck traffic for Harbury Cement Works.
· Handling wagons for Harbury Cement Works (recording attached and detached wagons, rolling stock restrictions and when shunting movements need to be suspended)

Robert Ferris

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