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GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Small Heath and Sparkbrook Station: gwrsh3178

A low resolution version of the Signalling Diagram for Small Heath North Signal Box showing the arrangement post 1958

A low resolution version of the Signalling Diagram for Small Heath North Signal Box showing the arrangement post 1958. This has been reproduced here courtesy of the Signalling Record Society (S.R.S.). Details of how to purchase their full resolution content is available here.

Initially the Birmingham and Oxford Junction Railway had no Station or Signal Box at Small Heath and the Great Western Railway started to develop the site as an Engine Shed in 1855. Following the establishment of the BSA works, Small Heath station was opened in April 1863 and after the Bordesley branch was constructed to connect to the Midland Railway, exchange sidings were laid down adjacent to the up main line. As a result of all this activity a Signal Box had been built at the north end of the up platform at Small Heath Station by 1875. This was initially called Small Heath Signal Box and had 21 levers. Some typical opening times of this Small Heath Signal Box from Service Time Tables (STT) are given below:

Service Time Table Opening Time on Monday Closing Time on Sunday
Summer 1904 4:45 a.m. 1:30 p.m.
Winter 1906 4:30 a.m. 1.30 p.m.

Over the years, increased traffic demands resulted in the Great Western Railway gradually quadrupling the Birmingham main line between Handsworth Junction and Lapworth. This was a huge undertaking and the work was done piecemeal and was only finally completed in 1934. By the time that the North Warwickshire Railway opened in December 1907, the track had only been quadrupled between Olton and Tyseley, but with the expansion of Bordesley Yard a new Signal Box was required at Small Heath and Small Heath North Signal Box was opened in October 1907 on the other side of Golden Hillock road bridge from the station. This timber Signal box was 25 feet long by 12 feet wide and the operating floor was 8 feet above rail height. It contained a three bar horizontal tappet frame with 33 levers at 5¼ inch centres. At this time the original Small Heath Signal Box was renamed Small Heath Middle Signal Box.

With restricted space at Bordesley, it had been decided to relocated the engine shed from there to between Small Heath and Tyseley and the new Tyseley Engine Shed opened in June 1908. The Main Line quadrupling was initially extended to the junction with the new Engine Shed, but within a year the next phase of the quadrupling through to the north end of Small Heath Station was planned and order No 261 was placed on 5th May 1909 for the nameplates for both Small Heath South Signal Box and Small Heath North Signal Box. Replacing both the Small Heath Middle Signal Box and first Small Heath North Signal Box, a new timber Small Heath North Signal Box with hipped slate tile roof was built to the standard Great Western Railway type 27c design and was opened on Sunday 24th July 1910. The signal box was 49 feet, 8 inches long by 12 feet wide with an operating floor 11 feet above rail level which was reached by an internal staircase. The operating floor had the characteristic three up two down window panes on all sides except a small section on the side facing the relief lines where a stove was located. The Signal box housed a standard GW 3 bar horizontal tappet frame with ninety-two levers at four inch centres and two small two lever frames were added later to control the remote detonator placers on the main and relief lines.

Some typical opening times of this Small Heath North Signal Box from Service Time Tables (STT) are given below:

Service Time Table Opening Time on Monday Closing Time on Sunday
Summer 1916 Open continuously
Summer 1929 4:30 a.m. 1:00 p.m.
Winter 1930 4:30 a.m. 1:00 p.m.
Summer 1938 4:30 a.m. 2:30 p.m.
Summer 1939 4:30 a.m. 2:30 p.m.
Winter 1945 Open continuously
Summer 1952 Open continuously
Winter 1955 Open continuously

Small Heath North Signal Box controlled the absolute block sections on the main and relief double lines and by 1918 the permissive block sections on the goods double running loop lines. In the 1940’s the up shunting spur siding was extended to Small Heath South Signal box and become the up goods departure line, also controlled as a permissive block section. The Signalman sent messages to the preceding Signal Box to give permission for trains to enter the 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 August 1928) gave train drivers advance warning of the status of the next ‘Stop’ Signal.

Small Heath North Signal Box controlled train movements on the trailing cross-overs on the main and relief lines and the two compounded through connections associated with (1) the double goods running loop lines, main lines, relief lines and Bordesley up (Old/Middle and Baulk) yards and (2) the double goods running loop lines, down relief line and Bordesley down (Caledonia) yard. The signal box also controlled the starting signals at the end of the Bordesley goods pilot line and both the Bordesley up (Old/Middle and Baulk) yards. The Signalman could set a route with the point switch levers. These were interlocked with various types of signals (including; the route indicators and ground disc 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.

Visibility was important in the days before track circuit indication and the Signal Box was positioned where it could oversee the most complex trackwork. With the road bridge piers obscuring the switches on the up goods line, fouling bars were initially fitted to ensure these were clear prior to operation (in the 1950’s these were replaced with track circuit indication A51T). By November 1915 track circuit indication was installed through the station platforms to the rear of the up relief home (SN6T) and up main home (SN8T) and in May 1945 track circuit indication was also added to the rear of the down relief home (SN85AT) and down main home (SN90AT). These four track circuits meant that train crew was exempt from the requirements of Rule 55 when detained by the associated home signals. Track circuit indication on the down relief (75T) was installed in August 1958. Each of these track circuits are shown as a dotted line on the signal diagram.

Small Heath North Signal Box closed on 1st September 1969 and was replaced by No1 Ground Frame which was electrically locked from Saltley Power Box. The ground frame was taken out of use on 22nd July 1973.

Robert Ferris

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