GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Lapworth Station: gwrl2499

A low resolution version of the Signalling Diagram for Lapworth Signal Box, showing the track layout after the 1930s quadrupling of the main line. 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.

This is the track layout associated with the second and final Lapworth Signal Box, which had opened in July 1932 following the extension of the main line quadrupling from Olton. Two nameplates were ordered for this Signal Box on 15th April 1932 (Order No 315). There had been three previous Signal Boxes at this location, but these had all been originally called Kingswood Signal Box. The third of these was a type GW5 with 35 levers, which had opened in 1894 when bay platforms were added for the new Henley-in-Arden branch services. This Signal Box subsequently changed its name to Lapworth Signal Box on 1st May 1902, with the new nameplates being ordered on 21st April 1902 (Order No 232).

The final Lapworth Signal Box is identified as a type GW10, which was a short lived design, only found in the few signal boxes that were built in the early 1930s (this includes both Solihull and Knowle & Dorridge Signal Boxes). The lower lock room was constructed from brick with five windows in the long side wall. The window apertures had straight concrete lintels and cills. The upper operating room was mainly glazed with a partial brick back wall. The operating floor windows were the typical Great Western Railway 3 up – 2 down pane type. The stairs were internal and there was no veranda. There was a steep hipped roof with three rocket vents on the ridge and a stove pipe chimney. The Signal Box was 38 feet, 8 inches long, by 10 feet, 10 inches wide and the operating floor was eight foot, six inches above rail level. The Signal Box housed 78 levers in a vertical tappet, five bar, locking frame (VT5) with the levers positioned at four inch centres. There were eight spare levers.

The table below gives the opening hours for the Lapworth Signal Boxes over a selection of years:

The Signal Box here controlled the block sections on the main double line and the high speed (maximum 40 m.p.h.) facing junction to the relief lines which commenced here. 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.

In addition to the main and relief lines, the Lapworth Signal Box also controlled train movements associated with the down goods loop line, bay platform and access to the up refuge siding and goods yard. The Signalman could set a route with the point switch levers. These were interlocked with various types of signals (including ground signals and route indicators), 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. Despite there being several spare levers in the Signal Box, two point switches within the up goods yard were manually operated by ground levers and were not interlocked with any signals. Three levers were also used to operate detonator placement devices, which were provided for the up (lever 15) and down (lever 63) main lines and the bay platform line (lever 16).

Positioning Signal Boxes to give good visibility of the most complex trackwork was important to ensure safe operations. Sections of the main and relief lines, the bay platform line, the high speed facing junction trackwork and the cross-over to the up relief line were over time all provided with separate track circuits powered by batteries. These gave the signalman a ‘Vehicle on Line’ indication when a train, locomotive or rolling stock was occupying this particular section of track and prevented the signalman from giving the ‘all clear’ if the crossing was fouled.

Lapworth Signal Box closed on 1st September 1969, following the replacement of the mechanical signalling and a new ground frame was installed to operate the remaining crossover. The trackwork had been simplified during the previous years with the successive sections being taken out of use as follows:

Early 1964 – Goods Sidings
31st July 1964 – Crossover connections from Main Lines to Up Refuge Siding
27th February 1968 – Up and Down Relief lines between Olton and Lapworth
24th September 1968 – Down Sidings, including section of down relief line which had been retained as a head shunt
10th November 1968 – Up Refuge Siding
15th December 1968 – Down Goods Loop and Bay Platform line

Robert Ferris

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