GWR Routes: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Routes: North Warwickshire Line

Moor Street Station: gwrms1697

One of the two traverser tables at the north end of the 700 foot long single island platform at Moor Street Station in 1910. In this photograph the traverser table is fully exposed with all three rail roads visible. When moving a locomotive the left hand rail road of the traverser table could travel into a recess under the platform. At this time the Moor Street passenger station facilities were limited and it was not until 1915 that the permanent station buildings containing; booking office, waiting rooms, toilets, etc. were finally constructed. The temporary arrangement was necessary to cater for North Warwickshire Line suburban passenger traffic during the reconstruction of Snow Hill Station. In later years an additional platform would be constructed to create a two track bay arrangement with one of the traversers at the end and it would only be possible to see two of these rail roads. The traverser table was sixty feet long by thirty two feet, ten inches wide with an electric motor underneath near the centre. This motor was controlled by a lever located between the pair of stop-blocks at the end of the tracks and this was interlocked from the Signal Box. A ground disc signal (just visible in the left foreground) indicated when the traverser table was correctly positioned.

Robert Ferris

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