GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Warwick Station and Budbrook and Warwick Cold Store: gwrw2672

Section of the Gradient Profile for the Great Western Railway Birmingham Main Line showing the position of the Warwick Cold Store Depot (Warwick North Signal Box) and Budbrook Signal Box on the steep incline between Warwick and Hatton. The section north of Budbrook was the steepest part of Hatton Bank, which is why the third line (Down Goods Running Line) was constructed between Budbrook and Hatton. Due to the steep incline the following special instructions were issued regarding the operation of the ‘Down Goods Running Loop, Budbrook to Hatton’ :–

The above mentioned Loop is worked under the Standard Instructions for Signalling Engines by Permissive Block System over Goods Running Loop Lines shown in the Regulations for ‘Train Signalling on Double Lines and Single Lines’, with the following modifications:

When a train is already on the Goods Line, owing to the rising gradient, it will not be necessary to stop the following train dead at the Home Signal, but the train must be brought nearly to a stand before that Signal is lowered to allow the train to draw on to the Signal Box, and the Driver must then be verbally warned how many trains are already in the Section, a Green Hand Signal held steadily in the hand by the Signalman being shown to the Driver and Guard on passing the Signal Box before the Goods Line Starting Signal is lowered authorising train to proceed with caution.

Robert Ferris

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