LMS Route: Grand Junction Railway

Hamstead and Great Barr Station: lnwrgb4464

An undated photograph of Great Barr's ex-LNWR signal cabin located on the up line at the station. David Blower writes 'Richard Foster's L&NWR Signalling book gives it as L&NWR Type 3 (developed from the earlier Saxby & Farmer Types 1 & 2) and built from 1874 until 1876. Great Barr was a 'size C' box dating from 1875 and on Saturday 2nd July 1966 being replaced by a Ground Frame released from Walsall'.. Anthony Ratcliffe confirmed that it opened in 1875 and added 'Great Barr was a Type 3 signal box. It had a London North Western Railway tumbler frame with 14 levers. it closed under Stage 3 of the New Street resignalling on 3rd July 1966. Its name board is in the Chasewater Railway museum Brownhills'. John Fancote notes that 'on the right of the photograph, stacked ready for lifting into place, are the beams for the replacement bridge carrying Old Walsall Road'. This information dates the photograph as being circa 1964 when the route from New street to Walsall was being prepared for the installation of the overhead catenary. This was part of the electrification of the West Coast line and key branches.

Peter Jordan writes, 'It's one of the LNWR's first styles of box - the hipped roof was abandoned on the later designs for the simpler gabled roof. Note the external bell hanging on the right-hand side and the name rendered in true LNWR style with cast-iron letters screwed directly to the wall framework. Some street names in Crewe are still displayed using wooden boards with the screw-on cast letters'. Ron Derry also offered the following information, 'Two one the outside bell for an up stopping train and one for a down. I was the first early turn relief signalman to work to Walsall power box the first morning it opened. Worked the same box many times before that when the colliery was in full swing. Used to run round 40 or 50 16 tonners (not fitted) between Great Barr and Perry Barr north junction with the old regulation 10a arrangements'.

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