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Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan



Wigan Album

Railways

14 Comments

Now and then
Now and then
Photo: Colin Harlow
Views: 3,971
Item #: 25924
(Top) Gone but not forgotten, Crow Nest Junction Signal Box Site.

(Bottom) A Signaler Goes on Shift for the Last Time Before the Box is Closed and Later Demolished.

Comment by: Alan on 28th January 2015 at 08:44

How does Warrington power house control the section of track, is there cameras about?

Comment by: Baldylocks on 28th January 2015 at 17:51

It isn`t controlled from Warrington Alan.
The area formerly controlled by Crow Nest,Atherton,& Walkden boxes has been placed onto Manchester Piccadilly.
This area is now controlled by a workstation somewhere in tower block,Piccadilly.
The Atherton line from Crow Nest to Walkden is operated on axle counters,vice track circuits.

Comment by: Colin Harlow on 28th January 2015 at 20:45

Well explained Baldylocks.

Comment by: Alex on 29th January 2015 at 23:25

Will signal boxes be a thing of the past.?
I can't think where there's another working box on Network railway system.

Comment by: Garry on 30th January 2015 at 09:22

There use to be one at Wallgate station, but not sure if that's now gone.

Comment by: Baldylocks on 30th January 2015 at 21:48

Wigan Wallgate box is still going strong,but now no longer has a lever frame to control its area,as Wallgate box now has a more modern TEW Systems type SM48 NX panel.
There are also boxes still surviving at Parbold,Burscough,Rainford,Rufford,Midge Hall,St Helens,Warrington Central,Arpley Junc,Littons Mill,Monks Siding,Fidlers Ferry,Bamber Bridge,Bromley Cross,Salwick,Kirkham,Poulton Le Fylde,Carleton,BlacKpool North.
In the next few years though,I expect they will too will all eventually pass into history.

Just like crow nest

Comment by: Alex on 31st January 2015 at 09:44

Thanks for that Baldylocks, really interesting, I would have thought not that many, but there you go!

Comment by: Baldylocks on 1st February 2015 at 18:50

Aye,no problem Alex,
There`s still a few small boxes about but they are steadily declining as their areas get put on to new signalling centres & workstations etc.
As well as the ones I previously stated above,there are other boxes not too far away at.
Liverpool Lime Street,Edge Hill,Allerton Junction,Hunts Cross,Speke,Ditton,Runcorn,Halton,Norton,Frodsham,Helsby,Glazebrook,Astley,Daisyfield,Horrocksford.
The ones at Warrington,Preston,Manchester,Piccadilly,Manchester North are of the large panel type that control a large area. .
Indeed,Preston`s area of control goes all the way to interface with Hebden Bridge,West Yorkshire.

Comment by: Baldylocks on 7th February 2015 at 22:50

Driven past there many a time,signed it both ways.

Comment by: Garry on 8th February 2015 at 09:48

I can see that all boxes will disappear in the next few years, it's what you might call progress.

Comment by: Tony Cook on 9th February 2015 at 11:31

Hi, Railway Enthusiasts
.
When Warrington Power Signal Box opened in September 1972. It controlled the line from Crow Nest Junction, (though not the junction itself) to Wigan Wallgate Signal Box, (though not the station itself.)
There were no points between the two signal boxes, because the junction at Hindley No 2, and the line to De Trafford Junction had by then been lifted.
There where no cameras installed at any point on the vast area covered by the Warrington Power Box, and were controlled by Track Circuits only.
I am in the position to know this, because I was one of the original signalmen to open the Power Box at Warrington.
In addition to this, I worked in every signal box in the Wigan area, from Balshaw Lane to Golborne Junction on the West Coast Main Line, and all feeder lines, including the Liverpool to Manchester line from Earlestown No 5 to Astley.
The 'Lanky' from Hindley No 1 to Rainford Junction, Wallgate to Parbold Crossing, and Springs Branch to St Helen's.
If any reader would like any information about the signalling in the Wigan area I will duly try to answer them.
Incidentally, I have written a book about signal boxes:-
'Sojourn's of a Railway Signalman' and was first published in December 2014. It has 550 pages, including over 200 photographs, and over 50 diagrams. (R.R.P £19.99) (discount for readers of Wigan World) Let's know if you are interested.
Tony Cook.
Retired Signalman ( a young aged 84)

Comment by: Garry on 10th February 2015 at 07:12

Which was Hindley no2 Tony.

Comment by: Tony Cook on 11th February 2015 at 09:33

Garry,
Starting from Crow Nest Junction the next box was Hindley No 1 at the eastern end of Hindley Station on the Up Line side.
No 2 Signal box was on the Down line side and controlled the junction to De Trafford Junction to the north. At one time it boasted four lines of way, but when I worked there it was only two, and the junction mentioned above.
It was a huge box and at one time employed two signalmen and a box lad on each turn.
Actually, there is a photograph of No 2 box in my book 'Sojourn's of a Railway Signalman', taken by Cyril Peers, Signalman, who was one of my box lads in Wigan No 2 in the early sixties. He went on to be a signalman in Wallgate Signal Box, and a relief signalman at Southport.
Hindley No 3 signal Box controlled the junction leading from the main line to Pemberton Junction over the Westwood Park deviation line, but this was closed before I worked as a relief signalman in Wigan (1969).
Tony

Comment by: Joe Loyal - Warrington on 25th February 2015 at 04:27

Trust me - signalboxes and power boxes (Warrington/Preston/Carlisle etc) are going nowhere any time soon. The dates that Network Rail publish for closures are 'wish list' dates. They don't have the expertise or money to close them all soon.

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