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DERBY AREA SIGNALLING

The following extracts and summaries from source materials such as Inspector’s Reports and  Midland Railway Weekly Notices give an insight into the development of the Swadlincote Loop &mdash from Swadlincote Junction to Woodville Junction.

1864 – Swadlincote Signal Box opened.

23OCT1882 – An additional running line and new arrival platform between the two road level crossing and new Signal Boxes at each of the level crossings named Swadlincote East and Swadlincote West brought into use.

23APR1883 – The Train Staff for working the Swadlincote Branch superseded by a new Train Staff. The points of connections between the Swadlincote Branch single line and Cadley Hill Colliery, Stanton Colliery and Hall & Boardman's Colliery controlled by an Annett's Key attached to the new Staff.

An arm signal alongside Messrs. Knowles and Co. Branch worked from a stage near the junction of that branch with the Woodville Branch brought into use. The signal worked by guards and shunters and used to protect Midland trains and engines when attaching or detaching traffic. It will always be kept exhibiting the All Right signal except when required to be placed at Danger for the above purposes.

01MAY1883 – The line from Swadlincote to Woodville New Passenger Station opened. The line between Swadlincote Jn and Woodville New Passenger Station worked by Train Staff Without Tickets. The present Swadlincote Branch Staff will apply to the whole section. The line between Woodville station and Tugby & Barry's Works sidings (Boothorpe) is not in use and a rail has been removed at the Woodville Junction end of Woodville Tunnel.

23SEP1883 – Direct running line from Up Main Line at Swadlincote Jn to the Swadlincote Branch brought into use with associated signalling alterations.

22OCT1883 – The connections between the sidings and the main line at Cadley Hill Colliery Sidings, Stanton Colliery Sidings and Hall & Boardman's Colliery Sidings made to work by rod from new Signal Boxes. As the points are connected to the Signal Boxes, the control of them by means of Annett's Key affixed to the Train Staff is discontinued as the new Signal Boxes and signals brought into use. The signals indicate by their position the Signal Box from which they are worked and the purpose for which they will be used.

01SEP1884 The Line from Woodville Passenger Station to Woodville Junction be opened for Passenger traffic. Block Telegraph Working established between Swadlincote Junction and Woodville Junction, via Swadlincote. The following become Block Telegraph Posts:- Swadlincote Junction, Swadlincote Station West, Swadlincote Station East, Woodville Passenger Station, Woodville Goods Junction and Woodville Junction. The Line between Swadlincote Junction and Woodville Junction (except the portion of double line between Swadlincote Station East and West Signal Boxes) will be worked by Train Staffs and Tickets as follows:- Swadlincote Junction and Swadlincote Station West Box (Round black staff), Swadlincote Station East Box and Woodville Passenger Station (Triangular red staff) Woodville Passenger Station and Woodville Goods Junction (Square blue staff) and Woodville Goods Junction and Woodville Junction (Round black staff). The Line between Woodville Goods Junction and Woodville Goods Station will be worked by Train Staff without Tickets (Triangular red staff) and Woodville Goods Junction will be the Staff Station. The following Signal Boxes will be opened and Signals brought into use:- Boothorpe Sidings, Woodville Goods Junction, Weighing Machine Sidings, Church Gresley Colliery Sidings East, Church Gresley Colliery Sidings West and Swain’s Park Public Road Level Crossing. The following Signal Boxes will be open during the time the Line is open for traffic:- Swadlincote Station East, Swadlincote Station West, Woodville Passenger Station, and Woodville Goods Junction. The following Signal Boxes will be open only for trains arranged to stop:- Cadley Hill Colliery Sidings, Stanton Colliery Sidings, Hall and Boardman’s Colliery Sidings, Boothorpe Sidings, Weighing Machine Sidings, Church Gresley Colliery Sidings East, Church Gresley Colliery Sidings West. The line from Swadlincote Junction to Woodville Junction via Swadlincote, is “Up”, and the Line will be closed each night, and on Sundays.

21OCT1888 – The old box named Woodville Sidings will be closed and the new box named Woodville Junction will be opened. A direct connection from the Down Main Line to the Woodville Branch will be provided.

13OCT1890 – Between Swadlincote and Woodville Wragg and Son's Siding:- The points giving communication between Wragg and Son's siding and the main line will be controlled by a Single Line Train Staff Key affixed to the Swadlincote and Woodville Train Staff, in accordance with the instructions on page 142 of No.17 Appendix to the Working Time Table. The connection between the siding and the main line will not be brought into use until further instructions are given. No wagons must be attached or detached at the siding unless there is an engine at the Swadlincote end of the wagons.

07OCT1894 – The new points giving communication between Wragg and Son's sidings and the main line will be controlled by a Single Line Train Staff Key affixed to the Swadlincote and Woodville Train Staff, in accordance with the instructions on page 183 of No.18 Appendix to the Working Time Table. No wagon must be attached or detached t the sidings unless there is an engine at the Swadlincote end of the wagons.

04NOV1894 – The Engineer will have possession of the main line, as required, for the purpose of laying in points and crossings. On the same day, commencing at 6.0 a.m., the following alterations will be made:- A new connection between Cash, Massey and Co.'s siding and the up loop line, and a single-armed signal to regulating the running of trains and engines from the siding on to the up loop line, will be brought into use. The home signal applicable to trains and engines approaching from Swadlincote will be superseded by a new home signal, about 60 yards further from the Signal Box. Inspector Spriggs will make the necessary arrangements, and be in attendance during the time the work is being carried out, and the Woodville Station Signal Box will be open. Wagons must not be attached or detached at Cash, Massey and Co.'s siding unless there is an engine at the Swadlincote end of the wagons.

15SEP1895 – The Engineer will have entire possession of the main line of the Swadlincote Branch for the purpose of removing the connection at the Swadlincote Junction end of the Stanton Colliery Sidings, and bringing into use a new connection to the Stanton Colliery Sidings near Cadley Hill Sidings. On the same day, the following alterations will be made:- The section of line between Swadlincote Junction and Swadlincote West Box will be worked by Train Tablet, in accordance with the Regulations for Train Signalling on single Lines of Railway worked on the Electric Train Tablet Block System, dated March, 1895, Swadlincote Junction and Swadlincote West being the train tablet stations. The new connection to the Stanton Colliery sidings, near Cadley Hill Sidings, will be controlled by Train Tablet in accordance with Clause 34 of the Train Tablet Regulations. All traffic to and from the new connection must be attached and detached by trains running from Swadlincote Station to Swadlincote Junction, and trains going from Swadlincote Junction to Swadlincote Station must not attach or detach any vehicles at the new connection. The Stanton Colliery Sidings Signal Box will be closed, and the use of the signals worked therefrom discontinued. The distant signal fixed near Stanton Colliery Sidings Signal Box, and worked from Hall and Boardman's Sidings, will be superseded by a new distant signal on the up side of the post carrying the Cadley Hill Sidings down distant signal.

22OCT1895 – The Signal Boxes at Cadley Hill and Hall and Boardman's Sidings will be removed, and the use of the signals worked therefrom discontinued, and the connections at Cadley Hill and Hall and Boardman's Sidings will be controlled by Train Tablet in accordance with Rule 34 of the Electric Train Tablet Block Regulations.

02NOV1895 – The Woodville Passenger Station is closed each night after the 'Train out of Section' signal has been received from the Signal Box in advance for the last booked train in accordance with Rules 24 and 35 of the Regulations for Train Signalling by Block Telegraph; and during the night, after the Woodville Passenger Station is closed, the line between Woodville Goods Junction and Boothorpe sidings is worked by Train Staff only. Goods and mineral trains running from Woodville Junction to Woodville Goods Station or the Boothorpe sidings only, must be taken in front of the engine from Woodville Junction. An engine must be in front of all trains running towards Woodville Junction. No train must perform any shunting at any of the sidings between Woodville Goods Station and Woodville Junction, or at Boothorpe sidings, unless there is an engine at the Woodville Junction end of it. Drivers of trains in possession of the Train Staff for either of the sections between Woodville Junction and Woodville Goods Station, and between Woodville Goods Junction and Woodville Passenger Station, may, when necessary, return from any of the sidings to the Train Staff Station without going through the whole section. Such trains must be signalled on the forward journey to the Signal Box in advance, in accordance with the Regulations for Train Signalling by Block Telegraph, and when any train or engine returns to the Train Staff Station without going through the whole section, the Signalman must be specially advised of the fact, and the Train Staff must be handed to him. He must then give the 'Cancelling' signal to the Signal Box in advance, in accordance with Rule 18 of the Block telegraph Regulations.

30MAR1896 – A new connection leading from the main line of the Swadlincote Branch to Hall and Boardman's Pipe Works, between the two connections leading to the Stanton Colliery Sidings, will be brought into use, and controlled by Train Tablet in accordance with Rule 34 of the Train Tablet Regulations. All traffic to and from the new connection must be attached and detached by trains running from Swadlincote Station to Swadlincote Junction, and trains going from Swadlincote Junction to Swadlincote Station must not attach or detach any vehicles at the new connection.

30MAY1896 – The travelling Signalmen between Swadlincote Junction and Swadlincote Station will be withdrawn, and after the day named Guards of trains requiring to stop at the sidings controlled by Train Tablet between Swadlincote Junction and Swadlincote Station, must act in accordance with Rule 34 of the Regulations for Train Signalling on Single Lines of Railway worked by the Electric Train Tablet Block System.

15AUG1896 – The section of line between Swadlincote Station and Woodville Junction will be worked by the Electric Train Tablet Block System, in accordance with the Regulations for Train Signalling on Single Lines of Railway worked on the Electric Train Tablet Block System, dated March, 1895, Swadlincote East, Woodville Passenger Station, Woodville Goods Junction and Woodville Junction, being the Tablet Stations. The points giving communication between the sidings and the main line at Wragg and Son's Sidings, Boothorpe Sidings, Weighing Machine Sidings, Church Gresley Colliery Sidings East, and Church Gresley Colliery Sidings West, will be controlled by Train Tablet in accordance with Rule 34 of the Electric Train Tablet Block Regulations, and the signals worked from Boothorpe Sidings, Weighing Machine Sidings, Church Gresley Colliery Sidings East, and Church Gresley Colliery Sidings West, will be removed and dispensed with. The distant signal fixed near the Weighing Machine Sidings, and worked from Woodville Goods Junction, will be superseded by a new signal, further from Woodville Goods Junction. The section of line between Woodville Goods Junction and Woodville Goods Station will be worked by Train Staff without Tickets as at present.

In addition to the section of line between Woodville Passenger Station and Woodville Goods Junction being worked by Train Tablet, Block Telegraph Working will be established from Boothorpe Sidings to Woodville Goods Junction, and trains and engines returning from Boothorpe Sidings to Woodville Goods Junction without going through the whole section, must be signalled from Boothorpe Sidings to Woodville Goods Junction in accordance with the Regulations for Train Signalling by Block Telegraph on Single Lines of Railway, and the following instructions must be strictly adhered to:- On the arrival of a train having to attach or detach traffic at Boothorpe Sidings, the Driver must handed the Tablet to the man in charge of the Sidings, who must raise the removable lid of the Tablet Box deposit the Tablet, lettered side upwards, in the place provided for it, and close the lid; the points will then be unlocked. When the engine requires to proceed to Woodville Passenger Station, the man in charge of the Sidings must, after the whole of the vehicles have been placed in the Sidings and the points have been placed in the proper position for trains to pass upon the main line, remove the Tablet from the Tablet Box, and then return it to the Driver; and the latter must not proceed on his journey until he has obtained possession of it. When a train or engine requires to return to Woodville Goods Junction without going through the whole section, the man in charge of the Sidings must, after the necessary shunting has been completed, obtain permission on the Block Telegraph for the train or engine to return to Woodville Goods Junction, place the points in the proper position for trains to pass upon the main line, remove the Tablet from the Tablet Box and return it to the Driver; the Driver may then return to Woodville Goods Junction without going through the whole section. The man in charge of the Siding must be careful not to return the Tablet to the Driver until he has obtained permission on the Block Telegraph for the train or engine to return to Woodville Goods Junction, and the Driver must not proceed until he has possession of the Tablet. If the Signalman at Woodville Goods Junction required a train or engine at Boothorpe Sidings to proceed to Woodville Passenger Station for the purpose of clearing the section, he must so inform the man in charge of the Sidings by means of the telephone and the man in charge of the Siding must at once arrange for the engine to proceed to Woodville Passenger Station.

19FEB1899 – Swains Park Crossing SB renewed.

1906 – Swadlincote East SB moved to accommodate new Midland Road bridge.

15JUN1919 ­– The present Signal Box will be closed and the new Box opened. A new single armed dwarf signal to give permission for trains to set back the up loop into the up sidings will be brought into use.

20MAR1922 – Boothorpe SB renewed.

JAN 1923 – New connection to Albion Clay Co.s siding off the Swadlincote Branch controlled by Hall & Boardman's Sidings West Stage which is controlled by the Train Tablet.

09SEP1923 – Woodville Passenger Station SB renewed

18SEP1923 – Woodville Goods Jn SB renewed.

24JUN1934 – Boothorpe SB, Woodville Goods Jn SB abolished.

23JAN1955 – Swadlincote East replaced by ground frame.

02MAR1964 – Swadlincote West, Woodville Passenger Station and Swain’s Park Crossing Signal Boxes abolished.

26NOV1967 – Woodvile Jn. The signal box will be closed, all points worked therefrom secured out of use and all signal arms taken away.

01SEP1968 – Recover existing connections between main lines and Swadlincote Branch at Swadlincote Jn.

30MAR-05 April 1985. Swadlincote Junction sidings have been taken out of use pending removal. The connection from the Cadley Hill Colliery branch to the sidings has been retained as trap points controlled from Swadlincote ground frame.

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Dave Harris, Willington, Derby, UK.
Email: dave@derby-signalling.org.uk
Page last updated: Sunday, 30 August 2015