Signalbox Safari - Lincoln

A pre-Christmas trip to Lincoln by train gave me the opportunity to snap a couple more signalboxes for my collection.

High Street signalbox, Lincoln, 22/12/14

High Street box is a brick-built Great Northern Railway type 1 structure dating from 1874 that stands by the level crossing at the west end of Lincoln Central station. Disused since Network Rail's resignalling of the area in 2007-2008 the box is now a listed building.

East Holmes signalbox, Lincoln, 22/12/14

East Holmes box stands a few hundred yards to the west of the station and is another GNR type 1 structure, this time of wooden construction dating from 1873, again it is disused and now a listed building.

Being pushed for time I didn't get to do much more exploring and so completely missed the remains of St Marks station that are now incorporated into the shopping centre a little further down High Street… A return trip is on the cards however…

A Norfolk Ramble, part 2 - North Norfolk Railway

As usual, a trip to Norfolk means a visit to the North Norfolk Railway, easily one of my favourite heritage lines.

The warm weather had certainly brought plenty of visitors and even the first train of the day (the 09.45 from Sheringham-Holt) was pretty full. NNR stalwart 8572 (a London & North Eastern Railway B12 class 4-6-0) had no problems with its train of four coaches and one parcels van though.

LNER B12 class 4-6-0 8572 runs round its train at Holt, 11/04/14

The NNR is home to all sorts of beautifully restored items, from locomotives, carriages and buildings right down to this set of fire buckets, complete with Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway cast sign.

Fire buckets at Sheringham station, 11/04/14

A return visit was made the following day (more on this later) as I was hoping to photograph BR Standard class 4MT 2-6-0 76084 in action (I'd missed getting a shot of it the day before) but it wasn't to be… Great Northern Railway N2 class 0-6-2T 1744 (visiting from the Great Central Railway) was out and about instead.

GNR N2 class 0-6-2T 1744 departs Weybourne with the 13.44 service to Holt, 12/04/14

I thoroughly recommend a visit to the North Norfolk Railway if you're in the area, I'd even go as far as to say make a special trip if not! The combination of steam, sea views and (if you're lucky) sunshine really is unbeatable!

Signalbox Safari - Postland

Postland signalbox (Lincolnshire), 3/8/13

I was tipped off to this particular signalbox by a tweet on the Railways Illustrated twitter feed a few weeks ago and decided to pay a visit.

Postland was a station on the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Railway line between Spalding in Lincolnshire and Whitemoor Jn. north of March in Cambridgeshire that opened in 1867. Named Crowland until 1871, Postland station closed in September 1961 but the line remained open until 27 November 1982 after which all traffic was diverted via Peterborough. I'm not sure when local services between Spalding and March ceased but the line was in use by long-distance trains linking East Anglia and the north right up until the end.

The Signalbox itself is a Great Northern Railway 'type 1' dating from 1882 and amazingly still contains it's original 35-lever frame. I can only assume that the cut-off rear corner of the box is to provide extra clearance for the road which curves sharply at this point.

Postland signalbox lever frame, 3/8/13

I should point out here (before somebody else does) that strictly the section of line between Whitemoor Jn. and Spalding wasn't 'Joint' at all, being opened solely by the Great Northern Railway but is regarded as being part of the GN&GE.

Other boxes on the line also survive, notably at Cowbit and French Drove & Gedney Hill but have been (or are being) converted into private homes and as such enthusiasts may not be able (or welcome) to view them.