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Banbury

You are here: Home > Forum > Miscellaneous > The real thing (signalling) > Banbury

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Banbury 12/04/2014 at 19:32 #58776
Andrew G
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552 posts
Hot off the press. Pictures from a visit today organised by the Swindon Panel Preservation Society, courtesy of Network Rail.

Those with the Marylebone simulation might find them of interest.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/llangollen_signalman/sets/72157643853412823/

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Banbury 12/04/2014 at 19:53 #58778
Danny252
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"Freightliner train leaves after a crew change" - given that it's an EWS locomotive hauling car carriers, that's a bit of a stretch of the "Freightliner" name, however you interpret it!

I have to admit to being slightly overexcited by the care with which that brass has been polished...

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Banbury 12/04/2014 at 19:59 #58779
Andrew G
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552 posts
" said:
"Freightliner train leaves after a crew change" - given that it's an EWS locomotive hauling car carriers, that's a bit of a stretch of the "Freightliner" name, however you interpret it!

I have to admit to being slightly overexcited by the care with which that brass has been polished...
Happy to be corrected and caption updated:

EWS Freight (Car Carriers) leaves after a crew change.

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Banbury 12/04/2014 at 20:06 #58780
SPADmad
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104 posts
to be awkward, EWS went bust, so it probably is either FLT or DBS who just dont bother to repaint the 66 :silly:
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Banbury 12/04/2014 at 20:50 #58785
Danny252
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" said:
to be awkward, EWS went bust, so it probably is either FLT or DBS who just dont bother to repaint the 66 :silly:
You've lost me. Weren't EWS bought out completely by DBS, due to being a successful company that DBS wanted to invest in? What locomotives has EWS/DBS sold off to Freightliner?

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Banbury 12/04/2014 at 21:24 #58787
kbarber
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1742 posts
That bobby waving out of North box (photo 3) looks suspiciously like John Francis (author and former IRSE president).

Which might explain some of the well-kept brass...

Last edited: 12/04/2014 at 21:25 by kbarber
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Banbury 12/04/2014 at 21:39 #58788
Stephen Fulcher
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2078 posts
That is exactly who it is!

Half surprised he hasn't been hauled before the management for still wearing a British Rail jumper though!

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Banbury 13/04/2014 at 00:26 #58793
TomOF
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452 posts
His quote of the day was 'just to think, they pay me for this!'
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Banbury 26/04/2014 at 03:07 #59576
atari001
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7 posts
Nice photos.

Banbury North has (what I think) is a unique feature of having a lower quadrant at BN4 then no more than 150yds up the line we get BN9 with an upper quadrant.

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Banbury 26/04/2014 at 06:30 #59577
Al McLean
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28 posts
BN9 was installed when colour lights were indroduced in the 1970s. Not only does Banbury North control lower & upper quadrants but has conventional colour lights and LED signals (BN47).

As a matter of interest does anyone know why the frame at Banbury North faces away fom the main running lines while the frame at Banbury South faces them?

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The following user said thank you: atari001
Banbury 26/04/2014 at 11:04 #59589
Danny252
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1461 posts
South was last reframed in 1944, whilst North was reframed in 1956, and the preference for rear frames started around the start of the 1950s. I'm mildly surprised they decided to reposition the frame in an already existing box, though - sounds like a lot of structural work would be needed.
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Banbury 26/04/2014 at 12:13 #59594
Stephen Fulcher
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The new frame was installed whilst the old one was still being used.
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Banbury 26/04/2014 at 13:27 #59596
Danny252
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" said:
The new frame was installed whilst the old one was still being used.
Aha, that's actually a fairly smart way to get around the problem of re-framing boxes - assuming your signalman doesn't fall down the hole in the floor at the back of the box...

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Banbury 26/04/2014 at 15:04 #59600
AndyG
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That's how they did Borough Market Jn in the 1930s, a Westlinghouse 'L' replacing the old lever frame, installed at the back of the box. Must have been a bit cosy too!
I can only help one person a day. Today's not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look too good either.
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Banbury 26/04/2014 at 16:23 #59601
Stephen Fulcher
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Both frames were in there at the same time for a while - there is a picture on the wall in Truro of the same when the new frame was added in the 1970s on closure of Truro West and Penwithers Junction boxes.

I would imagine the Western Region would have put the frames in the proper place (front) if it had been practical to do so, but it would take too long a closure to remove one frame and install another one in the same place.

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Banbury 26/04/2014 at 19:52 #59604
Danny252
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1461 posts
" said:
I would imagine the Western Region would have put the frames in the proper place (front) if it had been practical to do so, but it would take too long a closure to remove one frame and install another one in the same place.
Well, you say that, but they went with replacing the frame in the same location at Exeter West in 1959 - with consequent chaos in the interim as the layout was worked by handsignalmen! I wonder what factors went in to deciding which way to do it.

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Banbury 27/04/2014 at 06:53 #59607
Haraubrad
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103 posts
With regard to Banbury North the reframing took place prior to the re- signalling due the new station design.
They didn't do any underpinning. That is the reason for the tilt toward the river as the weight of the frame had no foundation support. Some hasty concrete pumping was involved to stop the box falling into the Cherwell.
I think they were hand signalling for the frame change for about a fortnight. I was on the footplate at Woodford Halse at the time.
First they opened the Down relief, after that the Down main closed while they worked on that, Then the Up main was slewed over to the Down main while they did the up side.
Aubrey

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