A visit to Shrewsbury, England in June, 2013. By previous arrangement with Network Rail, we toured Severn Bridge Junction and Crewe Junction signalboxes, which are situated at opposite ends of Shrewsbury station, which is located at the junction of the ex-GWR Cardiff-Birkenhead line with ex-LMS lines to Crewe and Birmingham. Severn Bridge Junction is currently the largest mechanically signaled facility in the world, with a 180 lever frame, connected to upper and lower quadrant and tilting semaphores. The box is manned by two signalmen during the busier first and second shifts, while a single man works at night. While traffic is primarily passenger trains, there are a few freights each day. Sutton Bridge Junction lies to the south of the station and controls the junction of the ex-GWR main with the Cambrian line to the Welsh coast.
6 сен 2024
