Lived in Chapel as a child, my parents and myself used to travel from and back to there by train, 1950's. Wonderful times? There were different pressures on people then. Glad the line is still open now and that the box is still there. How much longer?
Good evening, some single track museum railways in the United Kingdom are still operated with staff or token blocks although all their stations are equipped not only with home signals but also with starting signals. It is therefore not clear to me the need to have a staff or token block in the presence of starting signals. In other words, couldn't the signals that authorize the sending of trains in the opposite direction along the single track section be interconnected to avoid head-on collisions? If I'm not mistaken, as far as physical Europe is concerned, only in the United Kingdom, Man and Ireland is the staff or the token-block used, while in the other railway networks of continental Europe, telephone block or Sole Management apart, electric locking systems are used which do not provide for the delivery of staffs, tokens, keys or other suitable metal or wooden objects to the train driver. If I'm wrong, correct me! Grateful for the attention given to me, I would like to take this opportunity to extend cordial and sincere regards
Normally signal boxes on single lines cannot be switched out because of the requirement to exchange single line tokens. However, there are some boxes that can be switched out, let's say the signal boxes are A, B and C; there will be Long-Section token for A to C & vv with token instruments at A, B and C, the instrument at B will be an intermediate instrument and the signalmen at A and C will communicate with each other. When the signalman at box B opens up he will request a long section token and insert that token into a lock with the King Lever, with the Long Section Token locked it is the possible to use the Short Section Tokens A to B and B to C. When it is time to close box B, provided both Short Sections are clear and no tokens are out, the signalman at B can clear his King Lever and return the Long Section token to his intermediate instrument then box A will work with box C. The King Lever also allows the signals to be pulled off to allow what looks like a conflicting movement. Different railways use variations, I am sure someone will clarify or correct me, I am only explaining the basics
