Ledbury Signal Box

Ledbury Signal Box is a typical Great Western Railway traditional level frame signal box which remains in daily use at Ledbury Station, Herefordshire, England on the railway line from Worcester to Hereford.

The railway line from Worcester to Hereford opened in several stages, with the section from Malvern to Shelwick Junction, just north of Hereford, opening on 15 September 1861. The current signal box however dates from 1885 opening as the branch line from Ledbury to Newent and Gloucester opened (27 July 1885). It is thought that this current signal box must have replaced an earlier 1861 GWR built signal box, but there is currently no written or physical evidence to support this theory. A recent suggestion has been that the original signal box was just a few metres east of the existing box but the site was covered by new track leading to a redesigned goods yard.

The current 1885 signal box was built by MacKenzie & Holland of Worcester, as their 'type 3' box design under contract to the Great Western Railway. It has a striking feature in that it is unusually tall, providing good visibility over the goods yard to the east and rear (south) of the box. A balcony was also provided on the east side to allow the signalman to communicate with drivers and other personal working in the goods yard.

Ledbury signalbox was designed to be operated by one person and has always provided all the essential modern hotel services such as an office area, heating and cooking. When the box was built in 1885 this was before the general use of electricity, and at a time when toilet facilities were considered unsanitary and placed outside of dwellings and offices. Ledbury signalbox was built with an open fireplace and chimney, oil lamp lighting, and a separate outside toilet. The fireplace, now blocked off remains as does the chimney and two cast iron oil lamp ventilation ceiling roses, a "modern" toilet has been added in a square wooden extension on the balcony (see second photograph above).

Note that a further signal box was located just outside Ledbury station on the Newent branch. Ledbury Branch Signal Box opened 27 July 1885, closed 1925.

In March 2013 the signal box was repainted externally. In June 2016 the signal box frame and point connecting rods were renewed increasing the life expectancy of the signal box and reducing the chance of failure

Ledbury Signal Box is owned and operated by Network Rail a company wholly owned by the British tax payer unlike the station which whilst still owned by Network Rail is served by the private operator London Midland.

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Wikipedia