Blackwell Signal box..1954

On Saturday 11th December 1954, I was taken by my father to Blackwell, to see trains at the summit of the Lickey Incline. My father had the knack of being able to talk himself into Loco sheds and Signal boxes with ease, and Blackwell was no exception. We arrived at 2.50pm and stayed until 4.35pm. Whilst in Blackwell box, I made a drawing of the Panel, from which that evening I made a fair copy for insertion in my Railway log book for 1954. The pictures below are scans made over 50 years later from that fair copy drawing.

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Above: Drawings made from Blackwell Box panel in 1954

The notes below are reproduced from my 1954 Railway Log book. I was then 15 years of age.

The layout at Blackwell is unusual for such a modest station, there being a down loop, an engine line bye, and several short sidings. As no path is provided for bankers returning light to Bromsgrove, they are held until there is a gap in the traffic, but on this Saturday, it was relatively quiet. A second loop, on the up side, is used as a coal siding.

The signal box contains 55 levers, and to operate point no 54 (see layout plan), a hand operated generator is used.

My diagrams also include the following notes:

Division in track circuit no 1270 operates annunciator when signal 12 is at danger. Bromsgrove starter signal released by key and locked by TC no 1270.

TC no 1465 operates indicator in cabin. Annunciator for 10 secs when signals 43, 55 are at danger, and back locks signals in check lock position. Track circuit 1466 locks 54 normal and reverse.

Track circuit 1276 occupied with 22 at danger, operates bell in signal cabin.

The bankers used by Bromsgrove shed during the afternoon were 0-10-0 no 58100 "Big Bertha", and 0-6-0 tanks nos 47301, 47565, 47425, and 47630.

		Trains seen during our visit included two northbound freights, hauled by 48026 and 43989, a northbound stopper, 44830, 45273 on the 2.15pm Bristol to York, another northbound freight, 48112. Southbound 42761 on a freight, and 45663 Jervis on a York to Bristol.