Plumpton
| Plumpton Signalbox was opened in 1891 and is a
survivor! It is today, in effect, a crossing ground frame and there have been
several announcements of its impending closure, and it has been offered for
sale (along with the rest of the station and the footbridge, it is a Grade II
Listed Building) but is still in situ and, remarkably still operates a
traditional gated level crossing. This is how it looked on 7 July 1983
photograph by kind permission of Alan Elliott |
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Now we are in 2003 and the box is looking a whole lot smarter - and
still hasn't been sold! Located on the opposite side of the road from Plumpton
station, the box oversees the crossing operation at the lower end of
Plumpton's fairly busy main street, together with just a few trains each
hour. The down starting signal doesn't have much longer to stand guard over
the level crossing as multiple aspect colour light signalling is in the process
of being installed.
photograph by Edmund Copping |
| The distinctive roof makes it a well-known local landmark
and, provided the hedges have been trimmed, the Signalman can enjoy a good view
of the racetrack alongside Plumpton
station. Race days, especially on Bank Holidays, are the only time this
sleepy box sees much action when additional trains are booked to stop and
the traffic over the level crossing is many times higher than normal.
photograph by Edmund Copping |
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The inside of the box, showing how the functions have been pared down
to the minimum with an almost empty, but sparkling clean, block shelf. Once
equipped with twenty one levers, just four levers are still in use today with
the one shown here on the right operating the Up Home signal.
photograph by Edmund Copping |
| A rare sight today - the wheel for operating the level
crossing gates! Alongside is a de-commissioned lever, two levers to operate
gate locks and the Down Starting signal.
photograph by Edmund Copping |
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The Plumpton box diagram, showing that it is in reality just a ground
frame released from Three Bridges Power Signalbox. How nice to see the four
gates on a diagram in place of the ubiquitous barriers! The two brown sections
beneath the Up line are the Up platform. It was extended to cope with twelve
coach trains on race days but as there is a footbridge at the end of the
original station, rather than rebuild the footbridge the Up platform stops at
the footbridge, then re-starts on the other side.
photograph by Edmund Copping |
| The writing is on the wall for the box and its crossing gates as the crossing is scheduled to be replaced in February 2014 by full barriers controlled by CCTV from Three Bridges. |
All photographs are copyright
This page was last updated 15 August 2012
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