10-line Key and Lamp Unit

10-line Key and Lamp Unit in use at Shackerstone. Click on image to enlarge.

This key and lamp unit allows the signalman to speak to any one of ten incoming 2-wire telephone circuits. This type of equipment in varnished wooden cabinets was already old-fashioned when I started to learn about telecommunications in the 1960s. The two volumes of 'Telephony' by Atkinson were the telecommunications 'Bible' and gave an insight into the principles used.

On the left of the box the operator's handset can be seen, hanging from the 'Gravity Switch'. Originally, this would have been a heavy, bakelite 'Hand Micro-Telephone' ('HMT') but it has been replaced by a more modern, and much lighter, '700' series model. The handset cord terminates in a Plug which connects with a Jack mounted on the cabinet.

The horizontal row of coloured knobs in the middle of the front of the cabinet are 3-position Lever Keys, one for each outgoing line. They're often called 'Kellog Keys' after the original manufacturer. Lifting the key upwards sends ringing current to the associated line, so as to ring the bell of the remote telephone. The key is biased so that it returns to the normal position as soon as the operator lets go. This is called 'Non-locking' action. Pushing the key downwards connects the operator's handset to the associated line, so that two-way speech is possible. In this direction, the key will stay down when the operator lets go, leaving the operator with one hand free during the conversation - useful if written notes are required. This is called 'Locking' action. At the end of the call, the operator flicks the lever key back to the central position, disconnecting the telephone he was speaking to.

Below the row of lever keys is a metal 'Lamp Strip'. This mounts ten lampholders accepting plug-in filamentary lamps, usually the British Post Office No. 2 'wedge' lamp. An opal white glass lens fitted in a clip-in brass mounting is fitted in front of each lamp. When any of the remote telephones initiates a call, the appropriate lamp glows white and a buzzer (common to all lines) sounds until the operator pushes the associated key down to the 'SPEAK' position. This action silences the buzzer and allows a conversation to take place.

British Weather

Mid-November 2007: Brewood is frosty and cold.

It's amazing that I've not specifically written about the British weather before. It's usually the first thing we talk about when we meet someone - "Isn't it cold?", "Isn't it hot?". The English have an remarkable capacity for finding the weather unsatisfactory, whatever it's like. In general, England has very temperate conditions, never very cold, never very hot. Until I travelled a little, I'd no personal experience of the extremes that some countries suffer on a recurrent basis, although I am old enough to remember (just!) the severe winter of 1947 in England. Snow fell in unprecedented quantities and life became a major challenge as transport faltered. Perhaps it was a hangover from the "Britain can take it" philosophy of the Second World War but I rather fancy that people generally coped better then than in recent times. It seems that only a few snowflakes need to descend today before train services are completely disrupted and our road system gridlocks. Then again, even before the snow comes, train services are usually disrupted and roads gridlocked.

No sooner had I commented in an earlier post on the lateness of Autumn in 2007 than the weather turned very cold and we had heavy frosts. Then it turned very wet. The weather seems to have ricocheted between frost, sun and rain ever since. In this area, we've had sleet but no proper snow, so far. I didn't enjoy the cold, but the heavy frosts can be visually attractive.

Mid-January 2008: The arch of Brewood Hall Bridge is almost filled with flood water.

Since Christmas, we've had an awful lot of rain and the ground is now very sodden. Many parts of the country are, once again, under threat of serious flooding with the attendant misery to families involved. On 20th January, at least one of the roads out of my village was flooded but passable. The brook which runs opposite my home was at a higher level than I've seen for a number of years.

In contrast, today, it's quite mild, although with a rather chill wind. It's pleasantly sunny with a blue sky and fluffy white clouds. At least the variety of English weather means you don't get bored!

Pictures of Brewood Hall Garden through the Seasons.

Pictures of Brewood Village through the Seasons.

Tai

Sadly, I lost Tai in 2011. He was game to the end. Other than adding this note, I've not altered the original text written in 2008.

I have a dog who is a real treasure. Almost everybody falls in love with him, because he's a good-looking animal with an engaging personality. But it was not always so. When he was about a year old, he was taken from his original owner in a pitiful state. We never found out the details and don't know whether any prosecutions resulted, but we could see all too clearly the unhappy state that the animal had been reduced to, emaciated, bedraggled and terrified of his own shadow. He would cower at the slightest movement and we were not sure whether we would be able to do any good with him.

'Tai' has become a traditional name in our family for dogs. Before I met my partner, Daemon, he had a Boxer dog with very attractive brown and white fur, called 'Tie' (his spelling). Eventually, this dog died and Daemon took on another Boxer from the same line which was given the same name and grew up to be as attractive as his predecessor. We had the second 'Tai' for some years, until he died of cancer. At the time, we also had another dog, a bitch full of character called Foxy, a rescued dog reprieved by Daemon some years before. The present Tai, although not a boxer, had the same attractive brown and white fur so the choice of name seemed inevitable. Tai was intended as a companion for Foxy and she helped him to settle in. Alas, both Foxy and Daemon have passed on. Tai and the writer are presently in good health and hope to enjoy life for some time to come.

More photographs of Tai can be found in the Family and Friends section, partly because he's often to be found being fussed by my visitors, partly because, as Daemon always said, "Dogs are people, too".

Carpe Diem

Don't you hate it when people insist on using Latin tags? Well, I agree if it's done to be elitist but, having studied Latin to 'O' Level GCE (betraying my age here), I have to say that Latin can be an elegant (if rather terse) way of expressing ideas and a useful tool in understanding not only English but a number of European languages. So I make no excuse for offering you a short Latin tag which I've found useful in concentrating the mind - "Carpe Diem" - "Sieze the Day".

You don't see much Latin in Tokyo but I found this famous tag inset into the granite facing of the elevation of a modern office building, above the street-level windows. There were a number of less-memorable tags, as well, but I'll not bore you with those. I assume the architects throught that adding these phrases in a foreign dead language would add a certain panache (Oh dear, she's at it again) and make the property more desirable to aspiring corporations.

Why do I think it's a useful tag? Well, it has the advantage of brevity (I know, "Pity you don't, Jan" I hear you sigh), so it's easy to remember for a start. But, mainly, it's a universally applicable reminder that the sands of time are running. We sometimes act as if the present will carry on forever - it's salutary to remember that it won't - so go for it!

Crewe International Electric Maintenance Depot

92016 stands outside Crewe IEMD in the bright winter sunshine.

On 16th January, I visited the E.W.S. International Electric Maintenance Depot at Crewe to assist in some testing of trainborne control equipment. Locomotive 92016 was used for various static tests with 25kV a.c. power applied.

I first visited the location over 30 years ago, when the site was quite new. Then, it was called the Crewe District Electric Depot. It was built by British Railways on the down side of the Chester line, in between Crewe North Junction and Crewe Steel Works signal box, as part of the Euston to Manchester Electrification Project. The four-road shed was provided with facilities for maintenance of the 3,600 horse power Bo-Bo electric locomotives used at the time.

Today, maintenance of the 6,760 horse power Class 92 Co-Co locomotives is carried out. Class 66 diesel-electrics were also being worked on. Most of the Class 92 are in the two-tone grey livery which suits them rather well but 92001 was in the yard, sporting the E.W.S. livery of red and gold.

In the sidings, I found a modern 75-ton Cowans-Sheldon crane (ADRC96713), a modern 36-tonne 6-wheel snowplough (ADB965580) and a much more traditional-looking 32-tonne 6-wheel snowplough with dumb buffers (ADB965211).

Pictures of the Depot.
Pictures of Class 92.

Brewood Hall Small Barn

One of my early customers was a delightful English eccentric whose office was a large barn next to his house which had once served as a Games Room. I was very taken with his unusual premises, but didn't realise that, one day, my own offices would be a barn next to my home.

My own barn was semi-derelict until a few years ago. The main house is over 350 years old and has needed a lot of attention over the years. There is also a large barn which has had some work carried out. So the second, smaller barn has had a lower priority for conservation. But, during a spell of particularly windy weather, part of the roof of the small barn collapsed. I knew that plans must be brought forward to preserve the Grade II listed structure. This dilemma co-incided with changes at my business premises, a few miles away. The premises had become rather large for our needs and the opportunity arose to sell. So, a sale was agreed and part of the proceeds was used to fund the elaborate work necessary to bring the small barn into use as offices.

The move has been a great success and visitors invariably admire our unusual premises.

For pictures of the restoration project click here and for pictures of the result click here.

Brewood Hall

Historical Notes

Brewood (pronounced ‘Brood’) was a manor held by the Church as early as 822. The Domesday Book records that the Bishop of Chester held ‘Breude’. In Celtic, the name means a ‘fearful place’, held to be derived from the dense forests which covered the area at that time. Deer hunting was popular and King John is thought to have had a ‘Camera Regis’ (a temporary residence) on the site of Brewood Hall around 1204. The Fowke family became bailiffs of the Episcopal Manor of Brewood and Brewood Hall remained in this family for a number of generations. The pedigree of the Fowkes shows William Fowke living at Brewood Hall during the reign of Edward IV. During this period the ‘Leet’ (a Great Court) was held here.

William Parke, a local historian, refers to the two principal families in Brewood in the seventeenth century as the Giffards of Chillington Hall and the Fowkes of Brewood Hall. Both families had pews in the church of Saint Mary the Virgin and Saint Chad and a number of memorials to both families may be seen in the church. These families remained loyal to the King during the Civil War. King Charles passed through the area during his escape, stopping first at Boscobel House and then at Moseley Old Hall, both a few miles from Brewood. The last male descendant of the Fowke family was Phineas Fowke M.D. He died a bachelor in 1710 and his sister Sibella married Joseph Hussey. In 1767, Phineas Hussey sold to Thomas Plimley "all that Manor of Engleton with appurtenances and all the capital messuage called Brewood Hall with appurtenances." It was re-sold in 1786 to the Honourable Edward Monckton, who intended it as a jointure house to Somerford Hall, although it was never so used.

Brewood Hall remained in this family for a number of years. A major rebuilding was carried out in 1858 before Misses Leonora and Emma Monckton took up residence. The Moncktons sold Brewood Hall to Colonel C. O. Langley in 1929. He disposed of it to Avion Properties in the 1960s and this company developed about five acres of orchard for housing. The Hall and adjacent barns, with around an acre of gardens, were acquired by J. C. Ford in 1971.

There is a later post Notes on the History of Brewood Hall with more information.

Architectural Notes

Brewood Hall is a Listed Building (Grade II). There has been a residence on the site for over 700 years. The existing structure dates chiefly from a major rebuilding around 1640 which incorporated parts of an earlier building and retained the medieval plan. The external construction is of hand-made bricks although this conceals some timber framing which is visible from within the building. A number of partition walls on the second floor are timber framed with brick infill. The garden walls and stone gate piers with ball finials date from this period. The house has the traditional ‘E’ plan, albeit on a small scale, with two short ‘wings’ flanking a central porch. The North West wall shows the remains of early lunette windows. The Hall still has a number of lead rain water heads although the original lead rain water pipes were replaced with cast iron many years ago. The two lead rain water heads on the South Eastern (main) elevation are decorated with cherubs – one shows two complete cherubs, the other a single cherub’s head in close-up. The 1858 rebuilding added a new wing to the North East and placed a conservatory between the wings on the main elevation. At the same time, the original stone-mullioned windows were replaced by larger plate-glass sash windows. Cement quoins were placed around these windows and on the corners of the wings on the front aspect.

The major change in the 20th century was the replacement of the 1858 conservatory by a small porch.

Internally, there are a number of original oak floors, oak door frames and oak doors. The dining room is oak panelled, with the panelling of two dates as the original room was extended some time ago. The main stairs, also oak, feature barley sugar twist balusters (banisters). The lounge hall has an Elizabethan bolection moulded stone fire surround but the ceramic tiles and brass canopy are of later date. The large window on the main staircase, with its unusual shutters, is from the 1858 rebuilding.

There are two barns adjacent to the Hall, both dating from the 17th century. The larger barn features massive oak beams but the tiled roof is relatively modern. The smaller barn was extensively restored in 2004 as offices. All the original features of the smaller barn, such as the Queen Post Truss roof and timber framing have been retained. In 2004, the doors and windows in both barns were replaced, using oak, retaining the original designs as far as possible.

You can find all my posts on Brewood Hall and associated activities here.

There is an associated set of photographs recording different aspects of Brewood Hall and showing methods used in maintaining the various structures. Click here.

The project to restore the smaller barn has its own set of photographs. Click here.

The large barn has a set of photographs here.

Alternately, you can find all my pictures of Brewood Village and Brewood Hall here.

[5-Oct-2015: Links to related posts and pictures added]

'Sir Gomer'

'Sir Gomer' is a six-coupled Peckett works number 1859, type OX1, built June 1932. It was acquired some years ago by the Battlefield Line with the intention of hauling the brunt of the service trains. Sadly, it's proved a rather ill-starred locomotive and, for a variety of reasons, availability has been rather poor. However, it's a strong engine, a good steamer and looks handsome in the livery applied at Shackerstone.

An excellent collection of Peckett data is available at Martyn Bane's site. This site has a number of Roger Griffiths' photographs showing the locomotive at work at Mountain Ash Colliery in the mid-1970s.

The engine has two outside cylinders, 16 inch diameter by 24 inch stroke. With coupled wheels 3 foot 10 inches in diameter and a boiler pressed to 180 p.s.i., tractive effort is 20,430 pounds.

Peckett's 1938 catalogue (available on Martyn Bane's site) states that the locomotive can develop 545 h.p. at 10 m.p.h. This allows a load of 170 tons to be hauled up a gradient of 1 in 30 and 980 tons hauled on level track. The locomotive is suitable for use on 60 pound rail and above and a minimum radius curve of 180 feet. Weight is 34.5 tons 'dry' and 43 tons fully loaded. The saddle tank has a capacity of 1100 gallons.

Peckett's Geneneral Arrangement drawing is number 5043 (available on Martyn Bane's site as a photograph of an original dyeline copy). This drawing gives a total heating surface of 789 square feet, a grate area of 15 square feet and a coal bunker capacity of 38 cwt.

More pictures

Aveling & Porter Locomotive

I've seen some pretty odd-looking locomotives (the Kitson locomotives for the Ferrocarril Transandino take some beating) but the preserved Aveling & Porter locomotive 'Blue Circle' is certainly striking. Aveling & Porter are better known for road rollers and traction engines, but they also produced shunting locomotives of a very distinctive pattern. 9449 visited Shackerstone in October 2007 for the 'Thomas' events and stayed for the Christmas season.

The principles of this locomotive can be followed by looking at a collection of photographs.

Battlefield Line Photographic Charter

'Linda' passes Shackerstone Box with a freight train

I've been involved on railway photographic charters on a number of occasions, but it's been some years since the Battlefield Line ran one. On 5th January 2008, 'Linda' and 'Sir Gomer' ran photographic charters for a party of photographers led by Russ Hillier. It was planned to be the last appearance of 'Linda' before her move to Chacewater, so, although I had no rostered duty, my friend John Archer and I decided to go and have a look.

After a failure some days earlier, 'Sir Gomer' was only able to perform after major efforts behind the scenes by volunteers to remedy the leaking boiler tube. 'Linda' had already gone down the line with a freight train coupled to the 2-car DMU to provide accommodation for the photographers.

Quite significant shunting operations at Shackerstone, involving both 'Sir Gomer' and a diesel mechanical shunter, were required after 'Linda' had departed. I was invited to assist by taking over as fireman on 'Sir Gomer'. The six-coach passenger train was shunted from Platform 2 to Platform 1 and 'Sir Gomer' was positioned at the South end of the second freight train, less brake van.

Later in the morning, the charter returned (with the DMU leading) and then made a second foray down the line. I managed to get some decent pictures as 'Linda' stormed away. When the charter returned, more shunting took place to transfer the brake van from the train hauled by 'Linda' to the second freight train. 'Sir Gomer' moved the second freight train to platform 2 and the DMU was attached at the rear.

After a brief pause to allow the photographers to get refreshments, they boarded the DMU and 'Sir Gomer' set off, bunker first, for Shenton. Here, more shunting was necessary to detach the DMU and run 'Sir Gomer' round, so that the steam locomotive could make a series of departures for the benefit of the cameras. The cavalcade moved on to Market Bosworth and the photographers disembarked once again to allow a series of run-pasts leaving the station. This process was repeated a number of times, progressively moving towards Shackerstone until it was agreed that we had 'lost' the light. The weather was generally kind and there had been bright sun for most of the day, giving the photographers some interesting opportunities. 'Sir Gomer' then made a final 'romp' back to Shackerstone, a satisfying conclusion to what was judged to be a successful day.

More pictures.

My first visit to Taiwan

The Lungshan Temple in Taipei

In an earlier post (Working for the Big Boys) I described how, in the 1970s, my firm came to supply railway telecommunications equipment to GEC Telecommunications for use on the Trunk Line Electrification Project in Taiwan. During the commissioning of this equipment, I made three visits to Taiwan.

The first trip was also the first time I had travelled to the Far East or, indeed, outside Europe. To minimise the travel costs, GEC supplied the tickets (economy class, of course) which involved flying to Hong Kong, overnighting in a decent hotel and then flying on to Taipei, capital of Taiwan. GEC had their own travel company called Magnet Travel which made arrangements for all the GEC companies.

As you can imagine, it was all a bit of an adventure for me. I was not used to flying so even getting to Heathrow and checking in was a challenge. The flight to Hong Kong was long. In fact, it seemed interminable to me. But eventually, we broke through the low cloud on our final approach to the original Hong Kong airport, Kai Tak.

At the time, Kai Tak was regarded as one of the most dangerous airports in the world. It was very close to the mainland city centre and the runway had been extended out across the bay. Landing involved quite sharp manoevring at low altitude to miss the multistorey apartments. It used to be said that you could check out what people in the flats were having to eat as you approached. A missed approach was equally hazardous as the end of the runway faced a tall rock face and it was no mean feat to gain sufficient altitude to climb over the rock face in order to 'Go-around'. You may imagine that I was just a little anxious as we landed but we did so, safely.

I went through immigration, was re-united with my luggage and then noticed how amazingly hot and humid it was. I feared that I might collapse with the oppressive heat. Neither was I prepared for the noise and clamour - so many people, so much shouting! I think I managed to sort out a taxi to take me to the hotel, hardly believing that I was really there, in Hong Kong. The hotel was modern, large and comfortable but I was soon outside again, exploring, although it was already dark. My curiosity was stronger than my terror of this alien place. I was fascinating with the way life was conducted on the pavement - open shopfronts revealing an amazing variety of businesses which remained open very late, street vendors selling food I didn't even recognise from makeshift stalls and food being stir-fried virtually in the gutter and eaten nonchalently by diners balanced precariously on ramshackle seats at tiny tables. I'd never experienced anything like it and I was frightened and amazed in about equal measure. Nothing untoward happened to me but next morning, when I met up with well-travelled GEC staff, they did suggest that it was somewhat inadvisable to go wandering around Wan Chai alone at night.

I can't remember much about the onward flight to Taipei. It might have been a China Airlines flight. They had a rather poor safety record and I can certainly remember one flight in a superannuated 'Caravelle' which did little to instill confidence in the carrier but I'm not sure whether it was that flight. We landed very close to the city centre at Chiang Kai Shek Airport. Since then, international flights have been diverted to a new airport miles away but Chiang Kai Shek is still used by domestic flights. It didn't take long to get to our hotel in the centre of Taipei - the Flowers Hotel. I think GEC had a block booking on rooms here to cater for all the coming and going in connection with the Project but I'm afraid it was a rather run-down establishment.

GEC had offices within the headquarters building of the Taiwan Railways Administration and I was soon introduced to some of the senior Chinese from the railway who were managing the Project. I was impressed with the unfailing courtesy which which I was treated on all my visits to Taiwan by the Chinese railway managers. They could be demanding and they were sometimes displeased with progress but this was not used as an excuse for raised voices or unpleasantness or, at least, certainly not when I was present. However, the Chinese ways of business are quite different from what I was used to. These cultural differences were mainly dealt with by GEC's Chinese agents - Grand Engineering.

Most of my work was technical and practical, but I discovered a little about the recent history of Taiwan. When the supporters of Chiang Kai Shek were finally driven out of Mainland China by Mao Tse Tung and the Communists, they settled in the island province of Taiwan which became the Republic of China. The indiginous Taiwanese with their own dialects of Chinese had to absorb many upper-class Chinese, Mandarin-speaking, who assumed positions of power. The immigrants brought significant wealth and many historical artefacts with them. They considered themselves guardians of the true Chinese heritage. The U.S.A. provided support to Taiwan, as the last bastion against the Communists over-running South East Asia. Taiwan was technically at war with mainland China, the 'Peoples Republic of China' and armed police and military were everywhere. I didn't find this situation as intimidating as I expected because people seemed friendly but it was still worth remembering not to act in a way which could be construed as 'Spying for the Communists'.

I travelled extensively to various locations on the railway, accompanied by GEC staff who knew their way around, but when I received my own all-areas travel pass for the railway, I started travelling on my own in the evening or at weekends. I'd acquired only a tiny collection of Chinese phrases, like 'Good morning', 'Please', 'Thank you' but armed with my railway pass and rather laborious research to try to decode timetables in Chinese, I could travel anywhere and did. I never found out exactly what it said on my pass but I could expect salutes from security staff as I marched importantly through the ticket barrier. I remember standing on the open verandah at the rear of a passenger train one evening, enjoying the sunset and having a bit of struggle persuading the attentive guard that I didn't want him to throw passengers out of their reserved seats so that I could sit inside!

Around Taipei, services were either diesel multiple units or diesel locomotive hauled. Further South, I found a little steam but, sadly, I lacked the opportunity and, perhaps, the inclination to go in search of it. After all, I was being paid to work and there were plenty of problems to try to solve. I also regret that, at the time, I was not taking photographs, so I have some wonderful sights preserved only in my memory. Those of you who have trawled my digital photographs on the web will be aware that I'm trying to make up for those barren photographic years now.

Although the hotel in Taipei was a little basic, the GEC ex-patriates based in Taipei for the Project duration fared rather better with their rented houses and servants. I was frequently invited for a visit or meal to one of these rather grand places. When people have once worked overseas, they are often reluctant to return and work back home, because they usually cannot recapture the life-style they enjoyed abroad.

At the time, the main station in Taipei was a rather elderly and scruffy affair and the railway lines headed off North and South at ground level, intersecting dozens of important roads at a series of manned level crossings provided with ramshackle lifting barriers and almost-incessant electric warning bells. The most common road transport was the bicycle and I can still picture the mass start each time the barriers lifted and a hundred or more bicycles pedalled furiously away, clashing with the bicycles heading in the opposite direction and with the impatient motor vehicles threatening carnage as they forced their way through.

When I re-visited Taiwan in 2005, the railway through Taipei had been placed in a tunnel, the main station rebuilt, the most common road vehicle is now the motor scooter and the city has grown almost beyond recognition. Click for details of my subsequent trip to Taiwan in 2005.

Many other memories of my three early trips to Taiwan bubble up, particularly the third one, where I was accompanied by my Mother on her first trip to the Far East, but I'll save them for another time.

Railway Signalling: Mond Gas Company's Sidings

Click for larger version of the diagram

This signal box was on the Stour Valley Line from Birmingham to Wolverhampton. The next box towards Birmingham was Dudleyport (Click for more information) and Watery Lane (Click for more information) was on the Wolverhampton side. In clear weather, all three boxes were in sight of one another, so 'Short Section Working' applied.

Why the odd box name? Ludwig Mond (1839-1909) was born in Germany. He trained as a chemist and moved to England in 1862, helping to found the British chemical industry. He became interested in the manufacture of ammonia, and the Mond Producer Gas Process arose from this interest. In the early 1900s, the Mond Gas plant at Dudleyport was using 3 million tonnes of coal a year, so the private sidings were well justified. By the time I knew the signal box, only a few wagons a week were moving in and out. Shortly afterwards, the plant was demolished to make way for a new gas works making gas from oil. A new connection was laid at Watery Lane to take oil into the plant in bogie oil tankers. Then offshore natural gas was discovered so the gas-from-oil plant was redundant. The whole area is now covered by housing and no trace of the Mond Gas signal box remains.

Mond Gas box was a standard London and North Western Railway pattern, with a Webb frame on the side nearest the running lines. The block shelf carried four Fletcher combined 'Double Needle' instruments. The two in the middle were Absolute Block for the Main Lines and these were flanked by two 'Permissive' instruments (with mechanical reminder for the number of trains in the section) for the Goods Lines. An L.N.W. Block Switch (in a wooden case matching the design of the Block Instruments) was also provided on the block shelf to allow 'switching out'. Signals would be 'pulled off' for through movements on all four lines and the block section would extend from Dudleyport to Watery Lane.

When I knew the box, it was open 'As Required' for only a few hours a week, so I didn't have many opportunities to work the box. It was covered as a 'Porter-Signalman' job at Dudleyport in the day. Most of the time, the rostered man (invariably referred to as the 'Porter-Bobby') would be doing portering duties on Dudleyport Station. When required, he would walk along the line the few hundred yards to the Mond Gas box, open up and perform any required shunting. Then he would close and walk back to Dudleyport.

The box only controlled only one stop signal on each road, because of the proximity of the adjacent boxes. The signals were upper quadrant LMS bracket signals and distant arms were carried underneath the stop signal for the box in advance. Lever 6 was for the Down Goods, lever 3 for the Down Main. On the Up, lever 24 was for the Up Main and lever 21 for the Up Goods. Lever 25 worked distants for the Up Main only. This lever worked a weight bar on Watery Lane's Up Starting and Tipton's Up Starting. Both of these distants were 'slotted' so that the arm did not come off until the stop arm above was 'off'. There was also a further weight bar 'slotting' the distant on Watery Lane's Up Starting which was controlled from Dudleyport. Similarly, there was a further weight bar 'slotting' the distant on Tipton's Up Starting which was controlled from Dudleyport. For the Down Main, lever 2 worked a total of three successive distants on Dudleyport's Down Home 1 (this distant arm was motor operated because of the distance), Down Home 2 (the wooden LMS gantry: again, the distant arm was motor operated) and Down Starting (the LMS 5-arm bracket signal). These distant signals were slotted with the stop arms on the same post and also slotted so as to be controlled by Watery Lane. On the Down Goods, Dudleyport had a Down Starting signal which was 'slotted' by lever 5 at Mond Gas. This sort of signalling complication was common where boxes were close together.

A freight train wishing to attach or detach at Mond Gas would typically stop, draw forward either light or with the required wagons, propel into the sidings, attach or detach, rejoin the rest of its train and then depart. Trains on the Up Goods did not interfere with other movements and there were two connections with the works - crossover 15 or crossover 17. No signals were provided for setting back, so this was authorised by handsignal from the box. Ground disc signals were provided leaving the sidings, signals 16 and 18. Note that signal 16 had a yellow bar. This allowed the signal to be passed at danger for a movement into the Headshunt. Trains on the Down Goods could set back into the Headshunt via a running crossover (levers 12 and 14), blocking all running lines in the process. Trains on the Down Main could set back into the Headshunt via a running crossover (levers 12 and 13), blocking everything except the Down Goods. Again, handsignals were used to authorise the setting back but a 2-arm ground signal was provided for movements leaving the Headshunt - signal 10 read to Down Goods, signal 11 to Down Main.

The box had no track circuits and only one signal was controlled by the Block - signal 24 on the Up Main. It was typical to add Block Control in a piecemeal fashion, dealing with the greatest perceived hazards first. The electric lock on lever 24 could only be released if the Block Indicator from Dudleyport stood at 'Line Clear', minimising the risk of an Up train being allowed to approach Dudleyport in error when Dudleyport was turning a train out from the Dudley branch or from the Up Goods or when the Up Platform was occupied by a stationary train or vehicles.

Although the boxes at Dudleyport and Mond Gas have gone, Watery Lane remains as a shunting frame and there are still goods loops, now controlled remotely from a Power Signal Box. Running Lines are now track circuited throughout and signals are four-aspect colour lights.

'Linda'

I've commented earlier (see post about 'Henry' ) that the design of four-coupled industrials remained fairly static for a long period. 'Linda' is a Bagnall saddle tank (works number 2648), formerly 'Dunlop No. 6', which has been restored at Shackerstone. 'Linda' has strong family resemblances with many similar locomotives, like 'Henry'.

Pictures of 'Linda'

Battlefield Line Mince Pie Specials

I've talked about Santa Specials run by most preserved railways in December. As it becomes more common for the holiday to extend to New Year, many preserved railways have found it commercially worth while to operate a service between Christmas and New Year. Parents with children, particularly, may be seeking new ways of entertaining their offspring once the immediate appeal of Christmas presents has dimmed.

At the Battlefield Line, 'Mince Pie Specials' are run on a number of days and, although I had no rostered duty, my friend John Archer and I decided to go along to Shackerstone on the 1st January 2008 to start the New Year in style. We arrived to find that (not for the first time) the steam locomotive which was to work the trains, 'Sir Gomer', had failed with a leaking boiler tube. With quite a healthy number of passengers arriving, the only alternative was to run the trains diesel hauled. The Class 33 'Griffon' was available but the problem was to find a 'scratch' diesel crew at very short notice. Because no qualified diesel driver was available who could cover the whole day, it was eventually arranged that Adrian would drive the first round trip to Shenton, Simon the second and, by providing relief for John in the signal box, John would drive the last train. As a qualified steam and DMU driver, I was eligible to act as the required 'Secondman' on the diesel and so I found myself unexpectedly busy for the rest of the day. The most arduous task is 'hooking-off' and 'tieing-on' at each run-round, but these jobs were informally shared between the various drivers during the day and myself. Timings during the day were a little haphazard but the passengers seemed happy. As a consolation prize, two steam locomotives trundled around the station - the four-coupled Barclay saddle tank 'Linda' (not quite big enough to operate the service train herself and with rather limited water capacity) and the improbable but very attractive Aveling-Porter 'Blue Circle' (half traction engine, half locomotive). Both steam locomotives had very friendly crews so a number of the younger passengers were able to enjoy a close inspection of the motive power.

It was decided to give the writer some driving training on the 'Crompton', so I ran round after the first trip with Adrian and was then invited to take the second service up to Shenton. Simon brought the train back to Shackerstone and handed over to John who took the last train up to Shenton. Jan then ran round and brought the train back to Shackerstone under supervision. I always try to enjoy the unexpected, and it was a very educational day.

I've always been intrigued that, historically, once a driver was passed to drive steam locomotives, he was expected to drive any type, including classes he had never seen before. But diesel drivers were passed class-by-class, because of the need to be conversant with the particular control systems and fault-finding techniques. When I was a volunteer at Birmingham Railway Museum some years ago, in addition to being passed to drive all steam locomotives, I was passed to drive Class 08 and Class 47 diesel electrics.

I trust that readers will accept that I remain a committed steam enthusiast. Whilst I have, in facetious moments, referred to diesel traction as "The Dark Side", the more complex control systems of diesel locomotives have much of technical interest but, for me at least, never the romance of steam.

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