Watch the latest episode of铁路建造的建筑and you'll get to explore an exceptional piece of our network – the world's largest working mechanical signal box.
Presenter Tim Dunn visits Severn Bridge Junction at Shrewsbury railway station onYesterdaytoday at 8pm, where our signallers are doing “one of the last steam-age jobs on the network,” according to signaller Jamie Green.
The grade II-listed building houses 180 levers, all dating from 1903. The box doesn’t just embody a rare tradition, it continues to perform a vital function on a modern railway.
Severn Bridge Junction, which opened in 1904, will remain open for the foreseeable future, although Network Rail is updating signalling across Britain to providerbetter, more reliable and more frequent services. The introduction of new rail traffic management technology will lead to much greater capacity for passengers and freight operators.
However, signallers like Jamie remain crucial to Shrewsbury, ensuring all trains pass safely through the station without state-of-the-art technology.
Click on the gallery to see Severn Bridge Junction, signallers Jamie Green and Kevin Collins, and signallers in 1962:
三层高，杰米和他的同事是一个远离大部分网络的世界。该团队将计算机系统和纸张作为备用，但通常从内存工作，根据火车应到达的平台，在特定序列中拉动杠杆。
Jamie says: “It’s very satisfying the way it connects together. It’s like a mechanical jigsaw puzzle.”
Origins
Two railway operating companies – the London & North Western Railway and the Great Western Railway – worked together to build five lines converging at Shrewsbury despite rivalry between them. They competed to connect South Wales’s coal and materials supplies with the industrialised regions of the Midlands and North West, and to transport passengers between Liverpool and London.
Click on the gallery to see a plan of Severn Bridge Junction, the exterior and the view from the signal box with Shrewsbury Castle on the left:
铁路建造的建筑– London St Pancras International
今天什鲁斯伯里站,开业于1848年,less busy than the likes of Derby but it was historically known as a hub of significant commercial activity. In fact, an article written by JT Lawrence for Railway Magazine in 1905 described the station as a “switch board”, with claims that more traffic was “interchanged and redistributed at Shrewsbury than even at York”.
It said: “Whilst the chief importance of Shrewsbury Station lies in its various connections, it must not be supposed that local conditions are unimportant. The town is the centre of one of the chief agricultural districts in England and Wales.”
On its name, Lawrence added: “There does not seem, at first sight, to be much connection between Shrewsbury Railway Station and the Severn Tunnel. In fact, to the casual observer, the only point of common interest would appear to be that the one goes under the river whilst the other stands on top of it. But, nevertheless, it is to the Severn Tunnel that Shrewsbury owes the position it claims as one of the most important distributing centres in the country – if not the most.”
Click on the gallery to see more images:
Network Rail is proud of itsheritage, which dates from the 19thcentury. It works with railway heritage organisations to document thehistory, operation and way of life associated with signal boxes, many of which are listed.
在10月份的周一，网络铁路毕业生群体正在访问Severn Bridg亚搏彩票软件官网e Junction，渴望了解有关传统铁路运营的更多信息。
在杰米和同胞凯文柯林斯的密切监督下，他们轮流运作沉重的信号？在伦敦＆西北铁路的杠杆设计中具有明显的差异，是一个难得的机会。Shrewsbury的人是不寻常的，每个人都以杠杆前面而不是手柄后面的捕获。
The signaller’s cloth, not strictly necessary at Shrewsbury, protects levers at other signal boxes from losing their polish. Jamie says: “We’re keeping the tradition alive.”
Network Rail graduates from the Western and Wales routes:
Mid-tour, Jamie wows the young employees by moving points – pieces of track interlocked with signals that allow trains to change tracks – with the Edwardian equipment.
In 1905, Lawrence praised the station’s signalling system, noting its guard rails. They run along the track in areas with restricted clearance, such as bridges and tunnels, to keep trains’ wheels aligned in case they come off the line.
He said: “The lines approaching the station are laid out in curves of somewhat short radius, and the system of guard rails is deserving of notice. Instead of being in short lengths, as is frequently the case, they are in apparent continuity with the respective facing points, and any derailment seems to be impossible.”
They remain in place today, specifically because of the tight curvature around the station.
Invaluable experience
奥利弗·伊斯兰在今天的旅行中基于西方和威尔士航线的研究生师之一。他组织了访问自己，使他的年轻同事能够体验运营信号环境并与现代铁路运营中心（ROC）对比。
He said: “Having chosen the signalling discipline and having experienced life at Network Rail for over a year, this was my first visit to a mechanical signal box. It is a very useful thing for new graduate engineers to see so that they can learn about mechanical signalling, and especially aids electrical graduates when they come to making the choice between the signalling and telecoms or electrification and plant disciplines. I hope the visit inspired some of the new engineers to pick the signalling and telecoms discipline.”
Severn Bridge Junction bears no resemblance to the modern rail operating centres across Britain today. After climbing the dark, narrow stairs, visitors are rewarded with rare panoramic views – Shrewsbury Castle to the south and, in clear weather, the Shropshire hills on the horizon, says Jamie: “Here, a sunny day isn’t wasted.”
点击画廊看看Severn桥联盟和工程师检查系统:
Read more:
Preserving railway history: five things saved by Network Rail