I graduated from high school in 1983, and as a graduation present from my parents I received a plane ticket from the USA to the UK together with a Britrail Pass. I flew over in July of that year and spent a few happy weeks travelling around the country.
I was based in Bedford, located on the Midland Railway main line. Between Irchester, just north of Bedford, and Loughborough, the section of the Midland Main Line was known as the “Leicester Gap”. This 45-mile section of the line was operated using Victorian-era procedures—semaphore signals and 23 mechanical signal boxes.
One afternoon I rode a High Speed Train (HST) southbound from Sheffield to Bedford, and below are the photos I took out of an open vestibule door window that day along this stretch of line.
Resignalling work began in 1984, and these signal boxes and signals are now all long-gone, replaced with colour-light signals and centralised signalling.
Syston South Junction Signal Box
Passing London Road Junction Signal Box, Leicester. This view is looking south.
A BR class 56, running light engine, awaits a signal at Knighton South Junction.
Knighton South Junction signal box, on the south side of Leicester.
Approaching Kettering Station, looking south
Passing Kettering Station, looking south
Kettering Station signal box, looking south
Condemned Mark 1 carriages sit in the Wellingborough sidings, awaiting scrapping.
Condemned Mark 1 carriages sit in the Wellingborough sidings, awaiting scrapping.
Outside Wellingborough Loco Shed stood a class 46 032 and a class 47. The shed was closed one year later, in 1984.
Approaching Wellingborough station
Wellingborough Station signal box
Heading south out of Wellingborough Station
Heading south out of Wellingborough Station, looking back to the station.
Map of the Midland Main Line
Map data (c) OpenStreetMap (and) contributors, CC-BY-SA
2 Comments
Leave a Reply