A Look Back at Banbury Lane West Coast Mainline Signal Box 1988

Victorian Banbury Lane Wooden Signal Box Remembered

Wooden Banbury Lane Signal Box with Class 86 Loco Approaching
Photo: Charles Moorhen 

Former Banbury Lane Signal Box, and photographer location (red star next to railway line)            Courtesy: Google Maps

Back to the year 1988 for this photo of Banbury Lane signal box, as an unidentified Class 86 locomotive, in Intercity livery, storms towards it on the West Coast Main Line heading north on an overcast, gloomy day.

Situated on one of the oldest drovers roads in England, which is believed to have ran from Aust crossing on the River Severn to Northampton in the Midlands, Banbury Lane signal box was built by Saxby & Farmer and opened in 1878 for the London & North Western Railway.

On what was then the London & North Western Railway, it was the first signal box controlling a level crossing reached after leaving London's Euston station.

Banbury Lane Signal Box Levers
Photo: Charles Moorhen

The levers in the photo replaced the original Saxby & Farmer lever frame in 1891 with one of the LNW's own design.

Banbury Lane Signal Box Electronic Signalling Board
Photo: Charles Moorhen

The box was closed on the 13th September 1988 and demolished soon afterwards.

The level crossing itself is also no longer there (though some traces of it can still be seen); replaced by a bridge over the West Coast Main Line.

 


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Photo Class 31 BR Blue Diesel Locos Double-Heading at Bletchley 1980s

Class 31 Diesel Locos Double-Heading Through Bletchley Station

Photo: Charles Moorhen

Trainspotting a pair of unidentified Class 31 diesel locomotives, in BR blue livery, double-heading a train through Bletchley station in the late 1980's heading in the direction of Northampton.

Please note that the platform canopy supports at the right-hand side of the picture still bear the colours of the former London Midland & Scottish Railway.

 

 

Class 31 Diesel Locomotive Historical Note:

Whilst hauling a train in which Queen Elizabeth II was travelling on 4th January 1961, D5667 (31240), broke down south of Cambridge.  

 

Two onboard Brush fitters, on hand to deal with any mechanical problems that may occur, were unable to fix the problem and a steam loco had to be sent for in order to rescue the stricken diesel adding over an hour to the completed journey.

                                              

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Photo Smoky Class 43098 Brel/Paxman Intercity 125 Basingstoke 1990s

Class 43098 HST Smoking Out of Basingstoke Station 

Photo: Charles Moorhen

Trainspotting Class 43098 Intercity 125, built in August 1978 and allocated to Landore T&RSMD (Swansea), in 'Swallow' livery introduced in 1987, leaving Basingstoke station in the 1990's in a cloud of diesel exhaust smoke, heading for Reading.

Brel/Paxman 43098 Intercity 125 has carried two names.  From 1985 to 1987 it was Tyne & Wear Metropolitan County, and from 1998 to 2004 it was Railway Children. 

An old slam-door diesel multiple unit, in Network Southeast livery, can be seen in the background standing in the station's bay platform before heading towards Reading.


Basingstoke railway station historical note:
In the mid-1800s, a special train was permanently kept in a state of readiness by the London & South Western Railway for the sole use of the Duke of Wellington - hero of the Battle of Waterloo - at Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK, should he require it.


Wellington was not a fan of the 'new fangled railways' and it is not known if he ever used his train.

   

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Night Photo Class 350372 London Midland Desiro EMU Train Bletchley 2018

Class 350372 Desiro EMU, Bletchley Train Station

Photo: Charles Moorhen 

Photographed at night Class 350 372 electric multiple unit (EMU), built in 2014 and allocated to NN - Northampton King's Heath EMUD, in London Midland Trains livery, spotted at platform 4 of Bletchley station around 20:15 on the 19th April 2018 about to depart for London Euston station.

Unit coach numbers for this commuter train set are as follows: 60145  60515  60655  60155.

 

 

 

Video Clip - Two Class 350 EMUs Passing at Bletchley Station

 

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Night Photo Class 222014 4-Car East Midlands Trains Meridian DMU Bedford 2018

Class 222014 Diesel Multiple Unit at Bedford Station

Photo: Charles Moorhen 

Night photo of East Midlands Trains, Class 222 222014 diesel multiple unit built between 2013 and 2014, standing at platform 3 Bedford station with the 22:50 passenger service to London St. Pancras on the 19th April 2018.

The unit coach numbers for this Meridian dmu are as follows: 60254  60924  60634  60534  60174.

News Update:

Seeing East Midlands Trains colourful livery of red, white, orange and red flashing along the railway tracks, will soon become a thing of the past.

Abellio will take over the East Midlands Trains franchise on Saturday 18th August 2019. 

The Class 43 HST Intercity 125 and Class 222 diesel multiple unit will gradually be phased out by brand new Hitachi trains that will be a variant of the bullet-nosed Class 800 bio-mode DMU.

The new trains will have a lavender livery and be branded with 'EMR' on both sides.

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Night Photo Class 700130 12-car Desiro City Thameslink Trains EMU Bedford 2018

Class 700103 'Desiro City' EMU, Bedford Station

Photo: Charles Moorhen 

Siemens-built Govia Thameslink Desiro City Class 700 700103 electric multiple unit, introduced onto the railway network between 2016 and 2018. 

In this night photo Class 700103 Thameslink EMU unit stands at Bedford station prior to departing with a 12-car 22:40 scheduled service to Three Bridges, Crawley, West Sussex, on the 19th April 2018.

The unit coach numbers are as follows: 401103  402103  403103  404103  405103 406103  407103  408103  409103  410103  411103  412103.

The completion of the 115th and final Class 700 EMU for Govia Thameslink Trains has (at time of publication) recently been announced by Siemens.

Over the past five years a total of 1,140 coaches, made up of 60 8-car and 55 12-car commuter train units have been manufactured.

The final unit produced, completing a total of 115, was Class 700060.


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Night Photo Class 153334 Single-Car Supersprinter DMU Train Bletchley 2018

Class 153334 'Supersprinter' DMU at Bletchley Station

Photo: Charles Moorhen

Trainspotting West Midlands Trains Super Sprinter Leyland Bus DMU Class 153 334, built between 1987 and 1988 and allocated to TY - Tysley Birmingham TMD, standing at  platform 6 Bletchley station ready to operate the 21:01 service to Bedford on the evening of the 18th April 2018.

Compare the newer Supersprinter above with the photo below of British Rail Bubble Car DMU 55011, bearing a small Network Southeast decal, operating the same service in the late 1980's.  

Note the weeds growing on platforms 5 and 6.  A common sight during the days of the run-down and neglect of British Rail by government.

British Rail Bubble Car DMU 55011 Leaving Bletchley For Bedford in the late 1980's

 

Photo: Charles Moorhen

 

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