Signal Box book?

[32475]

Can anyone recommend a photographic book dedicated to signal boxes up and down the country? I'm aware that various individual route or pre-grouping books have been published in the past, but a really good quality colour 'coffee table' book is what I've been looking out for. If there isn't one then I'm sure there is a call for a pictorial tribute to these fast disappearing humble and not so humble structures.

 

[Ashley Hill]

There's been several over the last few years with the demise of semaphore signalling. Search "Railway Signalling" on Amazon for several good examples.

 

[Springs Branch]

I have a copy of A Pictorial Survey of London Midland Signalling by D.H. Allen & C.J. Woolstenholmes (Oxford Publishing Company, 1996) which I enjoy browsing through from time to time and probably meets your criteria.

Obviously this book only deals with one of the old BR regions, but text on the dust jacket flap mentions a companion volume A Pictorial Survey of Railway Signalling, which I don't have, but sounds like it might have nationwide coverage.

The London Midland book focuses mostly on lineside shots of 'boxes of all shapes and sizes, plus interesting signal hardware (colour light as well as semaphore), with some photos of "indoor" signalling equipment and box interiors.

A well-produced book in my opinion, with informative commentaries on the pictures.

 

[32475]

Thanks for your suggestions

 

[John Webb]

I have a copy of A Pictorial Survey of London Midland Signalling by D.H. Allen & C.J. Woolstenholmes (Oxford Publishing Company, 1996) ........but text on the dust jacket flap mentions a companion volume A Pictorial Survey of Railway Signalling, which I don't have, but sounds like it might have nationwide coverage.....

"A Pictorial Survey of Railway Signalling" (Oxford Publishing Company, 1991) does cover the country, but rather thinly with only 144 pages to try and do it in. It precedes the LMS book and is written in a similar style.
For many black and white photos and a detailed history of railway signalling try:
Two Centuries of Railway Signalling by G Kitchenside and A Williams, also an OPC book, first published 1998 - there is a later 2nd Edition.
An Illustrated History of Signalling by M A Vanns, Ian Allan, 1997

But all these were published prior to the announcement of Network Rail to move signalling control to a dozen or so 'ROCs'. You could try Resignalling Britain published by Mortons Media in 2015 which is a softback book looking briefly at signalling history and then more extensively at what is still present on the network. It has numerous colour photos as well.

 

[John Webb]

"Signal Boxes and Semaphores - The Decline" by Gordon D. Webster (2016, Amberley Publishing. ISBN 978 4456 5617 5 as a softback book) is another fairly recent look at what remains of semaphore signals and boxes. Not quite 'coffee table' as it is smaller than A4 but larger than A5; colour pictures throughout.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Pictorial Survey of Railway Signalling https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0860934535/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_0NinEbJMF84DX

This book is on Amazon at the moment 2nd hand at a very reasonable price. It's as good a place to start.