Signalbox question

[mumrar]

What is the bizarre quirk about Aston box that makes it unique from any other box in the midlands, if not the entire country??

 

[matt]

What is the bizarre quirk about Aston box that makes it unique from any other box in the midlands, if not the entire country??

If its the one i'm thinking off it does not control the line that runs next to it as that line is controlled by New Street PSB.

 

[mumrar]

If its the one i'm thinking off it does not control the line that runs next to it as that line is controlled by New Street PSB.

That's part of it, but that alone doesn't complete the uniqueness

 

[matt]

Does it control anything at all?

 

[mumrar]

Yes it does, you have to add something to your original statement to complete what I mean

 

[90019]

It has more than one roof.
Twelve of them, stacked on top of each other.

 

[1D53]

If its the one i'm thinking off it does not control the line that runs next to it as that line is controlled by New Street PSB.

Thats the same as Manchester North box. It is based at Salford Crescent and the line outside is controlled from Piccadilly. The nearest signal controlled by Manchester North is about a mile away.

 

[mumrar]

You still haven't quite hit upon it, but what JsT says about Manchester North may mean it is not unique in the country, but just in the Midlands. Not sure about the roof thing, I'll investigate but it sounds very odd indeed too

 

[90019]

Not sure about the roof thing, I'll investigate but it sounds very odd indeed too

Eleven of them are invisible, so you can't see that they're there, but they are.

 

[1D53]

In fact the fact that MN box doesn't control the line outside is specifically mentioned in the Quail trackmaps as it is for Aston.

 

[Tomnick]

And Manchester South too (located somewhere around Edgeley?), I believe. Low Gates, just outside Northallerton on the Yarm line looks interesting too - it doesn't appear to control the line immediately outside (it fringes with York IECC a little way north), but it does control the crossing (and another on Longlands Loop) and presumably has slots on York's protecting signals.

 

[Metroland]

Or Slough IECC and Swindon B IECC

 

[mumrar]

Sorry I've neglected this thread, but now I'm going to field my answer. Aston box controls a section of line remote to it's location. However, all of the scheduled services it controls do pass the box. Would I be right in adding that the West Coast Signalling centre near Saltley is unique in that every train it controls is remote from the lines outside it?

 

[matt]

Out of interest what section of line does Aston Box control?

 

[Tomnick]

Aston controls the line between Aston North Jn (excl) and Lichfield Trent Valley HL (incl, but excluding Trent Valley Jn beyond the station), fringing with New Street PSB at the former and Trent Valley Jn SB at the latter.