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2010

Signalling Record Society

Some Items in Great Northern News

Great Northern News is the Journal of the Great Northern Railway Society. Follow this link to visit their web site.

Continue to later years

Issue	Items
2009 March-April	‘The rationalisation of the Grantham - Nottingham line (Pt4): Gonerby - Radcliffe-on-Trent’ (GNR; chronology of alterations, 1953-62, and yet more detailed route diagrams depicting changes). ‘A Pre-modernisation scene at Finsbury Park’ by Steve Gwinnett (SRS GNR-specialist member provides a very detailed description of the signalling scene depicted in his Spring 1971 colour photo of the GNR lattice post Down gantry at Finsbury Park which appeared in Great Northern News, January/February 2009, including details of boxes and alterations down the years; b&w undated GNR-period photo of Finsbury Park station south end showing various Up line signals).
2009 January-February	‘A diary of events as recorded at Hitchin South box from GNR to BR (Pt14)’ (concluding instalment, covering 7/9/1947-22/9/1968). ‘The rationalisation of the Grantham - Nottingham line (Addendum): Gonerby - Radcliffe-on-Trent’ (GNR; with certain amended route diagrams). ‘How trains are controlled (Pt9) - The signals at Finsbury Park station’ by W E Edwards (GNR; as published in Railway Magazine ‘in the early part of the previous century’ (issue number date not given!), comprehensive survey with copious facsimiles of the signalling diagrams and b&w photos therein, plus a b&w view from c.1974; one of a series appearing in that periodical - as previously recorded by ‘In Print’. ‘Pt3 - The signals at King’s Cross (GNR)’ by W E Edwards, published in Railway Magazine, March 1905, appeared in Great Northern News for May/June 2008). colour photo of splendid GNR lattice post Down gantry at Finsbury Park, carrying four tall wooden posts including stacked stop signals, with distants below, seen in Spring 1971 - magnificent!
Issue	Items
2008 November-December	‘A diary of events as recorded at Hitchin South box from GNR to BR (Pt13)’ (covering 6/3/1940-28/8/1947). ‘The rationalisation of the Grantham - Nottingham line (Pt3): Gonerby - Radcliffe-on-Trent’ (GNR; route diagrams depicting changes); plus historical details, diagrams and/or photos of Essendine South, Hitchin Yard and Welwyn Garden City boxes, and Oster Fen (near Claypole) level crossing (all GNR).
2008 September-October	‘A diary of events as recorded at Hitchin South box from GNR to BR (Pt12)’ (covering 16/5/1937-26/12/1939); ‘The Beeston derailment’ (GNR; details of a previously unrecorded accident here in Summer 1953; Beeston Junction signalling diagrams for 1927 and 1956). ‘The rationalisation of the Grantham - Nottingham line (Pt2): Gonerby - Radcliffe-on-Trent’ (GNR; route diagrams depicting changes; b&w photo of Belvoir box). ‘Brick traffic - A Postscript’ (GNR; new brick sidings and associated signalling alterations on the ‘Northern Heights,’ Finsbury Park - Edgware, in the 1900s-30s; list of sources); plus b&w photos of High Street, Lincoln (seen in 1955 and 2008) and New Southgate (in arch of brick overbridge) boxes (both GNR).
2008 July-August	‘A diary of events as recorded at Hitchin South box from GNR to BR (Pt11)’ (covering 5/1/1935-12/5/1937). ‘Fog signals’ by Allan Sibley (introduces an illustrated extract from Our Iron Roads by F S Williams, 5th Edn, 1884, on the use of detonator fog signals). ‘My early life’ by George Harold Newcomb (memories of growing up at Barrowby Vale gatehouse - next to Allington Junction signal box - and at North Muskham; 3 b&w photos including signal boxes at these locations). ‘The rationalisation of the Grantham - Nottingham line (Pt1): Gonerby - Radcliffe-on-Trent’ by Don Anderson (following on from his detailed account of Colwick yards, the author starts a similar review of infrastructure changes over the year; route diagram).
2008 May-June	‘How trains are controlled (Pt3) - The signals at Kings Cross (GNR)’ by W E Edwards (as published in the Railway Magazine, March 1905, complete with facsimile of signalling diagrams and b&w photos therein; one of a series appearing in that magazine around that time).
2008 March-April	‘A diary of events as recorded at Hitchin South box from GNR to BR (Pt10)’ (covering 4/1/1930-22/9/1934). b&w photo of the Midland covered ground frame stage at Yeadon in 1953.
2008 January-February	‘A diary of events as recorded at Hitchin South box from GNR to BR (Pt9)’ (covering 26/9/1927-25/11/1929).
Issue	Items
2007 November-December	‘How was it actually done?’ by Michael Back (questions how movements between Westwood Yard and Wisbech Junction at Peterborough were accomplished, given that there was no direct junction so that shunting must have been involved; b&w photo and simplified layout diagram of Westwood Junction area). ‘A diary of events as recorded at Hitchin South box from GNR to BR (Pt8)’ (covering 20/1/1924-23/9/1927). b&w photo of Kesteven Sidings signal box (Lincoln).
2007 September-October	‘A diary of events as recorded at Hitchin South box from GNR to BR (Pt7)’ (covering 2/1/1919-29/11/1923).
2007 July-August	‘A diary of events as recorded at Hitchin South box from GNR to BR (Pt6)’ (covering 4/10/1914-11/11/1918).
2007 May-June	‘The decline and fall of the GNR Colwick marshalling yards (Pt7)’ by Don Anderson (conclusion of a detailed chronological review of traffic and infrastructure over the years, with extensive accompanying track diagrams depicting the various changes; Note: Pts1-6 appeared in Great Northern News Nos 146-8/150-2). ‘A diary of events as recorded at Hitchin South box from GNR to BR (Pt5)’ (covering 19/1/1913-25/9/1914, includes details of infrastructure changes; Note: Pts1-4 appeared in Great Northern News Nos 148-50/152).
Issue	Items
2006 Issue 148	Some nice pictures of signals and layouts at York, Essendine and Spalding. The third part of ‘The decline and fall of the GNR Colwick Marshalling Yards’ by Don Anderson. Detailed track plans of Nertherfield Jn 1956-1968 also Colwick North Jn, Colwick No 1 Yard and Rectory Jn to Colwick East Jn all 1956-65. The track layouts do not include the signalling details but all boxes are marked and the sidings are shown in great detail. Previous parts have covered the 1956 situation and also explained how the route between Colwick East Jn and North Jn (The Derbyshire extension lines) was replaced by that from Rectory Junction in the 1888 yard expansion programme. To complete an interesting read there are good pictures of Hitchin South, Dogdyke and Tumby Woodside boxes.