Deal and Minster

For this video we visit the county of Kent and find two of the few remaining traditional signal boxes.

Deal Signal Box was a Southern Railway 'art deco' signal box built to replace both the previous Deal signal box at the station and the resident crossing keeper. OS Map.

Minster Signal Box replaced three older signal boxes that had been located at each corner of the triangle.OS Map.

The map links will place the location selected at the centre of the map panel, roll the mouse over the icon(s) to reveal what they represent. Increase the scale using the scale selector on the left to separate closely positioned icons.

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The material may be freely used except for sale or advertising purposes.

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Video Credits

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Key Chronology

1846	South Eastern Railway opened their line from Ashford to Ramsgate (Town) via Canterbury and Minster. Minster station opened.
1847	South Eastern Railway opened a branch from Minster to Deal. Deal station opened.
1881	Dover & Deal Joint Line opened from Buckland Junction on the London, Chatham & Dover Railway in Dover to an end on junction with the South Eastern Railway at Deal. South Eastern Railway opened a south to east curve at Minster to allow through running to Ramsgate without reversing at Minster station. Curve disused early on and South signal box removed.
1899	LCDR & SER form a joint committee to work the two companies as a single entity but both companies remain legally separate.
1905	Probable abolition of Minster East and Minster South signal boxes, line between out of use since 1881.
1916	Track lifted from rarely if ever used south to east curve at Minster.
1926	Ramsgate Town station closed, replaced by new Ramsgate station.
1929	Minster west to south realigned. Replacement Minster signal box. Down and up directions reversed to become down from Dover to Ramsgate.
1961	Ashford - Ramsgate and Dover - Minster electrified.
1982	Minster west to south reverted to original alignment.
1980	Dover - Martin Mill changed to track circuit block.
1998	Martin Mill - Deal changed to track circuit block.
2003	Ashford - Canterbury changed to track circuit block.
2004	Ashford - Sturry changed to track circuit block.

 

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Can you help?

The project would love to hear from you, especially if you worked or still work in a signal box, and you are willing to provide reminiscences and / or pictures. Please contact the webmaster in the first instance.

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