1369

BELOW: Through the signal box window, 66429 hauling the 11.28 6M1

10 MWFO (as required) Redcar to Carlisle loaded ballast train at 16.08.



1369 FIXTURES REPORTS (Paul Stewart) [email protected]
279] Haltwhistle - Wetheral visits, Fri 14 Feb 2020, Part 6: (BLN 1368.145) Milton Gate Box: This
original 1893 NER type N2 Box survives to control Milton Village Level Crossing, 48m 60ch west of
Newcastle on the busy A689 (the former B6292). Travelling northwest, after crossing the railway the
road has an immediate sharp bend westwards. The crossing is located on a curve on the line from the
Brampton direction (the station is half a mile away) travelling towards Newcastle. A 10-lever Stevens
frame remains, extended from the original 6-lever frame installed. However, only five levers are now
used: 1 - Up Distant, 2 - Main Up, 7 - Main Down, 8 - Down Distant and 9 - Barrier Release.

It is doubtful that it was ever a block post. The Up Distant is motor operated and, due to the difficulty
in sighting it (because of Brampton station footbridge), the signal was moved in 2003. Previously it was
the former Brampton Junction signal box Up Section signal with Milton Gate Box's Distant beneath.
The Down Distant is a Colour Light. Both Homes are traditional mechanical signals with arms.
In addition Brampton Fell signal box's Up Starting signal (a four-aspect colour light) is restricted to
show double yellow when Milton's Up Distant, (at the east end of Brampton station), is at caution. This
unusual arrangement is due to the very short distance between Brampton Fell and Milton (to avoid
drivers seeing a green on a 4-aspect signal followed almost immediately by a semaphore caution).

Milton Gate Box is not a Block Post but the bells and block instruments between Low Row and
Brampton Fell boxes are repeated here to warn the crossing keeper of approaching trains. Closing the
barriers is slightly different to most boxes, as there are warning lights but no warning sirens.
The signaller has to keep his finger on the barrier close button and look out for traffic, to close them.
The barriers close the road completely. Here 158851 went past on the Down and 158860 on the Up.

Brampton Fell: 50m 10ch west of Newcastle is this NER type N4 Box, dating from 1918, with a
traditional box and frame layout. The original McKenzie & Holland frame exists, but only four levers
are used, 3 - Down Main Distant, 4 - Down Main Home, 17 - Up Main Starting and 19 - Up Main Home.
The Up Main Distant (20) has a Replacement Switch on the block shelf. The box controls a Level
Crossing on the adjacent B6413, and all the signals are colour light. Situated on the windowsill behind
the frame is the original painted board showing the function of each lever (and correct for the levers
still in use). The board has been superseded by lever plates for the 20 lever frame, numbered 2 to 21.
The trailing crossover (Oct 2016 TRACKmaps 2 p43A) was taken OOU in Mar 1994 and has gone - per
Sep 2020 edition. Six trains were signalled by the box in the hour we were there, the highlight being
66429 hauling the 11.28 6M10 MWFO (as required) Redcar to Carlisle loaded ballast train at 16.08.

Brampton (Cumbria): This station had 15,850 passengers in 2019-2020; it OP 1836 as Milton, was
renamed Brampton in 1870; Brampton Junction 1885; Brampton 1891; Brampton Junction 1913;
Brampton (Cumberland) 1971 but was just Brampton again in the body of the passenger timetable by
1976, and finally became Brampton (Cumbria) in 1984 (Quick 5.02). It is wondered if any remnants of
Brampton Junction box still stand (in the 'V' of the junction for Lambley - see below) and when did it
close? Brampton Junction station CG 5 Jul 1965, so presumably the box closed shortly after? It would
likely have been 'switched out' for most of the time before then. Google pictures suggests that it stood
until 2009 at least. The other Brampton (Suffolk) station is on the Ipswich - Lowestoft East Suffolk line.

Thomas Edmondson (1792-1851) was the first stationmaster at Milton (later Brampton) when he
joined the railways in 1836 at the age of 44. There he introduced cardboard tickets for passengers, and
later the ticket dating machine. The mile long Brampton Town branch was taken over by the North
Eastern Railway using its coaches and locos for passenger services from 1 Aug 1913; CA 1 Mar 1917;
ROA 1 Mar 1920 then CA 29 Oct 1923. A full account of this fascinating line (dating back to 1775) and
its mineral railways is in April (Part 1) and May (Part 2) 2020 editions of 'Back Track' magazine.

Four lines once radiated from Brampton Junction, as well as to Newcastle, Carlisle and Brampton
Town, Lord Carlisle's Railway, a mineral line, ran to Lambley on the Alston branch. Brampton Jn -
Lambley Colliery CG/A 1953; Lambley - Lambley Colliery CG/A May 1960. On 3 Oct 1970 a member

walked the line leaving Lambley (which still had passenger trains then) 12.07. The line ran via Halton-
le-Gate (1¾ miles), Midgeholme (2¾), Tindale (4¼), Hallbankgate (6½), Kirkhouse (7¼) to Brampton Jn
(8½) reached 14.58. (Thanks to Nigel Lyons and Nick Jones with additional material by Charles Allenby.)

DDetails must be checked 1369 CONNECTIONS (Paul Stewart) [email protected] .Please mention BLN.:

X.16] RBF: http://bit.ly/3nzUbrU is an online raffle to win a week in Devon for two (you can take a
small dog - optional) at an ex-railway workers cottage for Brixham station in Torbay. The prize has
been donated so all proceeds will go to Railway Benefit Fund charity. Like many charities during the
pandemic their services are needed far more as funding has declined. Please help and promote this.

X.17] The Architecture the Railways Built: A NEW second series of this TV documentary with Tim
Dunn began on the 'Yesterday' Channel* at 20.00 on Tue 19 Jan and will be available on UKTV catch-
up. There are 10 one hour episodes and the first featured Wemyss Bay and Blackfriars stations and
was excellent. On Tue 26 Jan the second programme includes Royal Albert Bridge between Plymouth
and Saltash. *Sky 155, Freeview 26, Virgin Media 129, Youview 26, Freesat 159, BT 26 & TalkTalk 26.

X.18] Query Corner: Can anyone recall why use of the
Sutton Park Line by summer dated passenger trains
ceased early in Aug 1971, only to restart with the next
summer timetable, please? Contemporary BLNs don't
help and it was classed as a 'Goods Line' in both 1969 and
1980 appendices. Thank you.

280] King of the Light Railways: Robin Jones. The story
of Colonel Stephens, who acquired legendary status at
the end of Britain's great Victorian age of railway
construction. An ingenious and inspirational engineer, he
made his name by building lines under the 1896 Light
Railways Act 'on the cheap' and using second hand locos
and stock to serve rural areas ignored by big railway
companies who saw there was no profit to be made.
However, the tragic flaw in Stephens' empire of 17 light
railways - all covered in this volume - was that it
appeared at the same time as the more versatile motor
car, bus and lorry began to destroy any fading hopes of
prosperity that country branch lines harboured.
Stephens became an inspiration for the heritage railway
sector, and five of his lines are modern-day tourist
attractions. 'Bookazine', 132 pages, B&W and colour
photos published 22 Jul 2020; RRP £7.99.

X.19] Statfold Barn Railway - Dates for your diary (…hopefully): (MR p24) (BLN 1360.MR136) Sat 20
Mar Enthusiast Day, 150 years of the Quarry Hunslett (09.00-16.00); Sat 8 & Sun 9 May Statfold Giant
Miniature weekend (10.00-16.00); Sat 12 Jun Enthusiast Day - Trangkil 50 (09.00-16.00); Sat 11 & Sun
12 Sep Road, Rail & Ale Festival (10.00-16.00). There are other events when the railways will not be
running or will not form a major part of proceedings. http://bit.ly/3caPfHI has details and to book.

CONTACT DETAILS: See BLN 1350 centre pages, e-BLN 1350 2nd and 3rd pages, website PDF or via the Editor.
●Editor: Paul Stewart, 4 Clarence Close, MALVERN, WR14 3HX 01684562862 07790652351 [email protected]

●Bookings Officer: Mark Gomm [email protected] 84 Mornington Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 6EL.
●Fixtures Secretary: Kev Adlam [email protected] @BLSFixtures (Any post via BLN Editor above please.)

●BLS Sales: Graeme Jolley [email protected] Dolbryn, Penegoes, Machynlleth, Powys, SY20 8NN. 07484646542.
● MAPS: By permission of the National Library of Scotland http://maps.nls.uk/index.html

●Published by the Branch Line Society, 10 Sandringham Rd, Stoke Gifford, BS34 8NP. ISSN 1354-0947.