Advice from the Experts Please

[Lady Penelope]

During Heritage week in Sutton this year we will be highlighting the contribution of 'ordinary' people to the running of the railways. There are often pictures of the railway staff but no mention of signalmen. I wondered if anyone could help with information about them please? At Chester Road there were sidings with a coal yard on the up line so I presume they would have had a signal there and there was also a signal near the footbridge on the down line. Before modernisation would they have had a designated signalman at this station or would the signals have been operated from, say, Aston?

I'd be grateful for any information on signalmen in general too please.

Many thanks,

Penny

 

[Pedrocut]

December 1902…

 

[Mark Tooze]

During Heritage week in Sutton this year we will be highlighting the contribution of 'ordinary' people to the running of the railways. There are often pictures of the railway staff but no mention of signalmen. I wondered if anyone could help with information about them please? At Chester Road there were sidings with a coal yard on the up line so I presume they would have had a signal there and there was also a signal near the footbridge on the down line. Before modernisation would they have had a designated signalman at this station or would the signals have been operated from, say, Aston?

I'd be grateful for any information on signalmen in general too please.

Many thanks,

Penny

Map from 1887 shows a signal post:-

But I think this was run from either Erdington or Sutton boxes. I have a book somewhere which will have the answer - will look it up later

 

[Lady Penelope]

Thank you both. Chester Road was an afterthought and not built until a year after the line was completed.