Westinghouse miniature power lever frame


Hampton Court Junction signal box is owned by the Malden and District Society of Model Engineers at its miniature railway which is known locally as the 'Thames Ditton Miniature Railway. We open each year on Easter Sunday and Monday, then the first Sunday of the month and every Bank Holiday Sunday and Monday until the first Sunday in October. The site is open from 13:00. Trains run from 14:00 to 17:30.
	Hampton Court Junction signal box takes its name from the adjacent British Railways signal box which was located nearby on BR Southern Region in Surrey The signal box will house our 60 lever Westinghouse miniature power lever frame. 36 levers came from North Kent East, signal box near London Bridge. 12 levers came from Acton and 12 levers from White City all in London.
		coloured light signal with white route indicator showing a right hand turn.
Our signal box takes its name from the adjacent full sized signal box which was located nearby.


Signal box diagram - Double click on diagram get a detailed, printable PDF file in a new window - (512Kb file)
Pictured below are a few historical pictures of North Kent East and Gloucester Road Junction to give an idea of how these signal boxes used to look, it is planned to reproduce a similar installation in our box
	North Kent East signal box was installed in 1929. This pictures shows the frame in the early years. The track diagram is clearly seen behind the lever frame. Behind the miniature levers are the point and signal indications and above them are the Walkers rotary train describers for each route. The sending units are on top of the frame the receiving units are located each side of the track diagram. At this time the signals lenses from the bottom up, were originally Y, R, YY, G. Picture from the Railway Engineer, reproduced by kind permission of Middleton Press, from their London Bridge to Addiscome book in the London suburban railways series published in 1993 ISBN 1873793200
	North Kent East A more detailed view of the lever frame obviously taken in later years, maybe around the 1960's of North Kent East when the more modern electric light style train describers have replaced the majority of the walkers rotary train describers above the levers. The illuminated 'N' and 'R' indicate the points as either being Normal or Reverse, the 4 glass roundels showed the signal aspect, being Red, Yellow, Green & 2nd Yellow. The train describers are fitted on top of the frame box, with the Sykes Block instrument and its bell plungers followed by the Walkers Rotary Train describer to Bricklayers Arms Junction.
Emergency bell plungers are provided next to adjacent signal boxes, followed by yet more train describers.
	Gloucester Road Junction A lovely colour picture from high lever number section of the lever frame, again taken around the early 1960's period, courtesy of Westinghouse Brake and Signal Company. This shows the typical intermediate period installation with one lever per function, electro mechanical interlocking and signal indications behind the levers. Emergency block bell plungers are provided to adjacent signal boxes mounted on the block shelf. The top indicator behind the signal lever is the "F" light and this became lit when the lever was normal, all points in the route correctly detected and all relevant track circuits clear.
You could pull the lever at any time provided that the locking was correct but the signal would not clear unless the "F" light was lit before the lever was pulled. The illuminated 'N' and 'R' indicate the points as either being Normal or Reverse, the 4 glass roundels showed the signal aspect, being Red, Yellow, Green & 2nd Yellow reading from bottom to top.
Photographic collection of Hampton Court Junction signals in the order that they are located.
	Outer Home Signal gantry This fist signal gantry in the Hampton Court Junction Signalling system contains two 4 aspect coloured light signals. Both of these signals have 5 white light junction indicators fitted, and both signals are capable of showing 3 separate routes, two with white route lights and one without white route lights. The left hand signal is the Up Local line outer home signal. The right hand signal is the Up Main line outer home signal. At this point two track become three tracks.
	Home Signal gantry This is located at the most complicated part of the railway tracks. There are three 4 aspect coloured light signals on this gantry and all are fitted with 5 light white route indicators. The Up Local Loop home signal is on the far left, trains can be routed in 4 directions at this signal. The middle signal is the Up Local home signal, again trains can be routed in 4 directions. Lastly on the far right is the Up Main home signal, trains can only be routed in two direction. .
	Up Main Line - Tunnel signal gantry This signal gantry protects the Up Main Loop exit points, and access to the tunnel. The Up Main Signal is the left hand signal. The Up Main Loop line signal is on the right. both signals are showing a red aspect. The Up Main becomes the Up Local line in the middle of the tunnel at the lowest point.. The next signal is Angel Road Up Local Outer Home signal No.10 which is located inside the tunnel..
	Up Local Line signal - Alps line This is located towards the top of the Alps incline where the Up Local and Up Local Loop line tracks coverage. This signal is the Up Local Alps Junction signal showing a clear aspect.. The Up Local line becomes the Up Main line at the summit. The next signal is Angel Road Up Main Outer home signal No10.
picture to follow	Up Local Loop Line signal - Alps line
The following pictures are of the shut signals, these are grouped together for convenience.
	Locomotive shed shunt signals These are the two exit shunt signals from the locomotive sheds area. The left hand signal enables access to to the Up Local and Up Local loop lines, this is at danger The right hand shunt signal allows access to the Up Local, Up Main and Up Loop lines, this has been cleared to allow an engine to proceed.
	Main Line Shunts Looking back towards the carriage shed at Hampton Court Junctions with Hampton Court Junction signal box on top of the sheds. The left hand shunt signal is cleared for the carriage shed road via the Up Main Loop line. The Up Main line shunt is at danger.
	Tunnel junction shunt Looking from inside the tunnel mouth the position light shunt signal can be see showing a danger do not proceed aspect. This signal protects the Up Main Loop exit points
	Local Line shunts Looking back towards the carriage sheds which are in the far background with H\Hampton Court Junction signal box on top of the sheds. These shunt signals allow access to the Locomotive Roundhouse on the right hand side and the Up Local Line and Up Local Loop line.
	Alps Line Shunt signal At the top of the ALPS incline is a position light shunt signal this time showing a clear or proceed aspect..
To learn more about UK Railway Signalling, I would strongly recommend the following site The Signal Box More information on Westinghouse lever frames is available at Westinghouse miniature lever frames

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