Queens Road Batersea signal box

Please note that this is not a Westinghoue lever frame signal box, it is included as it was part of the Clapham Junction & West Kensignton signalling system and is provided for historical and geographic interest.

Queens Road signal box was opened in 1898 by the London & South Western Railway. It was built to their Type 4 design and was fitted with an 80 lever Stevens & Sons Tappet frame (Saxby & Farmer Limited manufactured).

The box was formerly named Queens Road West, and was re-named on 17/05/1936 when Queens Road East signal box was closed and it's area of responsibility was taken over. Queens Road was closed on 25 May 1990 when it's area of responsibility passed to Wimbledon Area Signalling Centre.

Note on the frame - In 1988 the frame was listed on the diagram as 64 levers, numbered 1A to 5A and 1 to 59. However there were a number of spaces at either end of the frame with levers removed making the frame 80 levers in length.

Queens Road box had no controlled signals on the up Windsor Local line although it did have one emergency replacement switch on the block shelf and block bells to Clapham A and Nine Elms/Waterloo.

A fine view of the front of Queens Road Battersea taken on 7th March 1989.
Picture by kind permission of © David Ingham.

The front of Queens Road Battersea taken on 7th March 1989. Picture by kind permission of © David Ingham.

The rear elevation of the signalbox taken on 21st June 1988. Picture by kind permission of © David Ingham.

Queens Road Battersea south box interior1 Picture by kind permission of © Graham Floyd

Queens Road Battersea south box interior. Picture by kind permission of © Graham Floyd

Lever frame detail by way of the unusual lever numbering scheme at this signalbox, with levers 1A thru to Lever 5A, then starting with lever 1. Picture by kind permission of © Graham Floyd

Queens Road Batersea signal box lever frame

Pictures of the lever frame taken on Tuesday 21st June 1988. Picture by kind permission of © David Ingham.

An view of the track diagram befre the WARS resignalling project, the four slot lights in this photo are visiable in the centre middle. Orignally West London slotted all of Queens Road's Down Inner Home Signals as there Outer Home signals. The Up Local and Up Main Windsor lines start top left, and progress towards Vauxhall and Waterloo and leave the diagram top right. The down Windsor local and main lines are next below on the diagram. these merge into one road and back to two lnes. The bottom 4 lines on the diagram are the Up and Down Local and Up and Down Main lines, these orignate from Waterloo [bottom right] and run soutwest voa West London Junction via Clapham Junction 'A' The train describer are clearly visiable below the diagram. Picture by kind permission of © Graham Floyd

A later view of the trach diagram, which dates from the WARS resignalling stage works and the four slot lights in this shot because they have been removed by this time. [they are visible in the earlier slightly over exposed photo above]. Orignally as West London slotted all of Queens Road's Down Inner Home Signals as it's Outer Home Signals, similarly Clapham Junction 'C' slotted all of Clapham Junctions 'A's Down Windsor signals as it's Outer Homes. Its also interesting to note that Queens Road's access gate also accessed Longhedge Junction which stood more or less behind Queens Road. The train describer are clearly visiable below the diagram.
Picture by kind permission of © Graham Floyd

Track diagram '1' photograph this time taken by David Ingham taken on the 21st June 1988.
Click here to enlarge in a new Window. Picture by kind permission of © David Ingham.

Track diagram '2' photograph this time taken by David Ingham taken on the 21st June 1988.
Click here to enlarge in a new Window. Picture by kind permission of © David Ingham.

Diagrams
Attached is Southern Railway signal instruction 18 track diagram D4 of 1936 and signal instruction 18 track diagram D5 of 1936 this can be downloaded in PDF format, this covers the opening of Clapham Junction 'A' and West London Junction signal boxes. These diagram(s) are taken from the website of the Signalling Record Society Research Note37. These images are copyright of the Signalling Record Society, and reproduced by permission.

Please be aware that these files are large and can take a while to download depending on your internet providers line speed. typically file sizes between 300-500K each

You will need a PDF viewer to read PDF file, if you don't have it its free to download

Adjacent boxes
London Waterloo to Waterloo line (Main & Windsor Lines) - northbound
In March 1934, and possibly from opening, Queens Road East signal box (331yds away) was the adjacent box to the east until it was closed on 17 May 1936 when Loco Junction signal box (1059yds away) became the adjacent box. Loco Junction signal box was closed on 16 June 1974 and Waterloo signal box (2m 988yds away) became the adjacent signal box until closure.

London Waterloo to Reading South line (Windsor Lines)
From 1912 until closure West London Junction signal box (706yds away) was the adjacent box to the west, and closed in the same stageworks as Clapham Jc A

From 17 May 1936 when Queens Road East signal box was closed and it's area of responsibility was taken over by the newly re-named Queens Road signal box, Nine Elms "A" (944 yds) became the adjacent box on the Goods lines towards Nine Elms. Nine Elms "A" signal box was renewed on 28 October 1956 18yds nearer to Queens Road. The Goods lines were taken out of use and closed from 29 July 1968.