Hamilton Square signal box (aka Cabin D)

Introduction

Hamilton Square signal box was the only Westinghouse Minature Power lever frame on the Mersey Railway that ran from Liverpool Central to Birkenhead Park and Rock Ferry, Hamilton Square was the junction for the Main Mersey Railway line to Rock Ferry and the Mersey Railway Branch line to Birkenhead Park.Railway Unlike most other mainline signal boxes named in the UK, Hamilton Square signal box was labled and known as 'Cabin D'

It has an interesting and at time confusing history, having orignally a mechinical lever frame, followed by 2 if not 3 miniature lever frames as improvements were made to the rail system.

Hamilton Square signal box closed in 1977 when James Street Power signal box opened

I must include my thanks to all the following people who between them have managed to research and help sort out the following information (in no particular order) Dave Person, Keith Spencer, Antony Graham, Peter Burke, Andy Overton, Dave Skipsey, and MRFS,

A distant view of Hamilton Square signal box that is located at the end of the platform Picture Copyright of The Bluebell Railway Museum and Reproduced by kind permission of Antony Graham

Background

Hamilton Square box opened with the line in 1886 but although Birkenhead Central (also opened in 1886) was the adjoining box towards Green Lane (and eventually Rock Ferry from 1891), the adjoining box towards Liverpool was originally River Cabin, a small 4 lever block post on the river bed, also opened in 1886. It closed on 13th November 1921 and was replaced by Auto signals. When River Cabin closed, James Street became the adjoining box, James Street had opened in 1886 as the terminus of the line from Birkenhead. It was 1892 before the line was extended to Liverpool Central and the West and East signal boxes opened there.

The line to Birkenhead Park opened on 2nd January 1888, but the adjoining box to Hamilton Square was a small, 5 lever, block post called Adelphi Street. Adelphi Street is listed as closing on 28th October 1923 but was not on the resignalling plan originally prepared in 1919, so there is some doubt about the closure date, the box remained, derelict, until 2011. When Adelphi Street closed the adjoining box became Birkenhead Park. The lettering of the boxes probably only dates from the extension into Liverpool in 1892, or it may be later.

First photos from the Westinghouse booklet " The Re-signalling of the Mersey Railway", showing Hamilton Square with the lever frame.

The signal boxes originally did have the block system, the photographs of the box with a mechanical frame show Sykes Lock and Block instruments in the box, these are believed to have dated from 1899. The block system was only removed when auto working was introduced and it was still in use to Birkenhead Park only in 1928, the photo of the box with its new Westinghouse B frame shows the block instruments to Birkenhead Park.

The 1923 frame

At Hamilton Square was either a Westinghouse B frame of 11 levers, 10 working and 1 space in its original position at the front of the box. (11 levers, with No 6 a space.) The MT29 report of 1924 was worded wrongly suggesting 11 levers AND 1 space, it was actually 11 levers INCLUDING 1 space. Ffrom the Westinghouse booklet " The Re-signalling of the Mersey Railway". One puzzle is why was the miniature lever frame only fitted at Hamilton Square on 28th October 1923 and not 13th November 1921 when the new signalling was introduced? James Street and Liverpool Central West & East boxes retained mechanical frames as they were only emergency boxes, although, once again, the automatic operation at Liverpool Central only starts from April 1923, James Street is listed as automatic from 10th August 1924 but an article in The Engineer dated 7th July 1922 says the box is already automatic, presumably from 13th November 1921. A lot of conflicting information here.

From 1923 there were no block instruments or bells, nor were there any train describers. The box seems to have been worked on track circuits only with a strict eye kept on the timetable and a daily checklist of trains, as each train passed the box it was crossed off the checklist.

The 1928 instructions book confirms the 1923 frame as having mechanical locking, so this would confirm it as a B type frame.

The 1923 frame lever names and electric locks installed

Picture reproduced by kind permission of Antony Graham - NOTE that lever 6 is not isted above this was the spare space and / or missing lever.

Train operation

Each train had a destination letter, R for Rock Ferry, K for West Kirkby, B for New Brighton, BC for short trips to Birkenhead Central and PK for short trips to Birkenhead Park, they carried the same letter code when heading for Liverpool from those destinations as well as on the outward journey.

Each unit also carried a number that stayed with them throughout the day so R50 for example would run between Rock Ferry and Liverpool several times a day. Any variation in the service was communicated between boxes by telephone.

Here's the name board along with Cabin E from Birkenhead Central - Cabin D is perfect as it's never seen the weather ! Reproduced by kind permission of Dave Skipsey.

Central (A & B cabins) and James St (C cabin) were worked by the Station Supervisors if needed. They normally worked automatically.

The Wiltshire Archives at Chippenham (Westinghouse records) located the following record - Hamilton Square - Mersey Railway 11-lever frame for Cabin D, dated 12/12/1938; arrangement of 11 lever Style K locking frame No.13.

Another record also existed for locking for 11 lever frame No.142. I passed this on to the experts in the area but was assured that this box only ever had a B frame. We know frame 142 was the B frame so was this a quote for a replacement?

Were they also quoting for an optional re lock of the B frame? The odd thing is that we also know that serial number 13 was allocated to another frame in 1923. It might make sense to put in a replacement frame rather than re lock the old mechanically locked frame on site but that would only really apply if you have a suitable spare to hand rather than buying a new one

However, in 1938 the Mersey Railway was still independent and probably would have used contractors for many jobs. Do I detect the silver tongue of the Westinghouse salesman?

From Electric Railways 1880-1990 Michael Duffy Published 2003

The 1955 frame

was a Westinghouse L frame of 12 levers but only 11 were fitted, these were all working, No 12 was a blank, unnumbered, space. The date of the Westinghouse L frame installation was 4th September 1955

I wonder if the Westinghouse L frame came from the stored Preston North or South frame? The 1955 frame was fitted at right angles to the main line, the signalman faced Liverpool as he sat or stood at the frame. The illuminated diagram worked in reverse, the track circuits were lit when no train was present and went out when a train occupied the track circuit.

When visited in 1975 the box had a Westinghouse Type L,

Above: Picture taken 31.1.76 Hamilton Square photos Reproduced by kind permission of Dave Pearson

Dave Pearson and Keith Spencer visited Cabin D in 1976 and siad if you recall. Kenny Langhorn was the signalman on duty. They also recalled that we also visited with Mike Addison and Richard Foster about a year earlier when Ronnie Reade was the signalman on duty.

The picture above and below is the L Frame installed in 1955 (It also turns out 1955 is the date the railway was converted from 4 rail low voltage DC to 3 rail low voltage DC traction)