Old Signals Newcastle & Northallerton 1990 Archive

As electrification of the East Coast Main Line progressed so did the replacement of old searchlight signals with modern 4 aspect ones Newcastle was the last big station that had them. At Northallerton the wires were already up and in a few weeks the large signalbox there would be demolished with control of the new signalling being moved to York. At both stations some of the new signals with aspects covered with an X are in place. I was lucky to get a quick look round Nothallerton box. Just after I had been told it was OK to do that I was offered a cab ride to Newcastle by a driver I knew one of only two times I had had that happen. To end with we see a Trans Pennine mail coach being emptied of sacks of post A sight not seen for many years and now the dedicated mail trains are also soon to be no more, as Royal Mail recently sold off to a foreign business owner has decided road transportation is better than using trains, which have carried our mail since 1830, in the very early days of our railways.
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[@44662dc]

What a good video Colin. Was the Northallerton Box unique I certainly haven't seen any other like that.

[@cedarcam]

Thank you Denis. The box featured in Rail News the railways staff newspaper. I did not save that unfortunately. I remember it said it was one of the first power boxes and believed to have the oldest bank of batteries still in use. It looked really nice to me and the only one as big as this as far as I know. There were other boxes with lever frames built to the usual height and one of those is still at the old station at Otterington. There is a coach there as well. I don't know if it is a place you can visit or some ones private restoration

[@axldelticwalton1238]

Brilliant video. Not surprised to see 47424 on there was always busy doing TPEs late 80s early 90s. WIthdrawn not long after this video and looks in fine fettle. Later scrapped. 475 doing it's livery duty's. I see a skipper liveried 142 had ventured north probably permanantly. Also no sun visor on the top colour light N164 ?. Nice to see inside Northallerton signal box. Was there another called North gates or is that the same one ?

[@cedarcam]

Thankks axl. Yes 424 was a regular on these trains and took me up there or back a few times, they all did well. I only remember one failing at Newcastle 475 looked very good with the matching stock I hoped they would paint some more like that. Nobody wanted those horrid units and Newcastle ended up getting a few from Cornwall as well as Leeds. They ran in that livery for a while before being painted in Tyne & Wear yellow. I think they still had the old posters in at first as well. I seem to remember the sun hood on N164 drooping down on one visit, rather than fix it they just took it off with only a few weeks to go before the signals were scrapped. I was very lucky an installer was going to the box and asked about my camcorder, Not that many about back then, after chatting I asked if there was any chance of having a look in the box, due to close in 2 to 6 weeks time I think, He said he would take me for a look round. I am not sure on North box but there was Low Gates on the line that goes under ECML I think it is still open today working the level crossing barriers

[@axldelticwalton1238]

@@cedarcam I didn't realise you had filmed it with just weeks to go. I went there about 1990 but as a young lad didn't notice the signals much so was nice watching this

[@cedarcam]

@@axldelticwalton1238 I knew it was not long and read it was one of the oldest all power boxes. The installer told me it was just weeks from demolition so I took my chance to look round