Category: SITE NEWS

Railcam are delighted to announce the latest installation in what is proving to be a busy few weeks for the install team, Railcam St Albans, in partnership with St Albans South Signal Box Preservation Trust.

As the name suggests, the signal box is situated to the south end of St Albans station, and Railcam will be installing two cameras, both of which will be for Railcam subscribers via the Railcam website.

Much like our Bedford cameras further north, we will capture regular passenger workings from Thameslink and Midland Mainline express services operated by East Midlands Railway, where we will be one of the first to see their upcoming Aurora fleet when they enter service in 2023. A mixture of freight working featuring Freightliner, DB Cargo and GB Railfreight will also pass by.

First opened in in 1892 by the Midland Railway, the Grade 2 listed St Albans South Signal Box was abandoned by British Rail in 1979 and fell into disrepair, until a group of local residents formed the St Albans South Signal Box Preservation Trust to bring the signal box back to its former glory.

After years of hard work, the Derby built Midland Railway Type 2A signal box was opened to the public in 2009, and offers a unique opportunity for visitors to see how trains were signalled during the steam days.

The award winning signal box features a rare 44 lever 1906 Midland Railway ‘tumbler’ interlocking frame, retrofitted with signalling instruments to illustrate how it would have looked in its heyday.

During the regular open days signalling demonstrations are run on the operating floor at request, whilst the ground floor features videos and a slideshow of the restoration work, plus a whole host of signalling items on display, including single line ‘tablet token’ machines and other railway related exhibits. In the garden visitors can operate working signals and a point; on display are old signs, lit oil lamps, a telegraph ‘pole route’ and a garden railway.

Entrance to open days is free, but donations are very much welcome.

Find out more about St Albans South Signal Box by clicking here.

As always we would like to thank our kind hosts at the St Albans South Signal Box Preservation Group, and our hard working installation team of ‘Double A’ Andrew Jebb and Andrew Cooper.