PHOTO REPORT: NEW 'DOWN' HOME SIGNAL FOR NORDEN - 9th August 2011

News Item & Photo Report from Andrew P.M. Wright - dated 17th August 2011
Official photographer & press officer, Swanage Railway.
Photographs are copyright as noted
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The planting of the new down home signal at Norden on the morning of Tuesday, 9th August 2011. Photo copyright Andrew P.M. Wright

A new 'down' home signal has been installed on the approach to Norden 'park and ride' station as the Swanage Railway prepares for the prospect of regular trains running in from Wareham, Worgret Junction and Furzebrook.

The Swanage Railway's official photographer & press officer Andrew P.M. Wright has supplied over 110 photos from the morning of Tuesday, 9th August 2011

To see the full set of Andrew's photos, which can be viewed as a slideshow, please scroll down to the bottom of the page.

The work by the infrastructure and signalling departments took place early on the morning of Tuesday, 9 August 2011, with the digging and delicate craning operation starting at 6am and being completed before the first trains of the day started running.

The new 1950s BR Southern Region-style 'down' home signal has been installed on the Arne road bridge side of the level crossing over the access road for the Swanage Railway's Norden 'park and ride' car park and the Wytch Farm oil field.

The new 'down' home signal will allow trains to run from Wareham via Worgret Junction and Furzebrook to Motala - the start of the current charter train-only section of Swanage Railway - and then to Norden, Corfe Castle, Harman's Cross, Herston Halt and Swanage.

The new down home signal at Norden finally in position on the morning of Tuesday, 9th August 2011. Photo copyright Andrew P.M. Wright

The signal post and signal used to be the old 'down' starter signal just off the 'down' platform at Harman's Cross station which has been replaced by an LSWR-style lattice post 'down' starter signal which has been installed more than a coach length closer to the Haycraft's Lane bridge.

But, before the old 'down' starter signal was installed brought into use at Harman's Cross during the summer of 1997, the signal used to be the 'up' starting signal at the London end of the 'up' platform at Wareham station - close to the footbridge crossing the main London to Weymouth line.

To be initially operated by a ground frame, the new 'down' home signal - located between the Arne road bridge and the Norden 'park and ride' and Wytch Farm oil field access road - will eventually be controlled by the signal box at Corfe Castle station.

The new signal will be operated with a new light and barrier level crossing planned for where the Norden 'park and ride' and Wytch Farm oil field access road is crossed by the Swanage Railway.

Carrying out the signal installation work were Tony North and Dave Cobb of the Swanage Railway's signalling department as well as Barry Light and Richard Fry of the Swanage Railway's infrastructure department.

It was Richard who operated the road/rail digger which dug the hole for the new 'down' home signal before carefully craning it into position.

To view a larger version of any photograph on this page, just click on the thumbnail photograph to view a full size version, and then click on CLOSE or 'x' on your keyboard to close it and return to this page.

The photos on this page can also be viewed as a slideshow - just click on any image and then click on the enlarged to continue scrolling through the photos - Next and Previous links on the right and left of the photos - or use the CLOSE link or 'x' on your keyboard to exit