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Network Rail currently believes that to simplify this system to allow it to be remotely controlled through colour-light signals would not be economical. Hence the current mechanical signalling system in the area is presently envisaged to remain in operation until at least 2030, and possibly as long
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Jointly constructed from 1902 to an enlarged standard LNWR design of 1876, the three storey structure is built of two storeys of red brick and cement, with a third floor mainly of wooden weather board pin-panel containing the glass windows, all topped by a
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at the end of the steam era in the 1960s, there is still a complex residual converging rail system in the area. Within 1 mile (1.6 km) of the junction, there are another three interlocked mechanical signal boxes:
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equipment accessed via two internal wooden staircases. The main operational floor houses a 180 lever interlocked frame, divided into two sections: Abbey
Foregate to Sutton Bridge; Shrewsbury station to Crewe Junction.
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Today only approximately half of the levers are in operational use, although it still takes two signallers to operate the complete system on a 24/7 basis, allowing 300 train movements per day.
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English Bridge: controlled the southside of the triangular junction through
Coleham to Sutton Bridge Junction. Closed in 1953, its controls were transferred to Severn Bridge.
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The railway junction lies directly south of the railway station. It was constructed jointly by the GWR/LNWR after the completion of improvements to their jointly owned
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This place is fairly unique these days in being double-manned, but with 92 levers to operate it keeps us fairly busy and you soon work through the shoe leather.
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Sutton Bridge
Junction: located south of English Bridge Junction, at the convergence of the line to Hereford and the Cambrian Line; its code is 'SUB'.
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Crewe
Junction: located on the north side of the station, at the convergence of the lines from Crewe and Wrexham; its code is 'CJ'.
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Abbey
Foregate Junction: located on the Wolverhampton line to allow access to the adjacent Abbey Foregate yard; its code is 'AF'.
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with the industrialised
Midlands and Northwest; and secondly to transport passengers to and from London to the port of
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Junction
Diagram showing (right) railways in the vicinity of Shrewsbury. Severn Bridge Junction is indicated as
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The complexity of the railway system in the area is brought about by the convergence of five major lines at
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Although there have been line closures in the
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of the same name, which is the largest operational mechanical signal box in the world. The
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in 1921, it was also a major point of accessing GWR services into Mid and West Wales:
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and underwent extensive heritage renovation in 2020-21, carried out by
Network Rail.
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pitched roof. Access is via a door on the rear, with the lower two floors housing
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The frame scale makes it the largest remaining mechanical signal box on the
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Lines formerly converging in the area also include the regionally important
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by two competing and yet also co-operating railway companies, the
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Refurb of World's largest working mechanical signal box completes
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A further three boxes that had formed part of the local system:
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Allen, David (3–16 December 1997). "Britain's longest 'box".
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Shrewsbury
Traction Maintenance Depot#Abbey Foregate
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48:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
373:The signal box as viewed from Shrewsbury station.
646:This England rail transport related article is a
207:is the area of railway lines just south east of
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564:"FROM THE FILES: Shrewsbury's record-breakers"
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108:Learn how and when to remove this message
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139:Severn Bridge Junction as viewed from
259:. After the GWR amalgamated with the
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46:adding citations to reliable sources
447:Crewe Bank: closed 8 December 2012.
650:. You can help Knowledge (XXG) by
470:– the adjacent Abbey Foregate Yard
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531:Chris Milner (5 December 2012).
355:Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line
280:Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line
249:London and North Western Railway
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533:"The world's largest signalbox"
351:Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway
343:S.&H. & S.&W.'TON J
308:Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway
227:signalling area code is 'SBJ.'
33:needs additional citations for
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707:England rail transport stubs
697:Rail transport in Shropshire
297:Crewe and Shrewsbury Railway
120:Place in Shrewsbury, England
562:Stephen, Paul (July 2018).
322:Stafford to Shrewsbury Line
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458:as 2050 on current plans.
274:Shrewsbury to Chester Line
209:Shrewsbury railway station
702:Rail junctions in England
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414:grade II listed building
57:"Severn Bridge Junction"
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474:Railways of Shropshire
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338:Railway Clearing House
205:Severn Bridge Junction
127:Severn Bridge Junction
377:is in the background.
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318:Severn Valley Railway
245:Great Western Railway
568:www.railmagazine.com
412:The signal box is a
404:Melbourne, Australia
167:52.70889°N 2.74583°W
42:improve this article
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35:verification
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253:South Wales
170: /
691:Categories
480:References
365:Signal box
237:Shrewsbury
231:Background
221:signal box
213:Shropshire
197:Shrewsbury
155:52°42′32″N
68:newspapers
619:0953-4563
302:South to
291:North to
257:Liverpool
158:2°44′45″W
627:49953699
462:See also
328:Junction
324:(LNWR).
247:and the
547:11 July
336:A 1912
310:(Joint)
304:Newport
217:England
187:England
183:Country
82:scholar
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615:ISSN
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575:2018
549:2014
306:via
295:via
193:Town
61:news
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