Great Northern and Great Eastern joint line signal boxes
Blankney signal box
Blankney Signal Box in 1976.
Blankney signal box dates from 1928. It is at the renamed station of Metheringham. The station was reopened in the 1970's. The level crossing gates at Metheringham station were still worked from this signal box when I took this photo. The signal box is named Blankney. Some of the signals were changed when the the station reopened in the 1970's. The station was reopened against the trend of station closures. The extra passengers here must have helped to keep this line open. BR had got in the habit of closing stations with very few stations if any, reopened in the 1960's. Hundreds of stations were closed.
With London house prices soaring many small villages even this far from London have commuters or people who work from home but need to go to London on some days. Lincoln and Sleaford are the main destinations for shoppers and workers. Like many stations the goods yard is now a car park.
Blankney Signal Box and one of the level crossing gates with Metheringham station just behind the gates in 2003
.
Metheringham station with a Central trains class 153281 leaving with a Peterborough train in 2003
This box was closed in 2014 and the gates were changed to barriers.
Blankney Signal Box signal box was closed in 2014 but was still in place on the 25th February 2019
East Midlands class 153 374 on a Peterborough train at Metheringham station on the 25th of February 2019.
East Midlands class 153 313 on a Peterborough train past the closed box, still in place in the low winter sun on the 25th February 2019. The box still has its nameplate this end.
First Great Western High Speed Train at speed ECS at Metheringham station on the 25th of February 2019.
Hull Trains service ECS Peterborough to Hull. I think this set was on Hire to Hull Trains as back up to its class 180s.
Signal boxes between Peterborough and Lincoln
This signal box was on the railway line from
Peterborough to
Spalding Sleaford and
Lincoln and
Doncaster on the Great Nothern loop as it is called today. Much work has gone into upgrading this railway line. This has meant that nearly all the old signal boxes and signals and hand worked crossing gates have all gone. These have been replaced by a new signal center at Lincoln, which is to be replaced, when the York signal Center goes on line.
