An hour at Horsted Keynes Signalbox

With the thanks of the Bluebell Railway and volunteers Charles Melton and signalman Mile Clark we get to see a busy morning start at the intermediate station Signalbox on the railway.
Apart from the permanent way going up and down the lineside in their Wickham motorised trolley there is also a driver experience freight moving around the station on all the lines possible and that’s all before the first train even arrives.

[@dieseldavetrains8988]

Old time Safe Working covered in excellent detail, the old signal box, the heart of yard operations, now consigned to history in Australia, nice to see a preserved one in the UK. Great box Horsted Keynes, clean, tidy and well preserved. Thanks for the memories!

[@Super_Chief]

I could’ve really watched this for an hour - great video!

[@irseminorrailwayssection9491]

Thankyou , much appreciated that, they’re l be more soon

[@Beatlefan67]

Wonderful - thankyou.

[@MichaelSlipper-ik2ru]

Superb restoration of the "box".

[@MichaelSlipper-ik2ru]

A fine and very interesting video.

[@samuelhowell1783]

Lovely Video as always! You should pop up to Hereford Box if you ever get the chance, plenty to see there.

[@irseminorrailwayssection9491]

Actually trying to arrange some
Visits the lines boxes , just waiting emails bacon🫡

[@samuelhowell1783]

I’m resident at Hereford, if permissions are given, you’re more than welcome when I’m on.

[@Test-hw5fn]

Nice video. Thanks.

[@irseminorrailwayssection9491]

It should say back on this but obviously the AI read my hungry mind 🤫

[@rwhb1]

Imagine what it would have been like without track circuits!

[@irseminorrailwayssection9491]

Guesswork and binoculars 😎

[@B-and-O-Operator-Fairmont]

This seems as good a time as any to ask this question: why do signalmen use a hand cloth when operating levers? American "operators" and "levermen" never used those - even on levers with chrome finishes. It is a nice touch of class.
Today, there are no manual pipe-connected interlockings left in the United States, and probably less than twenty electric and electro-pneumatic towers.

[@mattlander9119]

I beleive the main reason cloths are used is to help prevent rust forming on the polished handles. Stand to be corrected wrong.

[@irseminorrailwayssection9491]

Quite correct, plus hands usually with grease , mild acids and such cause the handles to dull over time, in the midlands we clean our handles traditionally so cloths weren’t always used, different areas had different ways of doing things, there were levers with white shrunk handles too but over time they become brittle.