QUICK LINKS

Southern Railway

PHOTO GALLERY:

Southern Railway

Click or tap the thumbnail for a description and photograph of each listed signal box. These are, in some cases, supplemented by other related pictures of the same box, denoted by the following icons:

Page includes views of box interior
Page includes close-up views of lever badges
Page includes close-up views of signalling instruments and equipment
Page includes close-up views of box diagram
Page includes views of signals and other outdoor equipment
Page includes a short movie film

The Southern Railway quickly adopted a gabled version of the South Eastern & Chatham Joint Committee’s design as their “standard” design but there were so many small variations that it is difficult to define what was the base model.

Reigate

Reigate was  perhaps the nearest to a “normal” Southern Railway signal box of the 1923 to 1935 era.

Mitcham Junction

Another Southern Railway signal box, similar to Reigate but with the area above the main windows boarded instead of glazed.

Hastings

This example has window glazing in the style of Evans, O’Donnell & Co.

Exeter Central “A”

Some Southern Railway signal boxes of the 1923-1935 era had hipped roofs.

Okehampton

This late example has a curious roof arrangement that is a mixture of gabled and hipped roof design.

Southbourne Crossing

A small Southern Railway signal box  that seems to have adopted some features from the Somerset & Dorset Railway.

Canterbury West

Overhead SR signal boxes were built entirely in wood, which would have reduced the strain on the steel gantry.

Epsom

This variation of a gantry signal box features a hipped roof and additional glazing.

Betchworth

Early 1930s economies saw signal boxes at many stations combined with the booking office facilities.

Martin Mill

Martin Mill was booking office, signal box AND the local Post Office!

Littlehaven

A small combined booking office and signal box built in 1938.

Grove Junction

In contrast with most of the rugged signal boxes built between 1923 and 1935, Grove Junction looked to be little more than a garden shed!

Dorking

From 1935, with suburban expansion and electrification, the Southern Railway built some substantial signal boxes reflecting the optimistic architecture of the era.

Deal

Not a big deal at all! This is a smaller example without the extensions to the lower floor.

New Hythe

This is a tiny version of the 1935 architecture – the curved ends have also been omitted.

Crabtree Crossing

With the onset of the Second World War, the Southern Railway designed a bomb-resistant design for new work – this design was perpetuated through to the end of Southern railways days.

Newcourt

Not all wartime signal boxes were built to bomb-resistant standards. Those at less vulnerable locations were more basic, some very much so!

Upon nationalisation in 1948, the Southern Railway became the Southern Region of British Railways.