Alongside the points to
the south of the station is a temporary signal box, built by the
railway, which entered into service on 27th April 1996 and was passed
for two-train operation on 15th May 1996. This box (left) is built around a ground frame and will be used for some time to come. With the planned
re-opening the line to East Grinstead, the box will eventually be replaced, once the whole area north of Kingscote has been re-signalled. The current signal box diagram and an explanation of its working is available.
At the north end of the present loop platform (but one day the down platform) is another cabin (right),
rescued from Brighton Upper Goods Yard, which sat for many years in
the top yard at Sheffield Park with the thought that it might one day
replace the existing platform box there.
This cabin, erected at Kingscote on 30th August 1996, will grace the station with its authentic aura until we are able to fit it out for the final northward
extension to East Grinstead. At that date the present temporary box
will be de-commissioned. It is a very substantial building sitting on
stilts so we will be able to lift it off and transport it for some
other purpose elsewhere on the railway.
In 1914 the site of the junction of the Lewes and the Haywards Heath lines was moved from the north of the station to the south and the North Box was removed from the block system. The box continued in use, indeed it still had almost all of its original functions, but now as just a shunting frame. Seven levers were added to the north end of the South Box's original 33 lever frame to operate the additional functions required to interface with the Shunting Frame. At the same time both lever frames were adapted to incorporate a revised mechanical interlocking arrangement; the old "rocker" locking was removed, and replaced with the then modern tappet locking, originally patented by Stevens, and used on the LSWR. This was part of an ongoing programme by the LBSCR at that time, taking advantage (it is thought) of the expiry of Stevens' patent whenever an alteration, such as this was required. Evidence of this conversion in the South Box, is clearly visible today.
Then with electrification in 1934/35 there was a further small signalling change. Prior to this date Ardingly trains could enter the station on two lines, one to what is now Number 3 Road (then "Up") and one to what is now Number 2 Road (then "Passenger Loop"). To return, we believe they had to shunt across to what is now Number 4 Road (then "Down" Line). For the electrification the layout was modified so that all Ardingly trains entered the station on what is now Number 2 Road ("Up Main" from 1935) and also left from this Road, using a crossover to gain the Down Ardingly Line. At this point in the history of Horsted Keynes the North Box was demolished following the earlier relaxation of the Board of Trade requirement for the maximum distance of mechanically worked points from 180 yards to 350 yards. (When the Bluebell took over the station, the distance to what was then the North Crossover points was 330 yards).
>From 1935 until closure in 1963 the
double track line from Haywards Heath was electrified and a service
operated from Horsted Keynes via Haywards Heath and Lewes to Seaford.
Horsted Keynes must have been just about the most remote terminal of
an electric service anywhere! Many people think that the line was
electrified this far as the first part of electrifying the whole route
from Haywards Heath via East Grinstead to South Croydon but, although
this was the Southern Railway's eventual aim, the reason for the juice
going through to Horsted Keynes in the first place was to avoid
congestion at Haywards Heath. Instead of terminating the Seaford
service there, and having to shunt trains across the tracks for their
return, they simply ran them through to Horsted Keynes where they used
what is now Platform 2, which was, in effect, a single line terminus for
a double track route.
So, the South box has survived. In order that the box could fulfil its new duties the frame was extended in 1914 from 33 (with just 27 used) to 40 levers, all used. One interesting aspect of this change was that the new levers were added to the left side of the frame so that when you look at the quadrant for lever number 8 it has engraved on it the number "1". Similar numbers progress across the frame to the right-hand side where the quadrant for lever number 40 claims to be number "33"! To assist general safety, after the closure of the North Box the LBSCR also removed the canopy from platform 1/2 in order to give the occupant of the sole remaining signalbox a clear view of the whole station layout. Not much else changed, as far as the box itself is concerned, for the remainder of its LBSCR/Southern/BR life.
When the line finally closed the whole of
the interior of the box was ripped out leaving the Bluebell with just
the basic superstructure and the frame. It is a great credit to
Charles Hudson and his S&T team that when visitors enter the box they
think the array of ancient equipment before them is all part of the
box's history. In fact each instrument in use has been carefully
sourced to fit in with the box and create the "authentic" feel that
the box enjoys.
What about the future? Plans are agreed for renewal of the track layout at Horsted Keynes which will obviously impinge on the signal box. Click here for an update on the work now in progress.
In the meantime the future for the existing box, a real old lady and one of the brightest jewels in our crown, seems safe for years to come. None of this work is cheap although the cost has been assisted by the proceeds of the football based competitions we have run. A substantial amount of the box's brickwork needed replacing and this has been paid for with the funds raised from the football competitions. The timbers needed to support the frame are massive and expensive and will also be paid for from the proceeds of these competitions which have raised about £3,500 from entries and donations - one of which was particularly generous.
This page updated 2 December 2006 by Richard Salmon.