341 - Another of the fascinating buildings at York railway station is this former signal box. In the days of mechanical signalling there were several signal boxes to control the station and surrounding lines.
The upper part of this building (which is now a Costa Coffee, with access from the footbridge) would have been where the signalman worked, the large windows giving a good view of the passing trains.
The lower part of the building (which is now a WH Smiths bookstall with access from the concourse) would have been where the signalling machinery was.
Today signals are computer based and controlled from an anonymous looking building west of the station which looks more like a warehouse than a signal box.
Cool building. It is nice these structures are kept and utilized today, although for other purposes. Originally, I bet there were numerous levers that took some muscle to move them when setting the signals.
Lovely shot and interesting information. I used to arrive early for the school train so I could go up in the signal box. Guess 'health and safety' wouldn't allow that any more, even if signals were still manual.
Thank you for your encouragement! - it is a nicely kept building! The WH Smith stall has been in the lower part of this building for many years, but the Costa is relatively recent. One thing I haven't yet been able to discover is when this stopped being used as a signal box, but it must be a considerable number of years.
Thanks for you kind wishes
Thank you for your encouragement! - it is a nicely kept building! The WH Smith stall has been in the lower part of this building for many years, but the Costa is relatively recent. One thing I haven't yet been able to discover is when this stopped being used as a signal box, but it must be a considerable number of years.
Thank you both - it is well looked after, which is a good thing because it is very prominently placed as you enter the railway station!
Thank you Ann - I probably spend too much time in this wonderful railway station!