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FRESHFIELD SIGNAL BOX

HISTORY

Freshfield signal box was a brick & timber box built in 1878 for the L&YR by the signaling contractor, Saxby & Farmer (S&F).

The box was located on the down side of the line on the Liverpool side of the level crossing that it supervised.

Freshfield was of a S&F type 9 design & when new was fitted with a 22 lever Saxby & Farmer frame mounted in the front of the box.

In 1927 the S&F frame was replaced with a second hand & reconditioned 20 lever RSCo tappet interlocked frame (Railway Signal Company),again mounted in the front of the box.

 

Freshfield box also controlled access (via a ground frame released by lever no 10) to the goods yard on the down side.

The goods yard at Freshfield closed in December 1968 & the level crossing gates were replaced by BR W.R. type barriers on the 25 September 1977.

In 1991 (when these photos were taken) Freshfield worked absolute block to Ainsdale in the Southport direction & absolute block to Eccles crossing in the Liverpool direction.

Freshfield also retained its trailing crossover & (vintage 1905) L&Y wooden block instruments right up until 21st march 1994 when the box was reduced in status from a block post to a temporary level crossing frame,retained as a non block post to supervise & protect the level crossing at Freshfield via "slots"on ML 97 & ML 98 signals controlled from the new "Merseyrail (ML) PSB (IECC) at Sandhills.

Final closure for Freshfield came on the 1st may 1994 when the adjacent level crossing was converted to CCTV operation from Merseyrail PSB (IECC).

the box was demolished soon after & no traces of it now remain.