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ROCHDALE SIGNAL BOX
HISTORY
Rochdale is a brick & timber signal box that was built for the L&YR by the RSCo Ltd (Railway Signal Company Limited) in 1889 & was originally named Rochdale Goods Yard,. It was renamed Rochdale when it became the sole surviving signal box, after rationalisation of the layout at Rochdale in the early 1970s.
Circa 1944 the signal box was fitted with an R.E.C lever frame mounted in the rear of the box that was later reduced to 30 levers at an unknown date.
In April 1990 the method of operation was "absolute block" to Smithy Bridge signal box in the Yorkshire direction,"absolute block" to Castleton East Junction Signal Box in the Manchester direction & "track circuit block" over the single line to Shaw station signal box in the Oldham loop direction (with a "slot" release to Shaw controlled by lever no 30 in Rochdale SB)
At the time of writing the signal box & its methods of working are unchanged & is still in use.