Story behind the picture. Stafford No. 4 signal box.
Between 2008 and 2015 – when both Stafford No. 4 and Stafford No. 5 signal boxes closed – I spent hundreds of hours in both boxes , making a professional photographic record and interviewing all the signallers so that there is a permanent record of the staff. Many of the pictures fund their way into Chime Whistle Publishing books – including the popular ‘Keeping The Wheels Turning’, which is now down to single figures remaining of the 1,000 print run and is 1/2 price.
One regular visitor was Terry Bryan, who had retired from the box some rime earlier. Terry was a great bloke – the kind of person one couldn’t help but like and I never heard anyone say a bad word against him. During his visits to the 105 lever box, it wasn’t unusual for Try to keep his hand in , by being allowed to work the frame. Terry started his railway career just a short distance away, as a box boy at Stafford No.5.
The Stafford station area and approaches are now controlled by Rugby Rail Operating Centre – the lever frames being replaced by tracker ball and computer screens. Some of the older signallers took the opportunity of the boxes closing to take their retirement, while others moved to either Rugby ROC or Stoke-on-Trent signalling centre.
If one passes through Stafford now, one would never know that there had ever been any signal boxes there – all traces of both having been wiped from the face of the earth.
The boxes had very different atmospheres. For a start, No. 4 was double manned, whereas No.5 was single manned from around 1991. The latter had once controlled two junctions as well as the north end of the station, but closure of the routes to Uttoxeter and Wellington saw No.5 gain a lot of white (spare) levers. No. 4 on the other hand controlled a far wider area, having absorbed the control area of numerous signal boxes over the years. Another noticeable difference was that No.5 only ever caught the sun on the operating floor during early mornings in high summer – making it a much cooler box than No.5 which could be akin to a greenhouse at times. The double manning could cause issues at times and many years ago there were a couple who refused to speak to each other and would indicate that they needed a route setting etc by rattling a lever. The box lad would be spoken to (asked if he wanted a cup of tea etc) but neither signaller would ask the other if they wanted a brew!
Picture shows Terry on one of his many visits: https://www.flickr.com/photos/190687851@N02/53485052998/
Chime Whistle books: https://www.chimewhistle.co.uk/shop