West Midland (1) - SignallingWA

The station at West Midland was opened on 4th of April 1903, with Home and Distant signals being provided two days later to Diagram of signalling 10808. This event being reported in Weekly Notice 15 / 1903:

"West Midland, 06/04/1903, 21m 47ch between Midland Junction and Woodbridge, opened as a coaching station, and trains will stop there as per new timetable, day and night officer provided, not opened as a block station, Up and Down Home and Distant signals provided, worked by levers on respective platforms."

Further details were provided in Weekly Notice 17 of 1903.

West Midland's first signal box however was not provided for another 12 years, opening on the 30th of July 1915. On this day, new Up and Down Starting signals, along with the existing Up and Down Home and Distant signals were connected to the new cabin (shown above). This event being recorded in Weekly Notice 31 / 1915, signalling then being in accordance with Diagram of Signalling 10808A.

Duplicate signal levers that were provided on the platforms were removed on the 12th of February 1947 with the Signalling Record Card for West Midland showing that No. 5 'Master Lever' being taken out of use on this date to Plan E. & S. 318 / 27.

As was often the case with signal alterations at adjacent signal cabins, the West Midland signals were affected when Midland Junction 'A' Box was provided with a new Down Outer Home signal. The new signal was located 275 yards outside the existing Home signal and the cabin's Down Distant signal had to be moved further 'out' - in this case being mounted on the same signal post as the West Midland Down Starting signal.

In such a case, the 'most restrictive' signal (the West Midland Down Starting signal) being the one positioned higher on the post.

West Midland's first signal cabin was closed on the 14th of April 1959 due to it being superceded by a new cabin located in the station building on the Up Platform.

Any additional information on this signal cabin would be most welcome - please use the e-mail form provided on this page.

Information researched and interpreted by Chris. J. E. French of SignallingWA

Photograph courtesy of RHWA Archives (image P5597) by W. A. G. R.

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