Signalling at Hallatrow

Originally the Bristol & North Somerset Branch was worked by Ticket and Staff and Hallatrow was in the Pensford to Radstock section. With the opening of the Camerton branch in March 1882 the junction and Hallatrow becoming a section post required the provision of a signal box which was provided by Saxby & Farmer. This enabled two goods trains of a goods train and a passenger train to cross at Hallatrow.

With the extension of the Camerton branch to Limpley Stoke the Great Western applied to the Board of Trade to convert Hallatrow into a passing place in May 1909. The enlarge layout required a new and larger signal box to be built. As a result a Great Western Type 7 box was built with 55 working and 12 spare levers and opened in September 1909.

Three Type 7 boxes still exist in Somerset - Cranmore (a type 7B) on the East Somerset Rly, Bishops Lydeard (a type 7D) and Blue Anchor (a type 7B) both on the West Somerset Rly.

Cranmore's Type 7B signal box

The Hallatrow's new box can be see on the left side of the photo which forms which forms the blog header.