Tyne Yard, on the outskirts of Newcastle was once one of the largest railway yards in the country. A decline in the railway freight system meant the yard was drastically downsized. This signal box controlled the yard and much of the nearby mainline. Electrification and re-signalling of the mainline in the 1980s finally meant that this huge signal box was no longer required.
The last 20 years of closure have had their effect. The roof on the control room at the top has disappear and everything is covered in naturey moss and plants.
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This is not Tyneside Signal Box but Tyne Yard. My dad worked here in the eighties. Very sad to see it in such a state.
Hi Michael – check the text in photo 11… it says “Tyneside Signal Box”…
This was stuck on the panel to remind the signalmen that the new Tyneside IECC controlled train movements from that point onwards. The phased closure meant that Tyne Yard still controlled Durham station, image 12, bottom of the diagram till Tyneside assumed control.
Image 1 & 2 are of the signal box
Image 3 is the Hump shunt operators panel
image 4 shows the hatch between the hump shunt and signal box
image 5,6,7 & 8 are in the hump shunt
image 9 clock
image 10 Hump shunt panel
image 11 reminder to signalmen stuck on panel
image 12 shows Durham station and track to Ferryhill SB area control
image 13 phone concentrator
image 14 is too small to make out
image 15 phone concentrator
image 16 is the signal panel, left hand side controlled trains to Blaydon & up to KEB from Low Fell to KEB main line, the centre controlled the sec sorts, Birtley & Ouston Jn’s & far right Durham.
image 17 stairs
image 18 view of Yard
Who was your Dad, Michael? I also worked Tyne box around 1986/87. It was a double manned box, but because I was relief, I ended up working with a number of Siglnalmen there.
Steve
Jack P*****d. Dont want to put his full name in but you should get it, think he was at Newcastle by then. I live four doors from Billy Mc**y but he may have retired by ’87.
Michael
thanks Michael
I do recall the chap and I think we did work together once or twice. I sort of followed him to Newcastle a year or so later.
Seeing Tyne box like that is very sad – I shared those panels with some great blokes so it’s very personal seeing a bit of your life smashed up or covered in moss!
Many thanks for taking the trouble to respond. Weren’t you at Pelaw many years ago?
Steve
…. and I did a few shifts there with Bill too!
Indeed I was. A callow youth but after thirty years on railway callow no more. Both Mcgoogle and I are still in the IECC with only the door marked ‘retirement’ as the way out!
How things go around – In my youth, I recall some of the more ‘senior’ signalmen having similar sentiments.
Is that the Steve Robinson who still has my signal-box diagrams that I LOANED him a long time ago?
hello John
long time since we last met. I think it must have been about thirty years ago! You taught me the ‘block’ when I was an innocent young messenger lad at Sunderland. How are you doing? The last time we met you lived off Chester Road (Lemington Street I think)? My Dad now lives in Hylton Lane and I get down to Sunderland three or four times a year to visit him and my sisters.
Are you at Gateshead IECC? Please let me know how you’re getting on – you were a big influence on me when I started with BR back in79.
Kind Regards
Steve