Ledbury Signal Box

A balcony was also provided on the east side to allow the signalman to communicate with drivers and other personnel working in the goods yard.

Ledbury signal box was designed to be operated by one person and has always provided all the essential modern hotel services such as an office area, heating and cooking.

When the box was built in 1885 this was before the general use of electricity, and at a time when toilet facilities were considered unsanitary and placed outside of dwellings and offices.

Ledbury signal box was built with an open fireplace and chimney, oil lamp lighting, and a separate outside toilet.

The fireplace, now blocked off remains as does the chimney and two cast iron oil lamp ventilation ceiling roses, a "modern" toilet has been added in a square wooden extension on the balcony (see second photograph above).

In June 2016 the signal box frame and point connecting rods were renewed increasing the life expectancy of the signal box and reducing the chance of failure Ledbury Signal Box is owned and operated by Network Rail a company wholly owned by the British tax payer unlike the station which whilst still owned by Network Rail is served by the private operator West Midlands Trains.

The current method of operation on the single line section between Ledbury and Malvern Wells is called "Lock & Block".

This is a modified form of Tokenless Block using Great Western Railway equipment that uses the bell telegraph to communicate.

However, with the removal of the second track, the line become singled from Malvern Wells to Ledbury and one long section was created that remains in use today.

The Operating floor consists of the lever frame itself with the block shelf above, an office area and Social needs facilities.

Signallers can be found cooking porridge or bacon for breakfast and making stews, curry, or chilli for tea.

Moreton-in March and Ascot-under-Wychwood signal boxes have a similar toilet but on a balcony next to the top of the entrance stairs, whilst Malvern and Henwick Junction Worcester, just down the line, still retain an outhouse.

All lever frame signal boxes have to have these openings and therefore all have visiting members of the rat and mouse population, who live in local drains and water courses.

Levers work points (aka switch) by means of lineside guided galvanised steel channel rodding and signals by means of solid or stranded steel wires and the frame itself is very complicated in that it employs a series of horizontal moving locking bars and tappets in order to interlock different levers making it impossible to, for instance, signal a train to run over a point set the wrong way.

In September 1911. the original 41 lever frame interlocking was converted from a GWR double twist to 3-bar vertical tappets (using horizontal trays).