Wrawby Junction
Encyclopedia
Wrawby Junction is a busy railway junction
located a short distance west of Barnetby
, North Lincolnshire
, England
and controls the confluence of the Network Rail
routes from Lincoln
, Retford
and Scunthorpe
towards Immingham
and Cleethorpes
. The junction is controlled by a large signal box
of part-brick, part-wooden, construction.
design. Apart from the part-brick construction, Wrawby Junction is of similar design to its companion signal boxes at Barnetby East and Barnetby West. All signal boxes were built about 1916 when the section of route between Wrawby
and Brocklesby
was quadrupled to cope with the growing amount of freight traffic heading for the docks at Immingham
and Grimsby
. As well as controlling this busy complex of routes, Wrawby Junction was also responsible for controlling the entrance to the once-busy railway sidings at Barnetby
, and the locomotive depot. When built, the lever frame
consisted of 137 levers. Wrawby Junction was - and most probably still is - the largest manual signal box in the world to be worked by a lone signaller. Most other large signal boxes require two or more signallers.
arrays, only 3 such arrays survive today. The western approaches are now controlled by colour-light signals
. The locomotive depot no longer exists, although the eagle-eyed observer will still notice the old turntable
pit between the Lincoln
and Retford
routes. The sidings see very little use, although trains may be either recessed or run-round in the Down Reception lines.
Network Rail
recently announced proposals to improve the infrastructure and capacity on the South TransPennine route. However, no proposal has been made to resignal Wrawby Junction in the near future.
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
located a short distance west of Barnetby
Barnetby railway station
Barnetby railway station serves the village of Barnetby-le-Wold in North Lincolnshire. The station area still uses semaphore signals. It is operated by First TransPennine Express, with East Midlands Trains and Northern Rail also serving the station....
, North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire is a unitary authority area in the region of Yorkshire and the Humber in England. For ceremonial purposes it is part of Lincolnshire....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and controls the confluence of the Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
routes from Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
, Retford
Retford
Retford is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands of England, located 31 miles from the city of Nottingham, and 23 miles west of Lincoln, in the district of Bassetlaw. The town is situated in a valley with the River Idle and the Chesterfield Canal running through the centre of the...
and Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe is a town within North Lincolnshire, England. It is the administrative centre of the North Lincolnshire unitary authority, and had an estimated total resident population of 72,514 in 2010. A predominantly industrial town, Scunthorpe, the United Kingdom's largest steel processing centre,...
towards Immingham
Immingham
Immingham is a town in North East Lincolnshire, located on the south bank of the Humber Estuary...
and Cleethorpes
Cleethorpes
Cleethorpes is a town and unparished area in North East Lincolnshire, England, situated on the estuary of the Humber. It has a population of 31,853 and is a seaside resort.- History :...
. The junction is controlled by a large signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
of part-brick, part-wooden, construction.
History
Although the railway has served the area since 1848, the present construction is of late-Great Central RailwayGreat Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
design. Apart from the part-brick construction, Wrawby Junction is of similar design to its companion signal boxes at Barnetby East and Barnetby West. All signal boxes were built about 1916 when the section of route between Wrawby
Wrawby
Wrawby is a small village in North Lincolnshire east of Brigg and close to Humberside Airport on the A18. It is most notable for Wrawby Postmill....
and Brocklesby
Brocklesby
Brocklesby is a village and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. The village is 1 mile south of Habrough, 4 miles southwest of Immingham, close to the border of both North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire, and near Humberside International Airport...
was quadrupled to cope with the growing amount of freight traffic heading for the docks at Immingham
Immingham
Immingham is a town in North East Lincolnshire, located on the south bank of the Humber Estuary...
and Grimsby
Grimsby
Grimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996...
. As well as controlling this busy complex of routes, Wrawby Junction was also responsible for controlling the entrance to the once-busy railway sidings at Barnetby
Barnetby
Barnetby is a village and civil parish in North Lincolnshire, England, between Scunthorpe and Grimsby. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,593. Barnetby railway station serves the village and surrounding area...
, and the locomotive depot. When built, the lever frame
Lever frame
Mechanical railway signalling installations rely on lever frames for their operation to interlock the signals and points to allow the safe operation of trains in the area the signals control...
consisted of 137 levers. Wrawby Junction was - and most probably still is - the largest manual signal box in the world to be worked by a lone signaller. Most other large signal boxes require two or more signallers.
Accidents
Wrawby Junction has been the site of two fatal accidents :- On October 17, 1898, 9 people were killedWrawby Junction rail crash (1898)On 17 October 1898 at Wrawby Junction. on what was the Great Central Railway near Brigg in Lincolnshire a passenger train collided with a derailed goods train; killing 9 people and injuring 26 more....
when a passenger train collided with a derailed goods train. - On December 9, 1983, one passenger was killedWrawby Junction rail crashThe Wrawby Junction rail crash was a train crash which occurred on 9 December 1983, at Wrawby Junction, near Barnetby station in North Lincolnshire, England....
when a goods train collided with a passenger train.
Wrawby Junction today
Modern-day Wrawby Junction is still quite a complex location, although changing traffic patterns have resulted in significant rationalisation of the layout. Once noted for its impressive semaphore signalUK railway signalling
The railway signalling systems used across the majority of the United Kingdom rail network use lineside signals to advise the driver of the status of the section of track ahead...
arrays, only 3 such arrays survive today. The western approaches are now controlled by colour-light signals
UK railway signalling
The railway signalling systems used across the majority of the United Kingdom rail network use lineside signals to advise the driver of the status of the section of track ahead...
. The locomotive depot no longer exists, although the eagle-eyed observer will still notice the old turntable
Turntable (railroad)
A railway turntable is a device for turning railroad rolling stock. When steam locomotives were still in wide use, many railroads needed a way to turn the locomotives around for return trips as their controls were often not configured for extended periods of running in reverse and in many...
pit between the Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
and Retford
Retford
Retford is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands of England, located 31 miles from the city of Nottingham, and 23 miles west of Lincoln, in the district of Bassetlaw. The town is situated in a valley with the River Idle and the Chesterfield Canal running through the centre of the...
routes. The sidings see very little use, although trains may be either recessed or run-round in the Down Reception lines.
Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
recently announced proposals to improve the infrastructure and capacity on the South TransPennine route. However, no proposal has been made to resignal Wrawby Junction in the near future.