Summary
Small ground level signal box of 1910 built by the Southern Division of the North Eastern Railway.
Reasons for Designation
Marston Moor Signal Box is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Representative: as a very little altered example of a ground level signal box;
* Lack of alteration: the signal box still retains timber windows, finials and other original features such as part of its lever frame;
* Architecture: although very simple in design, Marston Moor Signal Box is an effective piece of attractive architecture in terms of overall form, massing and simple detailing.
History
From the 1840s, huts or cabins were provided for men operating railway signals. These were often located on raised platforms containing levers to operate the signals and in the early 1860s, the fully glazed signal box, initially raised high on stilts to give a good view down the line, emerged. The interlocking of signals and points, perhaps the most important single advance in rail safety, patented by John Saxby in 1856, was the final step in the evolution of railway signalling into a form recognisable today. Signal boxes were built to a great variety of different designs and sizes to meet traffic needs by signalling contractors and the railway companies themselves.
Details
Railway signal box, 1910, for and by the Southern Division of the North Eastern Railway.
Sources
Books and journals
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
End of official list entry
