The Londonist has just produced a very interesting piece on the LUL Edgware Road signal cabin, which was built in 1926 with a Westinghouse Style K interlocking machine (license built UK version of a US&S Model 14). Unfortunately the London Underground has been bitten by the same CTBC bug as the NYC Subway, despite the old adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". The article comes with an attached video and numerous photos of the signal cabin and a number of other cabins also at risk for closure. Because putting one's eggs in one basket is all the rage, the LUL will also be converting to a centralized control center model.
The good news is that there are plans to preserve the cabin, although the ultimate level of interactivity or public access remains unclear. Here is another video showing a compressed view of an entire night shift at the cabin.
A blog devoted to explaining the ins and outs of North American railroad signaling, past, present and future. This blog seeks to preserve through photo documentation the great diversity and technical ingenuity of 20th century signaling and interlocking hardware and technology. Related topics cover interlocking towers and railroad communications infrastructure.
Note, due to a web hosting failure some of the photos and links may be unavailable.
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"If it ain't broke, don't fix it"? Hah. I passed through the Edgware Road interlocking (as we would call it in the States) several times a day for about two years' equivalent stay in London since 2011. We might be fond of signalmen throwing US&S-style levers, but the Edgware Road interlocking is an unreliable mess. Its replacement is long overdue. I shall not miss it.
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