Environmental Award

Volunteers involved with Romsey Signal Box since the project’s origins in the 1980s attended the Mayor of Romsey’s ‘At Home’ at Romsey Town Hall on 29th March, where they were presented with the Mayor’s Environmental Award for 2011. Cllr Mike Curtis, Mayor of Romsey and member of the Friends of Romsey Signal Box, presented the award to the Friends’ President, Dick Hewett, and Chairman, Peter Chatfield, and Ted Mason of the Romsey & District Buildings Preservation Trust, in recognition of the huge contribution made by both organisations to securing and restoring Romsey Signal Box as a historic building and working museum for the enjoyment of all.

Other News....there’s lots!!

· Restoration of working signals ahead of schedule! Great progress has been made to restore the existing lattice post signal next to the signal box. This will become the new working distant signal (down branch distant number 4). Another lattice post signal awaits restoration as the new down branch home (number 5). The existing rail-built post signal is next to be restored, and will be the new down starting (number 3), with draw ahead position-light number 19. This re-creates the entire sequence of semaphore running signals in the down direction through Romsey. A second 3-aspect
colour light will be added to the existing one, re-creating the down main sequence. 3 shunting discs will also be connected, authentically re-creating shunt moves.

· Lever 8 has been connected to the points, and we are installing a facing point lock number 9 to work with them. Thus, the up junction points are being restored to mechanical working complete with locking.

· New ‘Oxted’ exhibit! The Oxted signal box diagram has been connected to bells and instruments, adding interest to the displays in the Visitor Centre.

· End of the road for the meat container....but a new lease of life elsewhere! The Mid-Hants Railway are shortly due to collect the dilapidated Meat Container, which once gave venerable service as a photo display area, and they plan to restore it to run on the railway once again. We wish them the best of luck with that one – quite a challenge given its condition.

· Once the meat van is removed, that area will be concreted in readiness for a new structure to accommodate the long-awaited Cowley Bridge Junction, our miniature portable signal box (quarter size lever frame; full size block shelf, signal box diagram, bells and block instruments), and additional exhibition space.

· Further works to restore the signal box are in hand. There have been problems with water ingress, warping of timbers, and deterioration of the pointing, amongst other things. These will be remedied this year and probably next to ensure the box is protected against the weather.

· Young members to lead the construction of a lean-to for the Visitor Centre. Our enthusiastic young volunteers like a project!....the lean-to will enable a protected space behind the Visitor Centre which will be used for storage.

· Painting/signs/lettering. A new sign has been positioned at the front gates, outdoor seats and the picnic table have been painted and lettered, and the Visitor Centre is shortly to be re-painted.

· General site works. A great deal of work is continually undertaken to develop and tidy the site. New fencing has been installed to protect visitors from the (ever developing) moving parts, such as rods and signal wires, and the level crossing gates have been re-painted, to mention just a few of the things that have been taken forward.

· We now have 2 telegraph poles, and thanks to the S&T Working Party, efforts have been made to connect telephones as we develop both signalling and telecommunications on site!

· Successful March event jointly with Romsey Railway Modellers Society. This was our second year for this event, which attracted over 150 visitors at the signal box during the weekend.

· Young members work on new website. This will be of special interest to our younger volunteers.
Joan Bennett resigns as Treasurer. The Friends’ Committee thanks Joan for her input as Treasurer; Dick Hewett makes a comeback and again takes on this role.

· Tribute to Colin Meheux. Sadly, Colin passed away last year – please see the Spring 2011 The Signal for Dick’s tribute to Colin.
Finally, as ever, Ted Mason continues to support us from the Trust, taking up various planning, security and facilities issues, and helping us with specialist advice to solve the problems with the structure of the signal box.

General News

General News (Posted 22/08/2010)

· Visit by our fraternal colleagues from St Albans South, February (see The Signal, Spring 2010)

· Joint Event with Romsey Railway Modellers' Society, March, a great success (see The Signal, Spring 2010)

· The Friends' AGM held in June: Dick Hewett (re-)elected as Honorary President; Dick's Leaving Event attended by the Mayor and Mayoress of Test Valley and the Mayor and Mayoress of Romsey, by friends old and new, and by members of Romsey & District Buildings Preservation Trust and Romsey & District Society (see next issue of The Signal for full details)

· S&T Working Party now operate as a sub-committee, also agree plans to develop the outside signalling installation, existing S&T works inside the signal box continue.

· We acquire new signals, thanks to Epping-Ongar Railway, also new signal repeaters.

· Clive Millward, Site Manager, joins S&T Working Party.

· Mike Walshaw, S&T Lead, takes temporary break to work on Swanage Railway's new Corfe Castle Signal Box, and is thanked for his input by the Friends.

· Site works continue, including new telegraph pole(!), thanks to Clive, Joan, Rod, Gavin and others.

· Younger folks, Luke, Zack, Jamie, George and others work on the wagons and other projects.

· Superb new signs by Rod Hoyle installed.

· Heritage Open Days Weekend Event will be Saturday 11th September, 10-5, and Sunday 12th September, 10-4.

· Application for fund-raising scheme for this Event; also volunteers wanted to attend during Heritage Open Days Event - operate the box/help out on site etc - please let us know if/when you can attend, thank you.



Developing the Project....

We are an exciting, constantly developing project. If ever we were a sleepy backwater, we aren't now! (Though stopping to have a cup of tea is always on the agenda.)

But we are always looking for new volunteers - Romsey Signal Box needs YOU!

We operate a 'zero pressure' policy: any amount of volunteering is a bonus, full stop. 'Volunteering' is just that: you give whatever you want to of your time, and whatever you give is gratefully accepted. You're assured of a warm welcome, and the kettle's on pretty permanently....

Update posted by Peter Chatfield
Chairman, Friends of Romsey Signal Box

News Update

(Date of publish estimated due to no date on original post)

1) After a long and distinguished contribution at the centre of Romsey Signal Box Project, Dick Hewett is registering his personal 7-5-5 (closing signal box!) and has now retired from active involvement. A vote of thanks was passed at the last meeting of the Friends of Romsey Signal Box Committee and, as mentioned above, a special event is planned.

2) Following Dick's resignation as Treasurer, we are delighted to welcome Joan Bennett as our new Treasurer.

3) Romsey Signal Box is aiming to run an annual schedule of events as follows:

January: Operating Day (Adults)
February-December: Open Days monthly
March: Open Weekend to co-inside with model railway exhibition
September: Heritage Open Days Weekend Event
November: Operating Day (Younger Members)
Other special events may be advertised from time to time. However, the above schedule is ambitious enough given our volunteer capacity as a small project!

4) Site Works: we plan about 3-4 working party days each year - all are very welcome, £0 per hour will be paid, unlimited tea/coffee available, and the company's not that bad either.... Much work has been done to landscape the site, define borders, improve the walkways, shrubs and plants. The Visitor Centre has been developed to display signalling and railway artefacts. Restoration and display of external artefacts is also ongoing. Further details on working parties will be advertised in the next 'The Signal', or can be obtained via the Chairman's email address.

5) S&T Group: will probably meet about 3 times this year. The range of working S&T equipment has considerably widened, thanks to the Group. Current work includes fitting lever locks, restoring telephone equipment - including a connection to our Visitor Centre - and commissioning additional working signals. Further details will be advertised in the next 'The Signal', or can be obtained via the Chairman's email address.

6) 'The Signal' is our newsletter. We are aiming for quarterly production. Please, however, bear with us if this is less regular than we would like. Like everything else we do, we are entirely dependent on volunteer effort and goodwill.

7) Cowley Bridge Junction is our miniature signal box, currently being built. There is no further news on this, however its 'on the list' for your Chairman to chase up....

8) Romsey & District Buildings Trust continue to give us their invaluable support. I am pleased to report that the signal box has undergone extensive repair and re-decoration recently, thanks to the Trust.

9) Lastly, but definitely not least, it is a tribute to the dedication of our volunteers that Romsey Signal Box continues to thrive as a historic building, working museum, and community asset - thank you all. For those browsing our website, please do show your support for projects like ours. History matters, without it our culture would surely be the poorer, and buildings like the signal box would be lost....

Peter Chatfield
Chairman, Friends of Romsey Signal Box

Operating Manual

For those who are interested in the way that the Romsey Signal Box simulation works, we have produced an operational manual.

Click here to download the latest version of the operating instructions for the signalbox.

"Strongs" sign refurbished

The Strongs sign on the signal box site has been fully restored after the receipt of the grant from the Hampshire Brewery during 2004.

Signal box parts acquired from Network Rail

We have acquired equipment from Network Rail which should enable us to complete the fitting out of Romsey box. After many years searching, we obtained some rods that were made redundant as part of the Bournemouth re-signalling. Thanks to those who were involved in the authorised "raids", especially Bill Tyndall.

Signal Box Guide re-printed

Local printers Borcombe PLC, who produced our first printed guide in 1997, have very generously sponsored a revised edition of our Guide. It's a big improvement on the previous edition and anyone who wants a copy should send Dick Hewett a cheque for £2.00 (which will include P&P).