Photo:
A Cruickshank - Wendover Signal Box

These brief notes are prompted by a letter from Mr Cruickshank to whom we are indebted for the photograph of Wendover signal box. It appears that the majority of Metropolitan Railway signal boxes were of the three bay type as shown in the picture. Other examples of this design which was about seventeen feet long and twelve feet wide were at Amersham, Chorleywood, Chesham and possibly at Verney Junction. The Chesham box was a little different in that it stands on a brick plinth due to the nature of the ground.

At Rickmansworth the box was originally of the same three bay type but an extension, seven feet, eight inches long was made at the London end when the line was electrified in the 1920's. At Chalfont and Latimer the box also appears to have had an extension of another bay.

The Quainton Road box shown in "Quainton News No. 12" is of the five bay type and was evidently built as such because its front elevation is completely symmetrical, unlike those at Rickmansworth and Chalfont.

A different design could be seen at Northwood which was of brick construction to 'waist' level and was of the four bay type. A photograph of a similar box appears in the "Railway Magazine," page 345, Nov-Dec 1945.

An example of the early type of Metropolitan Railway signal with a sheet metal 'tail' bolted to the spectacle casing was, until recently at Wendover mounted on a Great Central post but this has gone and has been purchased by an enthusiast. We will try to reproduce a photograph in a future issue. Meanwhile members comments on Metropolitan signal box design will be welcome.

Notes:
The text in this Quainton Railway Society publication was written in 1973 and so does not reflect events in the 40+ years since publication. The text and photographs are repeated verbatim from the original publication, with only a few minor grammar changes but some clarifying notes are added if deemed necessary. The photos from the original publication are provided as scans in this internet version of this long out of print publication.

Reference:
Metropolitan Railway Signal Boxes - Quainton News No. 15 - March 1973