1929 Type 4e signal box at Fiskerton. Surveyed in 2014 prior to removal. (1)

The Midland Railway’s signalling history is somewhat different to its
competitors: it used the same box design from 1870 to 1923 and its
own signalling apparatus, rather than buying locking frames from
signalling contractors. An extensive resignalling programme from
1890 means that very few boxes from before this date survive; it had
been concluded that the early Midland locking frames were not good
enough. The ‘Midland Tumbler’ locking frame was considered to be
the solution; it went through its last redesign c.1892 and as they were
standard until 1910, they are present in many Midland boxes. Another
distinctive feature of the Midland’s locking frames is the casing over
the lower end of the levers (usually they just came up through slots
in the floor), this supposedly made the levers easier to work and kept
out the draft if nothing else. The Midland also had a ‘small box’ policy,
opting to install the bare minimum of required levers in each location.
Midland boxes were prefabricated in a purpose built factory at Derby.
The prefabricated timber units were known as flakes, which were 10ft
or 15ft wide. Consequently, they could be assembled very quickly
– in a 1920 test a box was put together (minus the slate roof) in 85
minutes! There were only minor changes in design throughout the 50
year period, namely in sizes of window, window pane pattern and the
type of boarding used. These occurred in 1884, 1900 and 1906, which
allows Midland boxes to be neatly divided into four types (and can be
further subdivided by window type)::
Midland boxes were prefabricated in a purpose built factory at Derby.
The prefabricated timber units, known as flakes, were 10ft or 15ft
wide. They could consequently be assembled very quickly – in a 1920
test a box was put together (minus the slate roof) in 85 minutes! There
were only minor changes in design throughout the 50 year period,
namely in sizes of window, window pane pattern and the type of
boarding used. These occurred in 1884, 1900 and 1906, which allows
Midland boxes to be neatly divided into four types (and can be further
subdivided by window type):
Type 1 (1870-1884): The original Midland signal box was 10ft wide
and rarely more than 20ft in length. The front and sides of the box
were glazed; the windows were 3ft by 6inches. There was vertical
6inch boarding at operating floor level and weather boarding below.
They always had a hipped roof and finials. The door was normally
placed at the end of the box facing oncoming rail traffic on the nearest
line, although not always. The staircase was normally parallel to the
track, rising in a single flight to the door. The windows were ‘Design A’,
consisting of 4 panes of glass distinctive chamfered upper panes. The
floor of the operating room was covered with brown linoleum which
was very modern in comparison to the plain floor boards of other
signal boxes.
Type 2 (1884-1901): The first change was the introduction of deeper
windows at the front of the box with six panes. From 1893 the vertical
boarding on the upper part of Midland boxes was changed to 3½
inches and in 1900 a new prefab panel was introduced, increasing the
standard width of Midland boxes to 12ft.
Type 3 (1900-1906): The windows were extended to the ends of the
box and ‘Design B’ windows were introduced at some boxes to give
better visibility at busier junctions. Type 3 is subdivided according the
window design used – Type 3a have ‘Design A’ windows and Type 3b
have ‘Design B’ windows.
Type 4 (1906–1930): The weather boarding of the locking room was
replaced with lapped boarding in 1906 and changes were made to
the walkway brackets and railings in 1907. Concrete bases were also
introduced around this time as older boxes had a tendency to rot,
with timbers being set into the ground. In 1910 the Tumbler frame
had been replaced by the Tappet, which was smaller, so the standard
width returned to 10ft. Type 4 is subdivided 4a – 4c according to the
window design used. The shortages of materials during the war meant
that plate glass and finials had to be given up, producing Type 4d.
Type 4e saw the resurrection of ‘Design C’ windows, but still with the
omission of finials.

Fiskerton signal box is a Type 3a, dating from 1902 and houses its
original tumbler frame. Because Fiskerton is a smaller box, it retained
the ‘Design A’ window pane arrangement because visibility was not
as important as at busier boxes. Hence, it is a Type 3a opposed to 3b,
which ‘had Design B’ windows. It is a low box which makes the fact
that it has a walkway particularly unusual.
The signal box is found at Fiskerton station on the north side of the
track, next to the manually operated Fiskerton/Station Road level
crossing which it controls. Its other signalling responsibilities ceased in
1934, so it has survived essentially only as a gate box, with five of its 16
levers still in use, since then.

Exterior:
Two storey, rectangular timber signal box of one bay with a shallow
hipped roof of welsh slate and timber spike finials. The lower storey is
half height and compromises of weather boarding and openings for
windows at both ends; the north-east end also has a doorway to the
locking room. The front and rear of the box are blind at ground-floor
level. At first floor-level, the box is continuously glazed on all sides
except the rear with vertical timber boarding and 3inch intermediate
posts, there is one window at the back of the box. All windows at
this level are uPVC replacements. The external single-flight steel
staircase, which gives access to the operating room at the north-east
end, replaces the earlier timber staircase. An LMS-era name plate is
attached to the front of the box. The box is visibly leaning backwards
as a result of significant subsidence, probably due to an underground
drain or waterway.
4.0
Written description
Interior:
The operating room has a modern suspended ceiling and laminated
floor, along with various other modern fittings. It does, however,
house its original Midland Tumbler 16 lever locking frame along
the front wall of the box, with interlocking mechanisms in the room
below. The block shelf is above the levers, and the block instruments
are possibly original given the limited status of the signal box from
1934. Telegraph instruments, train register desk and stove would have
originally been located at the back of the room.

<1> Alan Baxter, 2014, Fiskerton Signal Box Historic Building Record (Unpublished document). SNT4789.