Members of the IRO North East Area had the opportunity to visit to the Power Signal Box (PSB) at Doncaster on 26th June. The Doncaster PSB covers a considerable portion of the East Coast Main Line from Stoke Tunnel between Peterborough and Templehirst Junction near Selby. It also controls the busy route from Connisborough in South Yorkshire and Thorne on the route to Scunthorpe and Goole.

The signal box is a two storey building, housing the ground floor relay room, telecommunications room and standby generator room with the signalling control room on the first floor.

Dominating the control room is a 110 feet long illuminated signalling control panel. During the visit to the operating floor, the delegates were able to speak to the signalmen and have the signaling panel explained in detail. They were also permitted into the relay room beneath the signal box where a senior S&T manager explained the intricacies of geographic relay interlocking, with which he had personally been involved since the box had been commissioned.

The delegates were able to appreciate the complex operation of a traditional ‘Entrance – Exit’ (NX) signalbox occupying a key place in a principal Inter City route. This included the technical aspects of making the signalling operate safely and effectively.