Blythe Bridge railway station

Infobox UK station
name=Blythe Bridge
code=BYB


manager=East Midlands Trains
locale=Blythe Bridge
borough=Staffordshire Moorlands
start= 7 August 1848
platforms=2
lowusage0405 = 31,136
lowusage0506 = 31,389
lowusage0607 = 37,220

Blythe Bridge railway station is a railway station in the United Kingdom at Blythe Bridge, Staffordshire Moorlands. It is served by East Midlands Trains and is situated on the Crewe to Derby line.

The station was opened August 7, 1848 by the North Staffordshire Railway (NSR). The station buildings were demolished in the early 1990s and today it is unstaffed.

Signalling

Blythe Bridge had at one time two signal boxes, Blythe Bridge and Stallington, both of which controlled level crossings, which was a common feature across the former NSR.

Blythe Bridge signal box was opened by the NSR in 1884 on their Derby to Stoke line. The box was built to a standard McKenzie & Holland design and under the S.R.S. designation system is referred to as a MKH Type1.

The signal box was equipped with a standard McKenzie & Holland lever frame and a gate wheel for operating the level crossing gates which controlled traffic on the busy former A50. These gates were later replaced by a barrier crossing when traffic got too heavy for the signalman.

Blythe Bridge signal box finally closed in 1980 and the level crossing was converted to CCTV control with the barriers supervised by Caverswall signal box.

External links

* [http://www.dudleymall.co.uk/loclrail/stokederby.htm Page with more info on the station]
* [http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Agora/3542/railways.html Railways in Draycott]
* [http://www.search.staffspasttrack.org.uk/engine/resource/exhibition/standard/default.asp?theme=472&originator=%2Fengine%2Ftheme%2Fdefault%2Easp&page=2&records=148&direction=1&pointer=2105&text=0&resource=13735 Photographs of the old station buildings]
* [http://www.search.staffspasttrack.org.uk/engine/resource/default.asp?theme=308&originator=%2Fengine%2Ftheme%2Fdefault%2Easp&page=3&records=70&direction=1&pointer=8055&text=0&resource=13734 Photograph of Blythe Bridge Signal Box ]