MD103 Upgrade
Extensive resignalling work on the Stockport to Colwich junction branch of the west coast mainline or in other words – my local railway.
This venerable old signal has been protecting the southern approach to Prestbury station for decades, the original post and mounting was 1960s vintage but the lamp-head was a more recent LED type with two composite aspects (red & green) that could switch to yellow for a “double yellow” or preliminary caution state. Yes, on railways it is yellow and not amber. The original head on this post was a 4 aspect unit with tungsten lamps and much more dramatic in appearance.
Now old MD103 (MD; Macclesfield) – familiar to many walkers on the Riverside Way, has been replaced by a brand new signal.
The shot above was a 2min exposure – c2014
- Title: Last Train to London
- Taken: 15 November, 2014
- Aperture: ƒ/8
- Shutter speed: 134s
- ISO: 100
- Focal length: 20mm
MD103 in Feb 2022
New Sig MD4845
The new contraption is designed to fold down to ground level for maintenance and so has no ladder or work platform. A much less interesting structure than old MD103. New hard-standing for equipment cabinets (S&T) has also appeared which by now should be well stocked with cabinets for opto amplifier and fibre repeater racks — probably?
The signal has been renumbered and now appears to be the 4,845th signal controlled from some distant remote control centre, a sad indication of the impending demise of the Macclesfield signal box from which MD103 was controlled.
- Title: New Signal
- Taken: 1 September, 2022
- Aperture: ƒ/8
- Shutter speed: 1/250s
- ISO: 100
- Focal length: 50mm
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