Romsey Signal Box

02/08/2026

We are starting the process of creating a new page for publicity purposes. This link should take you to the new page.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61591762345368
Due to changes of volunteers over the years we were not certain who had what editing rights to the old pages, so thought it best to start with a clean sheet.

A Victorian Signal box being preserved by a group of dedicated enthusiasts

30/07/2026

Romsey Signal Box Museum will be open on Sunday 2nd August and Saturday 15th August. We will also be open on Thursday 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th August for the school holiday period.

We will be offering demonstrations of how a traditional signal box was operated with the chance to pull levers to work points and signals. Cowley Bridge Junction miniature signal box will be open for demonstrations as will the Audrey Gebbie discovery centre, which explains some of the principles and science behind operating signal boxes.
Our cafe will be open for the sale of teas, coffees and light refreshments.

Not everything we do at Romsey Signal Box Museum is directly involved with the visitor facing activities. Recently one of our volunteers has been fitting new anti slip strips to the signal box steps and repainting the surrounding woodwork. The picture shows the work on Monday, it has been completed. This work together with the additional handrails is intended to make the steps feel more secure for some of our visitors. The (willing) volunteer now has the rest of the faded and peeling paintwork of the steps to deal with....

01/07/2026

Romsey Signal Box Museum will be open on Sunday 5th July, Saturday 18th July and Thursday 30th July.
** Advance warning that we will be open on Thursdays during August. **
We will be offering demonstrations of how a traditional signal box was operated with the chance to pull levers to work points and signals. Cowley Bridge Junction miniature signal box will be open for demonstrations as will the Audrey Gebbie discovery centre, which explains some of the principles and science behind operating signal boxes.
Our cafe will be open for the sale of teas, coffees and light refreshments.
Although the mainline railways across our region have been controlled from Eastleigh or Salisbury area signalling centres since the 1980's, there are a few oddities left. The reopening of the freight only branch line to Marchwood and perhaps Hythe has been making headlines for quite a few years. Marchwood still has a signal box and semaphore signals. As it's a working location on the national network, trespassing for odd photos is not permitted.

The signals are still there but the gates have been replaced. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.8891547,-1.4558157,11a,75y,140.98h,89.53t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s7v86YW5xGpDj4-8URE1W0Q!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D0.4696805750492814%26panoid%3D7v86YW5xGpDj4-8URE1W0Q%26yaw%3D140.97656805558356!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDYyOC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
(Now to remove the duplicate pictures!)

03/06/2026

Romsey Signal Box Museum will be open on Sunday 7th June and Saturday 20th June.
We will be offering demonstrations of how a traditional signal box was operated with the chance to pull levers to work points and signals. Cowley Bridge Junction miniature signal box will be open for demonstrations as will the Audrey Gebbie discovery centre, which explains some of the principles and science behind operating signal boxes.
Our cafe will be open for the sale of teas, coffees and light refreshments.
Following the theme of signals positioned for poor sighting, the Great Western had some ideas of their own. Where there were signals to split a long platform into two sections, occasionally oversized disc signals were used. I understand that the mechanical parts behind the disc were adapted from a centre pivot signal arm. The last surviving one is at Worcester Shrub Hill. The normal sized disc is a calling on subsidiary signal to authorise movements into the signal secion ahead when it is occupied.

02/05/2026

Deleted, duplicate post.

02/05/2026

Romsey Signal Box Museum will be open on Sunday 3rd and Saturday 16th May 2026.
We will be offering demonstrations of how a traditional signal box was operated with the chance to pull levers to work points and signals. Cowley Bridge Junction miniature signal box will be open for demonstrations as will the Audrey Gebbie discovery centre, which explains some of the principles and science behind operating signal boxes. Our cafe will be open for the sale of teas, coffees and light refreshments.
Continuing the idea of signals configures to resolve problems with sighting, this signal at Exeter Central was constructed to give a clearer view under the overbridge spanning the London end of the station. This configuration was sometimes called a "gallows signal" .

02/04/2026

This resource may be of interest - for research or interest. Eastleigh Library in the Swan Centre is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

01/04/2026

Our open days in April are on Sunday 5th and Saturday 18th and we will be open between 1100 and 1600. There will be demonstrations of how a traditional signal box was operated and visitors will have the chance to try pulling signal levers and working block bells. In addition, Cowley Bridge Jn miniature signal box will be demonstrated.
The Audrey Gebbie Discovery Centre will be open to explain some of the technology behind signalling systems as well as old artifacts.
The Buffer Stop Cafe will be open serving tea, coffee and snacks as well as home made cake from Romsey market.

Following on from the idea of signals to aid sighting by drivers, an alternative is Banner Repeaters. They only show stop or proceed and are purely advisory to the train driver as a warning for the next signal aspect. They were used where the view of the signal was obstructed by a building or structure. When the banner shows "proceed" the black bar is tilted at 45 degrees just like a semaphore signal arm. The modern banner repeaters are LED displays, but until recently they were electro-mechanical arms moving in front of an illuminated white background.