Repatriation of an ex L&SWR Lattice Signal Post

Saturday 27th June was, I think, a good day for the L&B despite still not being able to run trains and it being a rather damp day.

A member of the Woking Miniature Railway acquired an L&SWR signal which originally came from Barnstaple Junction many years ago. However, it was never used on the WMR and needed to be removed from its current storage location, so it was offered to the L&B via the Surrey Group. The Group agreed to sponsor the purchase of this signal over a year ago but the means of transporting it to Devon caused some difficulty.

Eventually, once the Covid-19 lockdown started to ease, Martyn Budd was able to find the time to bring his six-wheel trailer up from Devon to collect it.

A combined team of Surrey, Devon & EAST (Kent) members assembled to help with the heavy lifting.

In addition to the signal post and arm, three steel ladders were thrown in with the deal and further narrow-gauge signaling equipment stored at WMR was also donated....

....including two 2-lever knee frames, two single levers and various other useful items.

The signal fitted snugly into the trailer on the diagonal, but the two lever frames took some manhandling to get them on board but all was eventually loaded, including a strange-looking fibreglass cabinet, obviously not authentic for the L&B but Martyn wanted it anyway.

We were also able to donate three steamer trunks dating from the early 1930s, rescued from my parent's house, one of which went to South Africa with my Aunt Dorothy and returned via Exeter St Davids.

Many thanks to all those who came to assist:

From EAST - Julia and Pete Snashall with Clive Williams
From Surrey - Natalie and Peter Jones, Hugh Pearce, Gary Stevens, Jan and Phil Rawstron,
and last but not least, Martyn Budd and Keith Lamprey from Devon.

Thanks also to Mike Smith, Gerald Dare and Richard Moore from WMR for their help.

Text and photos Phil and Jan Rawstron