ESR Signal & Telegraph Dept.

05/10/2025

Signal Men and Women - are you losing sleep over the tops of your levers? Are they crying out for a bit of burnishing to see them into the Autumn and Winter?

We have just the thing to cheer your frame up and make them sparkle.

Like and share this post (before midnight 05/10), and you could win yourself one or if you couldn't resist purchasing, we will send you another or refund it.

https://shop.hops.org.uk/shop/signal-box-equipment

09/08/2025

Just some pictures showing what we have been up to

09/08/2025

Today is a significant day here at Cranmore as our new signalling system is now live. After many months of planning, install, commissioning, testing, more testing, training and external verification we have re-introducing signalling to the East Somerset Railway after a 57 year absence. Our signal box opened in 1904 and closed when the line finally closed in 1968.
The team here have worked tirelessly to make this project happen and are excited to see the results. Its a small step along the route to fully signalling the line when the semaphore signals will be put back into use, but the addition of the new colour light signals means we have greater flexibility moving trains around and the ability to move locos in the station area once a service train is in the single line section to Mendip Vale.
If you are visiting us soon then one of the team will be happy to explain how we have made this work and what each element of the scheme does.
This project would not have happened if we hadnt had fantastic external help and support from the knowledgeable Dave Helliwell and the resources at IRSE Minor Railways Section

19/05/2025

On this day in history, Cranmore Signal Box rang 7-5-5 for the last time in 1968 and closed its doors to signalling.

57 Years later, the S&T Team are almost ready to go live on a new scheme which brings signalling back to the East Somerset Railway, splitting the line into 2 controlled sections using colour light signals

23/12/2024

Merry Christmas to you all from the S&T team here at Cranmore. Plenty of work has been going on behind the scenes .. all will be revealed next season.

11/03/2024

15/02/2024

Two fantastic BR(W) finials arrived with us this week. They have been donated to the S&T team by a long standing East Somerset Railway member and will be installed on posts later this year when the semaphore signal restoration project continues. They have been cared for since 1987 when they were bought from BR at Reading station as 'redundant materials. They even came with their original BR receipt!

19/01/2024

So that our interim signalling project can be installed safely we have rewired the signal box and made provision for additional low voltage power supplies for the control systems. New fuseboard, new sockets and emergency lighting all expertly wired and certified by Dave & apprentice Max at https://www.horlerelectricalservices.co.uk/

15/01/2024

Did you have a chance to see the write up all about Cranmore Traincare and Maintenance Services (CTMS) in the latest Railways Illustrated?
Cranmore Traincare and Maintenance Services (CTMS) was established in July 1995 as a trading division of Cranmore Railway Company Limited, which is the commercial arm of the East Somerset Railway, a registered charity.
CTMS has the experience and skills to undertake both heavy body overhauls, vehicle conversions, quality repaints, body component repairs or supply and can undertake bogie and running gear overhauls to heritage railway standards. They also have quality systems in place to monitor conformance.

11/01/2024

Its been a busy (and cold) start to the New Year and like so many heritage railways our S&T Team are working on maintenance and improvement tasks.
We are working on an interim signalling project upgrading existing and some new colour light signals which will allow us to work more efficiently as well as occasionally operate more than one train at once next season. As part of that scheme we are working with our Permanent Way colleagues to consolidate some of the point operation into one groundframe near the signal box This also lays some foundations for our longer term semaphore reinstatement project.

Today we moved one of the existing pair of colour light signal posts to provide 120m overrun distance between them as they are back to back and will perform the function of a section signal. We also removed the heads ready to be renovated or replaced with new ones

Lots of rust penetrating fluid and help from our P-Way teams' digger and the job was completed successfully!

18/12/2023

S&T = Santa & Trains

11/12/2023

The team have started to refurb a groundframe ahead of the next phase of P-Way works scheduled for January. This one will make shunting and general operations more efficient by consolidating some point changes into one location. It is also part of the interim signalling project which will hopefully allow movement of more than one train at once on operating days.