· Signal box
How the points work
A short tour of the signal box at Millbrook, the levers, and why the train always knows which way to go.
Points are the moving rails that send a train one way or the other. At Millbrook there are seven sets, all worked from the signal box by long iron levers.
One lever, one job
Each lever moves one set of points or one signal. They’re interlocked: the frame won’t let the signalman clear a signal for a route unless every set of points on it is set and locked the right way.
Why it matters
Our trains share one line, so every departure is planned around the passing loop at Hatherby. The timetable, the signal box and the guard’s watch all have to agree.
If you’d like to see it, ask at the booking office: on quiet days the signalman shows visitors round between trains. Or try the signal box game on our 404 page.