File:Hellifield (1847312094).jpg

Hellifield signal box located between the Up (in front of the signal box) and Down lines at the south end of Hellifield station. Thursday 24th February 1983

Hellifield South Junction signal box was a Midland Railway Type 4c design which opened on 11th June 1911 fitted with a Midland Railway Tappet lever frame, replacing an 1880s-built signal box located on the down side of the line opposite the new signal box. The lever frame was eventually extended to 64 levers numbered A-C, 1-61 before being reduced to the current 58 levers. The signal box was renamed Hellifield on 27th March 1966 after concentration of the signalling to one location allowed the closure of the 40 lever Hellifield North Junction signal box. To allow the lever frame and locking to be overhauled the signal box was temporarily closed between 24th December 2006 and 4th January 2007, although the job took longer than planned as the reopening was scheduled for 1st January

The signal box carries a London Midland and Scottish Railway post-1935 design nameboard and is missing a wooden finial from the station end of the roof

Note the handrail at the far end of the signal box showing the walkboards to the signal box had been moved at sometime. Also, as can be seen by the one stovepipe the box by this time only had one coal stove. Which on the occasions I visited I remember made it a very cold place at the steps end. Finally, note the lamp on the front which was for taking engine numbers, a column for which could be found in Midland Railway train registers