Manual signal boxes in Japan

[Rail Announcement]

Are there any busy manual signal boxes in Japan, like this one in Stafford England?

 

http://railpicturelibrary.zenfolio.com/p565588551/h1000f23#h1000f23

 

This signal box closes in August, but there will still be a number of busy manual signal boxes in operation for a while.

 

Also, is it relatively common to see women working in Japanese signal boxes? I know there are a number of female Shinkansen drivers, but wondered what it is like in other rail departments.

[katoftw]

Signal boxes are a thing of the past.  Some are left on heritage/museum railways.  Even that Stafford one will be gone with the resignalling works between Norton Bridge and Colwich.

[Rail Announcement]

The two Stafford signal boxes (number 4 and 5) close in August with staff moving to the new ROC at Rugby.

 

There are still a number of busy manual boxes, dating from the 1890s, in use at Stockport and many others, not quite so old, in other parts of the country. Many of these will remain in use for the next 10 years or more.

Edited January 19, 2015 by Rail Announcement

[bikkuri bahn]

There is a box at JR Freight Shiohama Yard in Mie Prefecture, it controls the points in the yard using old fashioned rods, but I don't think it has control of signals past yard limits. Semaphore signals are history. Even the short lines have gotten rid of them.

[Rail Announcement]

Thanks for this information.

 

The signal boxes at Stafford control colour lights, these are operated by short handled levers, with just a few semaphore ground disk signals used for shunt moves.

Edited January 19, 2015 by Rail Announcement

[westfalen]

In November 2011 this signal cabin controlled the junction and exchange sidings of the freight only Mitsui Miike Railway with JR at Asahimachi in Kyushu.  I think from memory one set of points and associated lock bar were controlled by mechanical rodding.  The blow up of the window shows two levers and the obligatory tea pot for the signalman to brew up (some things are the same everywhere).  Not exactly Stafford but still a remnant of a past era.

 

Our local signal cabin here in Ipswich (the one in Australia) was pulled down last weekend prior to moving to the Ipswich railway museum for eventual preservation.  It was decommisioned in the late 1980's when CTC was installed west of Ipswich and has a 55 lever mechanical interlocking frame.

Edited January 19, 2015 by westfalen

[kvp]

According to wikipedia the last JR signal was at Rikuchu-Yagi station and was replaced at 28. July 2005. There should be form signals on the Fukushima Rinkai railway, Tsugaru railway and the Niigata-Higashi industrial line. I checked the first in the list and it does have a standing form signal. If it's in use or not i don't know, but the turnouts seem to be the manual throw type with disc indicators.

 

Imho using CTC is so much cheaper to operate and easy to swich over that even the poorest 3rd sector companies have upgraded their lines. Essentially you just have to place a single cable along the line and attach various boxes to it. For a shortline with regular traffic the reduction in staff and maintenance would pay for it in no time. The british case is political and not technical, they still couldn't install an ATS system on commuter lines around London 100 years after they were invented. (the first ATS system was installed in 1878)

[Jcarlton]

You still see the boxes on some JR lines in the Tokyo region, but they are going fast.  There's one on the South end of Otsuki Station and another on the West end of Ochanomizu that I've seen personally as well as one that doesn't seem to have an interlocking on the South end of Harujuku Station. I don't think any of them have operators in them though. Like the towers (boxes) here in CT more than likely the property of the signal maintainers and used as work areas and parts storage.  It's a shame that the rail museum in Saitama doesn't have an interlocking machine.  I've volunteered at our local tower museum and I love throwing those levers.

[dabsan]

In November 2011 this signal cabin controlled the junction and exchange sidings of the freight only Mitsui Miike Railway with JR at Asahimachi in Kyushu.  I think from memory one set of points and associated lock bar were controlled by mechanical rodding.  The blow up of the window shows two levers and the obligatory tea pot for the signalman to brew up (some things are the same everywhere).  Not exactly Stafford but still a remnant of a past era.

DSC06252.JPGDSC06252a.JPGDSC06256.JPG

 

Our local signal cabin here in Ipswich (the one in Australia) was pulled down last weekend prior to moving to the Ipswich railway museum for eventual preservation.  It was decommisioned in the late 1980's when CTC was installed west of Ipswich and has a 55 lever mechanical interlocking frame.

10382758_388369644673355_3281975297146667802_n.jpg

That signal box at Asahimachi would be a great modeling project.