Historic signal box finds new home in Cornwall thanks to upcycling project

An historic railway signal box has made a journey of over 300 miles from Kent to Cornwall- to be rebuilt and restored as part of a heritage railway project.

The box, which is more than 130 years old, was due to be demolished, but after months of negotiations by one of the volunteers at Helston Railway, Network Rail agreed to repurpose it.

The delicate operation to dismantle and remove it involved 25 people- many of them ex-offenders involved in the Brighter Futures in Rail project.

Its new home, Helston Railway, also received a grant from the Railway Heritage Trust to support the dismantling, relocation and rebuilding of the structure.

Colin Savage, Chairman of Helston Railway said: “The intention is to site the signal box at Prospidnick using as many of the original materials as possible.

"The structure has received little investment over the past 30 years as it was no longer needed for the modern railway, so we expect the wooden upper structure will require some significant attention.

“We’re excited not only to give our volunteers the opportunity to assist with the rebuilding of this signal box but also to have a new addition to our railway”.

Tim Hedley-Jones, Director of the Railway Heritage Trust added: “We are pleased to be supporting the Helston Railway with the relocation of this historic signal box. Rebuilding it on a heritage railway will allow it to be better appreciated by more people”.

Work will begin on rebuilding the signal box in the coming months, with the ambition to complete it in 2025.

The signal box has been disused for several years, but still contained around 20 levers, which along with which the lever frame and locking mechanisms have all been donated to Helston Railway by Network Rail.