Redmarshall South junction signal box. Photograph courtesy of Dave Summerfield 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Redmarshall South junction signal box. Photograph courtesy of Dave Summerfield
Redmarshall Junctions and station were originally called Carlton Junctions/Station until 1923 when the names were changed to Redmarshall. I can remember the Redmarshall Junctions in the early 1960’s when all of the track/routes were still in use and still fairly busy with freight traffic – at that time all of the signal boxes were still operational and it was a wonderful country location which we used to cycle to from Roseworth. We would spend many happy hours train spotting from the Station bridge. There was a redundant signal box to the east of Redmarshall station which had closed as long ago as 1897 (it was then named Carlton West) but being a full brick structure it was still standing in the 1970’s – I’ve been fortunate to have access to a signal box register from Carlton West signal box dated October 1895 and it makes fascinating reading as there were up to 200 trains passing through this location in 24 hours, mostly mineral trains heading for the Tees estuary (north and south banks) and also Hartlepool, but also a small number of local passenger services serving stations along the routes. The decline of the railways through Redmarshall came very quickly in the mid/late 1960’s – by 1968 all of the signal boxes had closed and along with the redundant station buildings were demolished – the station platforms were removed when the one remaining route between Stillington and Norton West was re-aligned. Very little evidence of what existed around the Redmarshall junctions remains today and the lineside vegetation has grown over most of the trackbeds although the Castle Eden walkway and Thorpe Station serve as a reminder of one of the routes. I managed to ‘recover’ one of the bell instruments from Redmarshall South box just prior to demolition and fortunately, in many cases thanks to the generosity of local enthusiasts, have managed to collect a large amount of photographs from the area as a reminder of what was there.
Hi I lived at Redmarshall in the sixty’s and very interested in the history of Redmarshall station, I would like to know how to get hold of some pictures of the station.
I remember the great excitement created at Grangefield Grammar School early one morning seeing the dark silhouette and growl of an English Electric Type 3 crawling along the defunct Castle Eden branch, and after the initial shock the rush of boys racing to get any codes and numbers. Initially we did not know it was the demolition train, until it became regular morning feature. At first we hoped the line had re-opened, or that it was an all-day main line, or north east coast route, diversion. I don’t actually remember seeing the train return, but other boys saw it from the rugby pitches or on going home to Hartburn. Presumably this demolition train must have been topped and tailed by a locomotive, but after forty plus years I only remember the locomotive heading towards Redmarshall. One commentator above noted some track lifting was done in 1968, although I would have put the demolition train I witnessed later, 1969 or 1970, but I may need correcting on this. I read somewhere that the Redmarshall-Bowesfield section of the line was kept on as an emergency diversion route. This single track railway line, always in good condition, divided the school’s main rugby pitches from the reserve pitches, only if both sets of pitches were frozen did you get sent on a cross-country run. It was very easy and painful to slip crossing the wet railway line (or via the bridge) with wet rugby boots on, usually you were pushed over by your mates!!! A cross-country was indicated by the long time it took ‘Rock Hudson’ and his school sports staff (G.Rayner, Dougie Agar, M. Russell) to emerge from their warm office. Occasionally they took nearly all afternoon and the cross-country run was confined to once around the main school fields rather than the usual longer slog around Hartburn and the school fields. No gloves or extra sports clothing was allowed, just the basic school sports kit in freezing winter. This was an encouragement to complete the course quickly. Anyone caught taking short-cuts or cheating had to resume from the starting location of their offence.
I think the overbridge in the distance was a narrow farm bridge connecting two fields. It can be seen on detailed OS maps, but not very well. The Ferryhill-Norton line passed underneath the Castle Eden line behind the farm bridge. The last train I saw using the Redmarshall South-Bowesfield Junction section was the line demolition train always hauled by an English Electric Type 3. It crawled towards Redmarshall on dark winter mornings between 8-9am and returned late afternoon to Bowesfield. The track had already been singled by the late sixties, and I never saw any commercial traffic use it during my five years at Grangefield School from September 1967. We frequently had to cross the line when doing cross-country runs from Grangefield and one day after the demolition train had gone we were amazed to find all the single track bordering the school had been lifted. Just sleeper imprints in the gravel remained.
Are we sure this is looking north from Letch Lane? The junction is back to front from what I can see from maps, and the rail over bridge in the background is the Castle Eden line I think; this passed OVER the Ferryhill line.
I have walked past this spot many times and didn’t know that there had been a signal box there. I will have a look for remains next time. It’s a bit strange how they have got a belly in the line heading north.
The small extension to the side of the signalbox was added in approx 1915 in connection with the Shildon- Newport electrification scheme. It was built to house isolating switches for the overhead electric line (1500v DC). They were in the form of a miniature lever frame. A similar structure can still be seen at the side of Bowesfield signalbox. Thornaby East signalbox, which was situated at the end of the station platform, also had an extension for this type of equipment. The signal arm is raised for the route towards Redmarshall Station signalbox.
Amazing picture there, Dave. I don”t remember the Signal Box, but I believe the build-work of the foundations are still there. The line is now a cycle path as part of the National Cycle Network that go”s up to the far North-East of Scotland.
Redmarshall South junction signal box looking north from the bridge in Letch Lane (photograph taken prior to 1961 when the junction was resignalled) – the box was the last of four boxes around Redmarshall to remain open, finally closing on 24/06/1968. Redmarshall North/East boxes closed on 22/01/1967 followed by Redmarshall station box on 25/11/1967 – the South box remained open into 1968 to allow track recovery from the Castle Eden branch, I remember the recovery trains working back to Bowesfield in the spring of 1968. The last train I witnessed crossing Thorpe Viaduct was a diverted Newcastle to Liverpool passenger train on the Sunday evening of 25/07/1965 hauled by English Electric Type 4 D390 – there were two later trains scheduled to travel over the viaduct that night – a Newcastle to London train hauled by Brush type 4 D1579 & a Doncaster to Newcastle train hauled by English Electric Type 4 D391 – I did not witness these two trains crossing the viaduct but saw them both pass through Norton Junction – I believe these to be the last ever passenger trains to cross Thorpe viaduct.