This photograph was taken at Stockton Station in early afternoon on 9th August 1962. Standing at Platform 2 is the weekday parcels train known to all the local enthusiasts as ’The Palethorpes’. Courtesy of David P Williams. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
The shunt or calling on arm on the signal post was sometimes used for the parcels train in the picture. The engine would uncouple and move forward on this signal to pick up stock from the station’s centre road to add to the train.
The shunt into forward section signal was number 37 in Bishopton Lane, and was used for shunting purposes ie running round the train servicing the middle road, or going forward to where the turntable used to be. The distant was controlled by Hartburn and was quite a pull, but I have seen it used on a number of occasions. The distant on the down main was controlled by north shore and I thought this was a harder pull but it was used all the time. The sequence of levers for the down main from north shore were 11, 14, 15 and 9.
The signals in this view are interesting. At the base of the signal post are three counterweights and three cables corresponding to the three signal arms. The up home and shunt signals will both have been controlled by the nearby Bishopton Lane signalbox. Was the distant signal under the control of Hartburn box? I never saw this distant arm raised (despite making countless observations). This might be because the Hartburn signalmen chose not to attempt what would have been a very difficult lever pull. The shunt arm will certainly have been pulled ‘off’ from time to time, though never in my presence. Does anyone know of any regular use for this small signal?
No 60045 the engine in the photograoh is hauling train 3B13 Newcastle -York parcels,the letter B in the reporting number indicating a train bound for the York district, Until around the mid 1950s there was a Delaval (Newcastle) to Holloway (London) empty stock and van train Rep No 39 -up later 3E30 via Stockton, but this was diverted to run via Darlington after c1954-55. Train 39 up could be a very heavy train and was famous for being double-headed (two locos) between Stockton and Thirsk, sometimes giving the rare sight of two Pacific (express) locos like 60045 in the photograph.
Wonderful to see these old steam photographs and what a pleasant change to see other locos in the A3 class and not just Flying Scotsman!
So-called because it included at least one of the colourfully illustrated sausage vans from the said Company in the consist. I recall it as a very lengthy train in the late fifties, and my recollection is that it ran from Heaton to King’s Cross. Locomotive is A3 class 60045 named ‘Lemburg’ and has a Gateshead (52A) Shedplate. This is a nicely composed picture, showing the short-post signal very well, with home, distant and ‘calling on’ (shunt) arms very clearly.