Conservation of the Barnstaple (L&B) Signal Box – Part 4
Published: 11th April, 2025
An occasional update on the conservation and restoration of the Barnstaple Town (L&B) Signal box by Malcolm Kitchen. This report covers the work on Door posts, Rafters, Ring beams, floor and floorboards.
LH Door post
Although almost all of the signal box frame members have suffer from damage or rot; in each case, the new wood incorporated in the repairs amounts to a small fraction of the whole. The exception is the door post on the hinge side. At some point after 1935, the door had been changed from inward to outward opening, and a new larger door installed. The changes and the rot in the base (see picture) meant that only about 20% of the original could be incorporated into a new post.
RH Door post
The right hand door post was in much better condition, although the replacement of locks and catches over the years had taken its toll (picture below). About 80% of this post could be re-used.
Restored Door posts
Restored hinge side (L) and lock side (R) door posts primed and ready for installation when the time comes.
Rafters
Almost all the rafters have survived in good condition, with just four new ones required to replace those badly affected by rot and historical damage. Latterly, the roof was boarded on both the top and bottom of the rafters but the white paint on the rafters suggests that initially, it may have been boarded beneath the slates only.
Ring Beam
The signal box will be reassembled on a ring beam made up of repaired original frame members (mainly 5" x 4.5") strengthened by bolting to reclaimed timbers of similar or larger cross-section. This picture shows one of the corners of the ring beam connected by a modern angle bracket.
Floor
The first of five main floor joists has been installed and joined to the ring beam (picture below). Three of these are probably original timbers, although they may not have been used as joists supporting the operating floor. The other two will be made from reclaimed wood donated to the project.
Floor Boards
The floor boards recovered with the signal box are neither plain, or tongue and groove, but are rather 'groove and groove'. Originally, a strip steel fillet was fitted into the narrow groove to make a draught-proof joint between the boards, although almost all of the steel has rotted away (see pic). This unusual method seems to have been sometimes used in the Victorian era, suggesting the boards are of a similar age to the signal box, although possibly not original.
Roughly half the floor boards recovered with the signal box are repairable and can be re-used.
28 February 2025
