A few weeks ago I paid a (socially distanced) visit to a friend in Tutbury, Staffordshire, and en route I crossed the Derby-Stoke railway line here…
Tutbury Crossing
June 2020
Tutbury Crossing signal box was built for the North Staffordshire Railway (NSR) c.1872 by McKenzie & Holland (McK&H). The type 1 structure was fitted with a McK&H 1886 patent 5″ frame (now reduced to nine levers) in 1897.
Tutbury Crossing signal box
June 2020
Having some free time I decided to explore a little further down the line and a quick study of Google Maps revealed two more signal boxes nearby, the first being…
Scropton Crossing signal box
June 2020
Scropton Crossing signal box is a NSR type 2 structure dating from the 1880s and is fitted with a 22-lever McK&H 1873 patent 5″ frame.
This also caught my eye at Scropton…
Marker post, Scropton Crossing
June 2020
I’m not certain but this may be an old level crossing gate post. ‘N.S.R. Co.’ clearly refers to the North Staffordshire Railway, what appears to be ‘1884’ could refer to the build date of the box itself and ‘L.M.S. 1923’ must refer to the year in which the NSR became part of the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS).
Finally I called at Sudbury…
Sudbury signal box
June 2020
A North Staffordshire Railway (NSR) type 1 structure dating from 1885 the box is fitted with a McK&H 1873 patent 5″ 25-lever frame. There’s more than a hint of McKenzie & Holland (McK&H) design here though and the box closely resembles Great Northern Railway (GNR) structures of the same period.
One other signal box remains in the area, at the former Egginton Junction, but I understand it’s almost impossible to view unless from a passing train.
Railway Miscellany 
refering to the Sign post at Scropton Signal Box. I actually painted this post, when I was resident Signaller there from 1990’s until 2009. The dates you mention are correct. Thanks. Gerry Taylor.
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Thanks for confirming those dates Gerry!
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