Box on the Bay

– Old Railway Signal Box at Hest Bank Transformed into STEM Classroom

The old railway signal box at Hest Bank has been transformed into a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) classroom which includes displays showing train movements that the pupils can follow live. The London Midland Region Type 15 Box was built by British Railways and opened in December 1958. It helped to operate part of the West Coast Main Line for 55 years before being decommissioned in 2013, when control was passed to the Power Box at Preston.

Gerald Townson, Chairman of the Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership said: “It has been a genuine pleasure to work together with Network Rail North West and Central to create this unique space for education about the railway and Morecambe Bay. I would also like to express my sincere thanks to the train operators Avanti West Coast, TransPennine Express, Northern and CrossCountry for creating a community funding pot  and for offering in-kind support for the project”.

The ‘Box on the Bay’ was officially opened by Amelia Routledge, Infrastructure Maintenance Delivery Manager at Network Rail, on 10th July with guests coming from a wide spectrum of the rail industry including train operators and the Community Rail Network.

Amelia Routledge, said it is a “first-of-its-kind project”. She added, ‘it was really exciting to see the decommissioned signal box turn into an educational centre that the communities can use and benefit from”.

The most important guests were the school children and Staff from St. Peter’s Church of England Primary School, Heysham who thoroughly enjoyed the first sessions and activities, on rail safety and bridge construction, to be delivered at the box

Alison Dodd, Headteacher of St. Peter’s Church of England Primary School at Heysham, said this workspace “brings the learning from inside the classroom into a real-life perspective in such a wonderful environment”.

Brian Haworth from the Community Rail Partnership who helped set up this exciting new facility with Gerald, said the location is “just absolutely brilliant”. He noted, “a core subject for bringing the children here is rail safety, part of the National Curriculum, and I can’t emphasise enough that you won’t find a a better location for talking and learning about it.’

Any school interested in joining us at the ‘Box on the Bay’ should contact the Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership (The Bentham Line) on 015242 98940 or email the.bentham.line@gmail.com

Further details about the ‘Box on the Bay’ and the Bentham Line  can be found online at thebenthamline.co.uk

 

Images show

Activities underway x2

Amelia about to perform the opening ceremony

School presentation

Aerial view of the box at Hest bank

Notes for editors:

The Bentham Line is the working title for the Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership (CRP). It was set up in 2006 and has its offices at Bentham Station and works to improve services and develop community links along the railway line.

The route goes from Heysham and Morecambe, on the west coast, via Lancaster and Carnforth through the idyllic Lune and Wenning valleys with Ingleborough as a back drop. It then continues to Skipton and along the Aire valley which includes the more urban area from Keighley to Leeds, thus linking the West Coast mainline at Lancaster with the East Coast mainline at Leeds.

CRP website: thebenthamline.co.uk

The CRP chairman, Gerald Townson, is also chairman of Friends of Bentham Station (FOBS) which shares the station buildings at Bentham.  He is also secretary of the Lancaster and Skipton Rail User Group (LASRUG).

For more information on the Bentham Line, visit: thebenthamline.co.uk

Prepared by Gerald Townson, Chairman of Leeds-Morecambe CRP.

Contact gerald.townson@btinternet.com  for any comments on this press release.