Swanley
The extensive track layout changes called for completely new signalling, and to
control the revised arrangement, one of the SR’s distinctive ‘’Glasshouse’’ signal
boxes was erected at the ''country'' end of the southern island platform. The cabin was
constituted from the same red brick as the platform offices, comprised a
Westinghouse lever frame, and incorporated a huge brick base to house
maintenance staff. Good examples
of this architecture can still be witnessed at Deal and, on the South Western
Division, at Wimbledon. The signalling remained in the form of semaphores,
despite the advent of colour lights at the ex-SER termini in 1926 and at Falconwood ten years later. A track foot crossing, for use principally by the
signalman, connected the islands at their ''country'' ends. The new signalling came
into use on 31st May 1939, resulting in the closure of the Saxby & Farmer cabin
at Swanley Junction. Nevertheless, the existing station remained in use a month
longer; the new platforms at Swanley opened to the public on 2nd July 1939, in
conjunction with the commencement of the Gillingham electric timetable. Banner
repeater signals had been installed immediately west of the public lattice
footbridge, upon the platform surfaces, to give advance warning to coast-bound
trains of the positions of upcoming signals, which were now obscured by the
infrastructure. Throughout the works, the goods yard alongside the Bat & Ball
line remained in existence, although signalling alterations had led to the
closure of the cabin there on
19th May 1939.
In 1958, changes at the site began in connection with the impending Kent
Coast Electrification Scheme, which included the installation of new metal gantries
to support three-aspect colour lights. The cutting
westwards, through to Bickley Junction, was subject to substantial earthworks,
as widening took place to upgrade the route to quadruple track. The new
signalling between Beckenham Junction and Swanley inclusive was the last of
those re-signalled sections of the ‘’Chatham’’ main line to come into use,
formal commissioning occurring on 31st May 1959. The full-accelerated Kent Coast
electric timetable via the ''Chatham'' line came into use on 15th of the following month. Goods traffic
continued to be handled at the yard alongside the Bat & Ball branch until 16th
May 1964, and even after this date, the ‘’down’’ side sidings there remained in
use for rolling stock storage.
In 1970, the elevated timber ‘’up’’ side station buildings, adjoining the enclosed
footbridge, were replaced by a clinical single-storey structure. This was
constituted of brown brick, comprised a flat roof lined with timber, and housed
two ticket booths. Based on a floor area of approximately 35-feet square,
buildings of this very design emerged at both Newington and Teynham stations in
the same year. It appears that it was around this time that the SR’s trademark
‘’Target’’ platform name signs disappeared, to be replaced by British Rail’s
plain examples of black text on a white background. Signalling alterations
occurred in the following decade: the March 1980-commissioned Victoria Panel
took over the functions of the signal box at Swanley in June 1983, and demolition of
the ‘’Glasshouse’’ ensued.
27th June 2008
Class 92 No. 92007 ‘’Schubert’’ is seen passing through platform 2 at Swanley, hauling the 6O60 Mossend to
Dollands Moor empty china clay tanks. The locomotive was formerly owned by Railfreight Distribution, it now
being part of the EWS pool, and the wagons belong to NACCO Rail. Edward Clarkson
12th July 2008
The station is built on a gradient of 1 in 100, ascending in the London direction. This is a spacious layout, and
platforms are numbered 1 to 4 from south to north (right to left in this eastward view). David Glasspool
12th July 2008
A wide riveted steel footbridge was provided, initially with platform lifts, to cope with the high levels of commuter
traffic generated by electrification. The style of glazing used on the footbridge is identical to that which features
on the platform offices. David Glasspool
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