Uffington
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Overview
Uffington was formerly a significant station complex, with a junction for a branch line to Faringdon. The layout was reduced in connection with the introduction of MAS to that of simply main lines, with a goods loop on each side, and a set of facing and trailing crossovers. Crossovers at both Challow and Ashbury, as well as Ashbury Up Siding, were worked by ground frames released by Uffington. Upon takeover of the area by Swindon Panel a ground frame was provided at Uffington to work the crossovers formerly controlled by the box.
The installation of reversible signalling provided trailing (27/7/80[1]) and (9.2.81[2]) facing emergency crossovers at Uffington (for working east to Wantage Road ([3]) and west to Bourton[4]). These were the former Uffington Ground Frame worked crossovers provided with points motors with direct control from Swindon Panel and Uffington Ground Frame was abolished with this work.
The loops were removed when the 4-track Relief lines were re-laid between Wantage Road and Challow in 1993, leaving the installation as simply the emergency crossovers.
Station
There was a station at Uffington between 1840 and 1964, closed before the advent of Swindon MAS.
Interlocking
One of Swindon's interlockings is situated at Uffington - a WR E10k freewired relay interlocking - commissioned on 30th May 1965[5] (before the opening of the Panel). It was originally controlled by Uffington Signal Box in connection with ground frame releases for Challow, Ashbury Up Sidings and Ashbury Crossovers, plus emergency replacement switches on signals. It was recontrolled to Swindon Panel when it opened on 3rd March 1968 and the interlocking was extended as part of this recontrol, the local Uffington area having formerly been worked by the lever frame in Uffington box and interlocked mechanically, rather through the relay interlocking [5].
The mapping of some of the signals in the interlocking area from Uffington SB to Swindon PSB is recorded in S.2564:
- UF.32 -> SN.10 (Down Main, protecting the loop)
- UF.4 -> SN.12 (Down Loop "exit" signal)
- UF.22 -> SN.89 (Up Main, protecting the loop)
- UF.16 -> SN.91 (Up Loop "exit" signal)
The interlocking is operated via a remote control system from Swindon Panel.
The next interlocking to the east was Wantage Road until Swindon B opened, when it became SWDN02 on 13 March 1993[5]. The next interlocking to the west was Highworth Jcn from the opening of the panel in March 1968, until the commissioning of Bourton Interlocking on 01 October 1977.
Overrides
The interlocking was fitted with remote control overrides (through routes) from the opening of the panel, and later with selective overrides. The interlocking was fitted with a local override as well on 10 January 2010.
The through routes and local override operate 'straight up and down' routes: 10B, 89B, 93A.
Selective overrides are available for 610B and 693A, to allow a train to 'escape' the reversibly signalled sections.
Further Reading
More photos of Uffington: http://www.flickr.com/photos/swindonpanel/sets/72157645735978163/