Ferryside Signal Box Preservation Society

The past year has seen the Society make slow but steady progress with its aim to take over and preserve the Signal Box. Our work has been focused on providing a legal and documented basis for this transfer of the Signal Box from Network Rail to ‘The Ferryside Signal Box Preservation Society’.

Administratively in the past twelve months we have been working on drafting Heads of Terms for a leasing agreement with Network Rail. We are awaiting their approval of this document. Key items to confirm with Network Rail include:

Obtaining utilities bills and knowledge of the current business rates, to help gain an idea of potential expenses. Obtain an estimate of the potential charges for legal costs of Network rail. The notice periods and the grounds for this.

Rob Rowbothom at Network Rail has got business clearance for the transfer, but is still awaiting the next step of technical clearance – and is hoping for further feedback.

The latest update we have on the re-signalling project is: – Decommissioning is part of part 2 of the Phase 2 plan and this part has a date of March 2024 assigned to it, though the time scale may move further away. The aim is to have the have the reliability improved. The crossing will be fitted with an ‘Obstacle Detection System ‘Mk2 which is widely in use on the Continent. Scans the area between the gates. In their report Network Rail mentioned that an interested organisation (That’s us) was to take it over on a lease agreement. 

Being a listed building, they would be looking at leaving it as intact as possible and if any items needed to be removed, they would look at replacing them with some other equipment.

Our business plan has gone through a number of updates as further information has become available. We have received assistance from The Co-operative Society in drawing up a constitution and contacting the Financial Services Authority.

In the finance area we have opened a Bank Account with Barclays in Carmarthen. There have been a number of donations made to the Society. Diane Cuff has been very generous with donations from the sale of her paintings and the sale of Christmas card she designed incorporating the Signal box. St Ishmaels Community Council has awarded the Society a grant of £500 for which we are very grateful. We are seeking further grants and donations within the local Community. As of 22^nd February 2023, we have £1,730.78 in our account.

Membership of the society remains limited; we have not sought to widen the membership until we have more definite information on the lease and a date for our take-over of the Signal box.

 At present we have a committee consisting of myself as Chair, Diane Cuff as Secretary, Keith Williams as Treasurer, Community Councillor Paul Stephens as representative of St Ishmaels Community Council, James Greenwell representative of Ferryside Social Enterprise Group (FSEG)and committee members Robert Bamforth and James Morris.

In seeking to inform more people of our efforts we have developed a website at https://ferryside.wales/sos. We have an email address of sos@ferryside.wales and have introduced a QR code to accept donations. A brochure and posters for tourism sites is also in development. Whilst our secretary has designed, produced and sold Christmas cards featuring the signal box.

The Society and it’s aims have been featured both in the National magazine ‘Rail’ and on the website https://railwayworld.net following a visit by Gareth David on 5^th November 2022.

David Martin,
March 12_^th, 2023

The past year has seen the Society make slow but steady progress with its aim to take over and preserve the Signal Box. Our work has been focused on providing a legal and documented basis for this transfer of the Signal Box from Network Rail to ‘The Ferryside Signal Box Preservation Society’.

Administratively in the past twelve months we have been working on drafting Heads of Terms for a leasing agreement with Network Rail. We are awaiting their approval of this document. Key items to confirm with Network Rail include:

Obtaining utilities bills and knowledge of the current business rates, to help gain an idea of potential expenses. Obtain an estimate of the potential charges for legal costs of Network rail. The notice periods and the grounds for this.

Rob Rowbothom at Network Rail has got business clearance for the transfer, but is still awaiting the next step of technical clearance – and is hoping for further feedback.

The latest update we have on the re-signalling project is: – Decommissioning is part of part 2 of the Phase 2 plan and this part has a date of March 2024 assigned to it, though the time scale may move further away. The aim is to have the have the reliability improved. The crossing will be fitted with an ‘Obstacle Detection System ‘Mk2 which is widely in use on the Continent. Scans the area between the gates. In their report Network Rail mentioned that an interested organisation (That’s us) was to take it over on a lease agreement. 

Being a listed building, they would be looking at leaving it as intact as possible and if any items needed to be removed, they would look at replacing them with some other equipment.

Our business plan has gone through a number of updates as further information has become available. We have received assistance from The Co-operative Society in drawing up a constitution and contacting the Financial Services Authority.

In the finance area we have opened a Bank Account with Barclays in Carmarthen. There have been a number of donations made to the Society. Diane Cuff has been very generous with donations from the sale of her paintings and the sale of Christmas card she designed incorporating the Signal box. St Ishmaels Community Council has awarded the Society a grant of £500 for which we are very grateful. We are seeking further grants and donations within the local Community. As of 22^nd February 2023, we have £1,730.78 in our account.

Membership of the society remains limited; we have not sought to widen the membership until we have more definite information on the lease and a date for our take-over of the Signal box.

 At present we have a committee consisting of myself as Chair, Diane Cuff as Secretary, Keith Williams as Treasurer, Community Councillor Paul Stephens as representative of St Ishmaels Community Council, James Greenwell representative of Ferryside Social Enterprise Group (FSEG) and committee members Robert Bamforth and James Morris.

In seeking to inform more people of our efforts we have developed a website at https://ferryside.wales/sos. We have an email address of sos@ferryside.wales and have introduced a QR code to accept donations. A brochure and posters for tourism sites is also in development. Whilst our secretary has designed, produced and sold Christmas cards featuring the signal box.

The Society and it’s aims have been featured both in the National magazine ‘Rail’ and on the website https://railwayworld.net following a visit by Gareth David on 5^th November 2022.

David Martin
March 12_^th, 2023

Over 3 years in and the group continues to meet regularly, moving things along, and working with varied external stakeholders, in particular Network Rail. It seemed like the conclusion would be a long time away when we started, but now it’s getting close with just over a year to go.

There is still plenty to do. Main tasks include finalising a lease, fundraising to pay associated legal costs, and gathering as much information and imagery as we can about signalling and the railway in Ferryside.

If you want to get in touch, help, or even donate to support the project, please email sos@ferryside.wales, like us on Facebook, follow us on twitter @FerrysideSOS, or donate via the Paypal button on the right. You can also donate using the QR code below, by pointing your mobile device camera at it, and following the link to a Paypal donation page. All funds go to the Ferryside Signal Box Preservation Society to help save this historic legacy of signalling in Ferryside.

Many thanks, and we hope to be welcoming you inside the historic signal box in 2024, to explore its past and perhaps help shape its future.

Locally renowned artist Diane Cuff will be selling printed Christmas cards from mid November to raise money for Ferryside Signal Box Preservation Society to help with the costs of leasing the signal box when decommissioned.

Cards are 6 x 6 inch or DL size –

• 1-4 single cards £1.50 each,
• pack of 5 cards for £6 (£2.50 goes to the charity)
• 10 for £12 (£5 goes to the charity) or
• 20 for £20 (£6 goes to the charity).

They will be on sale at the Christmas market on 26th November and Calon y fferi from mid November or send a message on this post with any pre-orders

The minutes from the first General Meeting are at https://ferryside.wales/sos/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/02/SOS-group-general-meeting-12th-January-2020-minutes.pdf

A new committee has been elected, list of officers are at https://ferryside.wales/sos/project-committee/

This is the first of the two public meetings in February where we want to hear your views on what we should, and shouldn’t, be planning to do with the Signal Box when it retires from the service of Network Rail and is hopefully transferred for use by this community.

The next public meeting will be Saturday the 15th of February at 2.30pm

Ferryside Save Our SignalBox project first AGM at 2.30pm tomorrow in the training room at Calon Y Fferi Community Centre. 

We are looking for volunteers to help save this historic landmark in the village by negotiating a lease from Network Rail and raise funds to convert the signal box into being suitable for use by the community. 

It will be great to see everyone who want the signal box to be converted into use by the community attending this meeting. We are hoping to start negotiating with Network Rail in the next few months and need ideas and support of this community.

Sunday 12^th of January 2020 at 2.30pm

Calling all volunteers and other interested parties in the community of St. Ishmaels who wish to preserve the Ferryside Signal Box and transfer its ownership into our community for use by this community.

• Meeting to appoint the volunteer project team officers as follow: Chair, Secretary, Treasurer

• Meeting to agree, create and appoint other volunteer officer posts including: Grants funding, Heritage, Network Rail and legal coordinator, community liaison, county council liaison, Transport for Wales and Welsh Assembly liaison. 

The current date we have for closure of the Signal Box from Network Rail is 2023, this will be clarified further in the Summer of 2020 when the next Network Rail funding round has been agreed with the Welsh Government.

To be held in the training room of  Calon Y Fferi Community Centre, Carmarthen Road, Ferryside. SA17 5TE.

If you would like further information please email us at sos@ferryside.wales or find us on Facebook & Twitter.