Leyton King Levers

Automatic Working was for through workings on the Central Line.
Many of your questions will be answered by this extract from LNER Instruction No. 3037/Supplement to LPTB Traffic Circular (Railways) No.16, 1947

B—LEYTON.

8.—LEYTON SIGNAL BOX.
(a) The signalling at Leyton will be controlled from the existing 31-lever mechanical frame, together with a new 23-lever power frame (with miniature levers of the full-stroke type), installed on the left of the mechanical frame.
(b) All stop signals controlled from Leyton signal box will bear the prefix letters " LE."
(c) This signal box will be open each night for the working of L.N.E. goods trains.

9.—SIGNALLING ARRANGEMENTS.
(a) Eastbound road.
(i) Intermediate home signal LE.4 will be approach-controlled by track circuit 493D when the route is set for the westbound platform.
(ii) No. 45 points will be arranged as spring trailing points to trap the road from the L.P.T.B. line, and lever No. 45 must be kept in the normal position for all eastbound train movements over these points.
(iii) Shunt signal LE.53 under starting signal LE.7 will be provided to permit a goods train to draw ahead to clear the siding connections. If the engine of the goods train is drawn past shunt signal LE.54, lever No. 54 must be pulled for the setting back movement, but the signal (LE.54) will not be lowered until shunt signal LE.37 is lowered. The backlock on No. 53 lever will be provided with a special release circuit to permit this movement to be carried out.
(b) Westbound road.
(i) A permanent speed restriction of 30 m.p.h. will apply to all trains from a point approximately 1,900 feet east of the station to the station platform. Home signals LE.23B & C will not be lowered unless this speed restriction is observed. If the speed of an approaching train exceeds 30 miles per hour when passing over the timing sections, the t signal ahead will remain at Danger, and will not be lowered until the train has been brought to a stand at the signal. In such circumstances the train must be drawn well up to the signal in order to operate the special releasing circuit provided.
(ii) Electric train detector.
The following provision will be made to prevent steam trains being routed on to the L.P.T.B. lines :— Facing trap points No. 27 and sand troughs will be provided on the westbound L.P.T.B. line 261 feet west of the westbound starting signal. These trap points can be closed only when :—
(a) there is no train in the station, or
(b) when a train in the station has been proved to be an electric train.
In the case of (a), when the trap points are closed, the inner home signal (LE.21) will be held at Danger unless a train approaching the station has been proved to be an electric train, in which case the signal will be allowed to clear.
Electric trains will be detected by means of short lengths of current rail (located on the opposite side of the track from the positive traction current rail), which will be energised by the shoes of an electric train, and in turn operate the appropriate signal control circuit. The electric train detector provided to release the inner home signal (LE.21) will be situated approximately 150 feet in the rear of the intermediate home signal (LE.23B). The electric train detector provided to release the lock on No. 27 lever controlling the trap points will be situated approximately 50 feet in rear of the starting signal (LE.20).
(iii) Control of starting signal LE.20.
Westbound starting signal LE.20 will display a green aspect in the signal and a line of white lights in the left-hand upper quadrant of the junction indicator when the signal is lowered for electric trains to Stratford, and the junction points (No. 43) are in the normal position.
When the route is set for the Loughton Branch Junction (with No. 43 points reversed), the signal cannot be lowered until a release has been obtained from Loughton Branch Junction signal box. Signal LE.20 will display a green aspect when the controlling track circuits are clear and Loughton Branch Junction home signal is lowered, and will display a yellow aspect when the controlling track circuits are clear and Loughton Branch Junction home signal is at Danger.

10.—PROPELLING MOVEMENTS PAST SHUNT SIGNALS.
The following shunt signals will be arranged for propelling movements past them, and will not return to Danger until the approach track for the signal is unoccupied :—

11.—PROVISION OF KING LEVERS AND " A " SIGNS.
(a) King levers Nos. 11 (for the eastbound road) and 17 (for the westbound road) will be provided to permit automatic operation of signals during periods when only electric trains are running.
(b) When king lever No. 11 is reversed, signals LE.3, LE.4, LE.5, LE.6, LE.7 and LE.9, will operate automatically, and the " A " signs provided at them will be illuminated. In addition, an " A " sign will be illuminated at signal LEX.495.
(c) When king lever No. 17 is reversed, signals LE.20, LE.21, LE.23A, LE.23B, LE.23C, LE.23D and LE.23E, will operate automatically, and " A " signs provided at them will be illuminated.
(d) The provisions of Rule 55, clause (h) will apply to these signals.
(e) The "A" sign at signal LE.20 will be controlled by the electric train detector in the westbound platform as well as by king lever No. 17.
(f) The "A" sign at the westbound inner home signal LE.21 will be controlled by the electric train detector 150 feet in rear of signal LE.23B, in addition to the control of king lever No. 17. In the event, therefore, of a steam train approaching Leyton station while king lever No. 17 is reversed (when trap points No. 27 will be closed), the train will be detained at signal LE.21. Where a steam train is so detained, king lever No. 17, signal lever No. 21, and point lever No. 27 controlling the trap points, must be placed to the normal position (in that order). Lever No. 21 may then be reversed, and the signal will be lowered.
(g) A steam train detained at signal LE.21 must not be handsignalled into the station past this signal unless No. 27 trap points are open.
(h) The "A" sign at signal LE.23A will be controlled by slot lever No. 12 at Leytonstone in addition to the control of king lever No. 17.

12.—TRIPCOCK TESTING APPARATUS.
(a) Tripcock testing apparatus of the Board's standard type will be provided in the eastbound platform road at Leyton. A lunar white light unit will be provided at the eastbound starting signal (LE.7). The light will be illuminated when a train enters the platform, and will be extinguished if the tripcock is detected in the correct position. In the event of the tripcock not being engaged or not being correct to gauge, the lunar white light will remain illuminated and a warning bell in the signal box (with an extension bell on the platform) will be sounded.
(b) It is imperative, when a train is tripped on the test gauge or the lunar white light forming part of the apparatus remains illuminated after the leading car has passed the gauge, that the Driver should advise a member of the station staff. The station staff on being so advised, or the Signalman on hearing the warning bell, must immediately advise the L.P.T.B. Traffic Controller, and the latter will arrange for a Car Examiner to meet the train. The Driver must also render a written report of the incident.
(c) Should a series of trains fail to extinguish the light, the L.P.T.B. Traffic Controller must be so advised, and he will arrange for a Signal Lineman to examine the apparatus.
(d) In reporting cases of trains failing to pass the tripcock testing apparatus satisfactorily, care must be taken to distinguish cases where the tripcock of the train is operated from cases where the tripcock has failed to operate the testing apparatus so as to extinguish the light.

13.—WORKING OF EASTBOUND STAFF TRAIN.
In order to avoid interruption to shunting movements to and from the goods yard at Leyton, the eastbound Central Line staff train on Monday to Saturday mornings, may be diverted west of Leyton to the westbound road via No. 25 crossover, returning to the eastbound road via No. 49 crossover east of the station.

14.—"CURRENT-ON-LINE" INDICATIONS.
"Current-on-line" indications will be provided in the illuminated diagram in Leyton signal box for the following sections:—
Leyton to Leytonstone, eastbound road.
Leytonstone to Leyton, westbound road.
These visuals will be illuminated when current is switched on to the sections concerned, and an audible indication will be given of any change that may occur.

15.—TELEPHONE ARRANGEMENTS.
(a) Central battery type telephones in cast-iron cases will be provided at the following signals for the use of Drivers for communicating with the Signalman in Leyton signal box when detained at these signals or for other reasons, and for the use of other employees in emergency :—

(b) The following telephone circuits will be provided in Leyton signal box in addition to telephones at signals as enumerated above :—


(c) A telephone, communicating with Stratford platform, will be provided alongside the westbound road at Leyton substation current rail gaps.

16.—CIRCUIT-BREAKERS IN MAIN SIGNAL CURRENT SUPPLY.
Circuit-breakers in the main signal current supply are provided in the transformer room, and access to the operating handles is afforded by a window in the station side of the relay room building. Signalmen should familiarise themselves with the position of these circuit-breakers, and with the method of operating them, as they may be called upon to reset them at the request of the Signal Engineer's Department.

" 13- Working of Eastbound Staff Train"

These arrangements allowed a steam train to continue to shunt in the LNER sidings and use the Eastbound Platform as far as the trap points as a headshunt. Additional track and signalling enabled the first Westbound (Staff) train, and others, to run through the Eastbound platform.
The track and signalling installed on the Central and Northern New Works lines to acccomodate the running of Goods trains appear to show an extravagant use of money- that could not be justified in the normal way- possibly because the Government was guaranteeing the Loans!

I'm afraid you are misreading the notice. The crossover referred to was not the one on my diagram at Leyton but rather another at Leytonstone, not shown on my diagrams as they were intended to show the final arrangements of each location. It was a facing crossover located between LF22^A and No. 42 crossover. (At the time LF22^A was actually numbered LD22^A/B and the later LF22^B had yet to be installed.) It therefore seems apparent that this crossover was always intended to be temporary and was provided in order that two platforms could be used for terminating Central Line trains while Leytonstone was the Eastern terminus of the line, rather than just the one platform that was possible under the final layout when Central Line services were extended further east.