Peter Kerslake describes the background to his photograph. From a week's holiday at my relatives' house at Leigh I have made a trip over to Manchester London Road on my way to a day's photography at Crewe, the date being 30th May 1956, and I have caught Longsight's 70031 Byron setting off on the 2.5.p.m. for London Euston. The following day, and whilst I was at Crewe again, 70031 appeared working back home to Manchester on the 8.30.a.m. from Euston, setting off from Crewe at 11.50.a.m. after the Liverpool coaches had been detached for their onward and final leg from Crewe to Lime Street with a fresh engine. This would have been an overnight lodging duty for the footplatemen, their engine being stabled overnight at Camden. The massive and ancient looking building here is a signal box, but there are very few windows and is that a water tank alongside? Chris Tasker answers This signal box controlled the tracks the other side of the Brit known as the eastern side. This therefore is the back of the box hence the lack of windows. The large box is not a water tank but probably contains relays or pneumatic equipment for working the electric signals and points