Historical information
By1880 most railway crossings were identified by a sign, although at very busy crossings a watchman was posted. Eventually most stations were manned and gates were installed. The watchman was generally housed in a small wooden or brick building with a clear view of the single line. The next stage was mechanical closing of the gates, using a lever situated in a shed behind the gatehouse. By 1956 automatic barriers had been installed. A working model of the gate style crossing can be seen at New Street Brighton.
Physical description
A collection of 12 black and white photographs of the Windsor family who lived in the gatehouse next to the Tunstall station. The stationmaster Ernest Windsor was also responsible for track maintenance between Ringwood and Middleborough Road Box Hill. His wife Betty Jean Windsor was gatekeeper for 2 years. On the back of each photograph are the names of the family members in the photo.
Inscriptions & markings
Catherine Ann Windsor (born 1897), John Ernest (Ern) WIndsor, Catherine (Kitty) Windsor (born 1919), Patricia Janette WIndsor (born 1935)
Tunstall Railway Gates
Subjects
References
- Reference From these photographs it is obvious that the gatekeepers house in Tunstall was large enough to accommodate a family
