signal box

American  

noun

British.

1. a railway signal tower.

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signal box British  

noun

1. a building containing manually operated signal levers for all the railway lines in its section

2. a control point for a large area of a railway system, operated electrically and semiautomatically

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Etymology

Origin of signal box

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

I sat on top of the streetlight signal box at the QFC and waved.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 1, 2023

Photographer Gary Kelly gained newfound appreciation for his art when he saw its impact on some parolees - and also after he was one of 20 winners in a traffic signal box design contest.

From Washington Times • Dec. 4, 2017

Photographer Gary Kelly gained newfound appreciation for his art when he saw its impact on some parolees — and also after he was one of 20 winners in a traffic signal box design contest.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 3, 2017

Mr Short, who worked the signal box, salvaged anything he could at the site that could not be sold for scrap.

From BBC • Nov. 2, 2013

As the rest of the city went about its business, fireman Dorsey was racing through the streets to the closest signal box, which happened to be at Goll’s drugstore.

From "The Great Fire" by Jim Murphy