Hutt Deviation Line.  When the Hutt Deviation Line opened in 1927 the junction was controlled from the old Petone signal box. Lower Hutt had its own interlocking.

Branch Created.  In 1954 the old line was truncated at Melling and electrified. Lower Hutt controlled the Lower Hutt - Melling section. Petone controlled the junction. The junction - Lower Hutt section was double track.

Control Transferred To Petone.  In 1958 control of the Lower Hutt - Melling section was transferred from Lower Hutt to Petone. Junction - Lower Hutt was singled. The branch branch was fully signalled, with signals at Melling as well as at Lower Hutt.

Lower Hutt Yard Closed.   In 1983 the Lower Hutt yard was closed leaving just two signals on the branch - a Down Outer Home signal at Melling and and a Down Directing signal at the junction.

Signalling Removed.  Sometime between 1983 and 1996 all signalling on the branch was removed, except for signal 78 Down Directing From Branch. A section of track circuiting in the rear of signal 78 was retained.

Operation In 2007  If a train enters the branch with 48 points normal the toggle lights turn on. If a train leaves the branch with 48 points reversed the toggle lights turn off (even if part of the train is left at Melling). But.... if a train leaves the branch with 48 points normal the toggle lights do not turn off.

See See Lower Hutt signalling and Melling signalling for details of branch signalling.

EM80 & Video Test Train.

The Track evaluation car EM80 and the overhead video train (an EMU with a camera attached) sometimes run up the Hutt Valley. The usual procedure is for the train to be signalled onto the branch. On its return to signal 78, 48 points are set normal and the train verballed past 78 signal at Stop onto the up main, clear of 17 signal. Signal 17 is then cleared and the train continues to Upper Hutt.

The toggle lights remain on so the next up Melling train must be verballed past 17 signal at stop and on to the branch. When this train returns to signal 78 the signalling operates as usual.

A complicating factor with EM80 is that it may not operate track circuits and so must be blocked.

Train Disabled On Branch.

If a train becomes disabled on the branch the rescue train must be verballed past 17 signal at stop and on to the branch. Once the two trains are coupled the signalling operates normally.

If it is decided to leave the disabled train on the branch signal 17 can be cleared for a third up train, even though the branch is occupied. This is because the toggle lights will have turned off when the second train exited the branch. In this situation the signalman must pay careful attention to the Train Register.