ground frame

noun

A lever frame controlling the operation of points and/or signals which is installed at ground level.

Meanings

nounground frame (plural ground frames)

plural ground frames · alternative groundframe

  1. rail transportA lever frame controlling the operation of points and/or signals which is installed at ground level.

    Before long, this box will be installed nearer Grosmont (NYM) level crossing to permit control of the crossing gates (presently hand-worked) and to replace the eight-lever ground frame which currently operates the pointwork.

    1979 August, Michael Harris, “A line for all reasons: the North Yorkshire Moors Railway”, in Railway World, page 412
    1 more example

    At the western [actually eastern] end of the line, operation of the ground frames at Grosmont and Whitby for NYMR [North Yorkshire Moors Railway] services is time-consuming: if we could speed that up, we'd improve track occupancy. Motorising points is quite easy to do.

    2019 October, James Abbot, “Esk Valley revival”, in Modern Railways, page 78
Cite this entry
APA

ground frame. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ground%20frame

MLA

“ground frame.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ground%20frame. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ground frame,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ground%20frame.

Source: ground frame on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.