Radcliffe North Junction signal box was situated on the Clifton Junction – Bury line (opened 25 September 1846) at its junction with the Manchester Victoria – Radcliffe line (opened 1 September 1879) and the Radcliffe West Fork (opened 1 December 1879).

Opened in 1879 (but it was not inspected until 4 March 1880) the box was located on the up side of the line (the east side) adjacent to the junction. It was a tall Gloucester Wagon Company Size 9 box with a brick base and timber upper cabin. It was equipped with a 45 lever Gloucester Wagon Company frame.

The box controlled the junctions between the Clifton Junction, the Manchester Victoria (the Radcliffe East Fork) and the Radcliffe West fork lines. The latter connected to the Radcliffe – Bradley Fold line providing a direct route to Bolton. It also released the Radcliffe North Junction Goods Ground Frame which controlled the junction between the Radcliffe station goods yard and the Clifton Junction line (between circa 1874 and 1879 a signal box had controlled that connection). Flanking boxes were at Radcliffe Bridge station on the Clifton Junction line, at Radcliffe South Junction on the Manchester Victoria line and at Radcliffe West Junction on the Bradley Fold route.

In 1892 a new 45 lever Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway (LYR) frame was fitted.

By the 1950s the Gloucester Wagon Company window sashes and the original upper-light windows had been replaced by LYR window sashes and solid boarding (It is possible that there had been a complete new upper cabin fitted when the LYR lever frame was installed in 1892).

The Radcliffe West Fork closed to all traffic on 2 November 1964. The line between Radcliffe North Junction and Clifton Junction closed on 5 December 1966. With no junctions left to control Radcliffe North Junction box closed on 12 October 1969.