Re-fitting CRC Point Motor

 Tuesday 17th Feb

Now that the replacement pointwork has been installed at CRC Hunting Butts, the point motor has to be put back in position, bolted down and re-connected.

This involves the drilling 4 20mm  dia holes through the sleepers and soleplate, fitting the spreader bars (the yellow one is brand new), and connecting the 3 detector bars. Ran out of time here so the adjustment and testing will have too be done another day.

A bit of a problem occurred in Winchcombe signal box this morning - the Winchcombe/Gotherington token broke in the token machine. The small end was eventually fished out and a spare one was found and the machine reset

All sorted before the first train appeared!

On Wednesday John P and John B installed lineside boxes at the CRC distant signal and at Bishops Cleeve Station Road bridge. Plenty of cable connecting planned for this weekend.

Curly

Wednesday Supplement

 Wed 11th Feb

A few photos courtesy of John B who was helping with the cable laying under B/Cleeve foot crossing on Wednesday and heading northwards .

Through the tube:

Note the yellow ID tape on top of the cable to warn any future digging activity of the cable underneath.

And now the RRV laying the cable in the trench

Curly

Cabinet Fitting

 Tuesday 9th Feb

Back to Bishops Ceeve foot crossing today to install a lineside cabinet for the connection of the cables. A bit of digging required by John P to prepare a hole large enough for the Poetcrete to secure it - plus a bit of hammering in. A length of point rodding for mounting a cabinet is ideal.

Here it is in position

The trench has now been dug from here to the station road bridge ready for the cable to be laid on Wednesday. This will be the limit of new cable for now. It will be connected to the existing cable until we continue with the next phase.

And here the cable will pass here under the foot crossing through the tube

Attention will now move to re- installing the point motor on the new points at CRC next week.

Curly

Cabling Continues

 Tues 3rd Feb

Various activities associated with the re-cabling project  going on today and this week.

Hole boring under the Bishops Cleeve Foot Crossing was proceeding at great pace. Two approach troughs have been dug out to enable the pneumatic powered vibrating mole to approach well below the footpath. Two 1" bore tubes have been inserted - one to feed through our current cable replacement and one any future cabling that may be required (future proofing!). This photo courtesy of John B:

Mike S and Mike C have been practising their skills in the workshop today at preparing the ends of 10 pair armoured cable . Getting the tough outer layers cut off requires a well practised technique. Mike E is our expert at this and has been doing most of the new  cable connecting so far. While he is on holiday, the other two Mike's are preparing for action. Here are some examples of cable prep from Mike E

Very tough outer and inner armouring

followed by 20 grease coated wires (10 pairs) - gets a bit messy doing this on site sitting at a lineside cabinet!

So on Wednesday Mike S has been to CRC to connect sections of the cable in the lineside "shoebox" at Southam Road bridge

and then up to the Section Start signal to install an additional phone on the side of the adjacent cabinet

 

John P spent most of the day in the workshop drilling and assembling a new stretcher for the replacement pointwork at CRC

There is a great feeling of development and cooperation in S &T at the moment - so much stuff is getting done. Kevern O. is spending much time sorting out the outstanding electrical work required in Broadway and Toddington signal boxes . 

Exciting times!

Curly