Signal Wheels

Tuesday 14th Feb

We are now racing ahead to get the two new signals associated with the re-vamped trackwork at Winchcombe with their banner repeaters operational. Last week the two new "short" Signal posts were put in and fitted with all their re-conditioned parts. These are shorter than normal so that they can be seen under the road bridge:

The first of the discs for the banner repeaters are under way, here's the first one cut from apiece of steel plate with it's first coat of primer:

Today's main task was to instal four signal wire pulleys, one at each new signal and a re-positioned one at the existing posts for the repeaters. All four require a new cast concrete block. Unfortunately we had to dig out a huge lump of concrete to enable the new block to be correctly positioned for the platform 2 repeater - this proved to be a very energetic job for Keith L

     

Shuttering was then positioned and concrete poured. The pulley wheel is bolted to a piece of plywood    
with some pieces of 12mm dia screwed rod which protrude approx 8" underneath into the concrete. Once set the plywood template will be removed and the pulley bolted onto the concrete surface:

The one opposite required an extension to the existing concrete block to raise the height of the pulley so that the signal wires woul clear the adjacent drain inspection cover:

  

The pulley for the new platform 2 starter signal posed a bit more of a problem. This signal is set into the embankment and requires the pulley to be set about 20 degrees from the horizontal to feed the signal wire up to the post. So we set the shuttering up at this angle and used a dry mix in the hope that    the concrete would stay put - luckily it did!

Then the last one for platform 1 starter opposite:

 

It was surprising just how much concrete we used for these for blocks. We trundled up 4 "bath tubs" full of aggregate and used four bags of cement ( sorry Andy) .  Keith felt that he needed a bath after all his hard work:

And thank goodness for the P Way trolleys  getting all the materials to site. We did leave them in good order for Wednesdays trackwork operations. We will wait until the ballasting is completed before re-installing the signal wire posts and wheels

Curly