Linking up

Tuesday 21st Oct

Action on two fronts today. Firstly the installation of an armoured mains cable from Winchcombe Signal box to the 8 coach marker at the south end of the platforms.
This to provide a connection point between the tracks for charging coach batteries.
The concrete lids from about 170 troughs were removed first (a very good workout!).

 

And then feed the cable into the troughing from a cable drum on platform 2 and then replace the lids. All accomplished in 45 minutes by four of us.

 With an orange tube to feed the cable under the track to protect it from hot embers 

Then off to Broadway to continue with the linking up of the point rodding cranks in the signal box tunnel. To do this we have to cut a suitable length of rodding to fit between the crank on the steel plate (set at 45 degrees) and the angle crank connected to the lever (hope you're following this!) AND with the lever set in its mid position in the lever frame.  

 

This allows a 2.5" movement of the rodding in each direction from the mid position. 

Here's a view  looking down on the connections with the vertical rods coming down from the lever. The point rodding then goes off to the left through the tunnel

And here's a view looking back up the tunnel from the outside with four of the northern bound rods fitted

The pins connecting these rods are not fitted correctly yet - they will be reversed with grease nipples on top.

Just a word about the holes for bolting. Once we have cut a rod to length we have a cunning tool/jig for punching, (not drilling) the 2 bolt holes in the end. This clamps the rod to give the correct position relative to the end and then with a suitable amount of grunting and brute force a punch is wound through to produce the hole Then it is re-positioned to produce a second hole. This is through steel about 5mm thick. 

Here's Malcolm doing the grunt! 

 

 More grunting next time with the southbound set.

Curly