Today was the start of the task of installing the point rodding at Broadway.
It has been decided to install the rodding southwards first down to the temporary ground frame. The rodding is suspended on stools which have to be spaced 9 feet apart, so the first task is to measure and mark these intervals on the platform wall (a 9ft long plank facilitates the measuring) :
We have made a bracket to give initial support to the rodding on the steel plate. This has been positioned so that the rodding runs parallel with the platform wall and at the correct height to connect with its crank.
To secure the stools in the ballast we are making shuttering boxes into which we will cast concrete. Several of these will be made to be re-usable so that a number will be cast each time we come.
To maintain the correct height and position of the rodding as we work along, this "plank gauge" sits on and butts up against the rails :
The signals have had their out of use crosses added:
Thanks for the update Curly, it seems to be all coming together there very quickly. is there a date that the Broadway signal box is expected to be fully operational? I will be looking forward to that to hear the tinging of the bell and see the signals moving. Another great report, thank you.
ReplyDeleteRegards
Paul & Marion
Bits of it will work as we progress but it won't be officially commissioned until the 2019 season. Once we have got all the mechanical work done there is still a significant amount of electrical stuff to do. The block shelf in the signal box has still to be adorned with all its instruments and wiring. Interesting times ahead!
DeleteStarting to look like it should! Very well done so far. I too am looking forwards to seeing the box commissioned.
ReplyDeleteRegards, Paul.
Great news, looks really good, quick question, why was the unwanted fittings from the bracket signal taken off, it does look kind of odd now it only has one?
ReplyDeleteYou can't have a signal arm (even with a cross on it) for a track that doesn't exist. Hope that answers your question.
DeleteRegards, Paul.
Yep, thanks Paul, still kind of unfair to have spent all the time putting it up and taking it down, but, I suppose it's got to be authentic in every detail, Cheers!
DeleteGood to see the point rodding finally going in after all of the effort to clean and paint it. Out of curiosity it looks like you are installing rodding stools with three rollers. Presumably to take the rod for the switch and FPL for the layout as is. Should a siding and switch be added at a later date would that not also require two rods ? Necessitating the stools having to be replaced to contain four rollers ?
ReplyDeleteInitially two sets of rodding will be operational. The third one is a spare. In the possible event of a passenger loop being installed some time in the future both sets of points would be operated off one lever with two fpl's operated from the other two.
DeleteBecause the points at the north end are much further away from the signal box pulling two sets on one lever would probably need superman! Therefore there will be four runs of rodding northwards.
Thanks Curly that makes it perfectly clear.
DeleteMany thanks for the update. A very interesting blog.
ReplyDelete