Another excellent turnout today so plenty of activity going on.
But first, a quick update on Broadway Signal Box. Neil C has been busy installing the batteries and charging units required for powering the signal box equipment in the event of mains power interruptions. These have been mounted on the North wall of the locking room.
On the lower shelf are four 12volt batteries and above them are four individual charging units. These are now operational and the orange light at the bottom RH of each unit indicates that the batteries are now charging. This changes to green when the batteries are fully charged
This system allows the selection of either 12, 24, 36 or 48 volts for the different systems/instruments.
News Flash: It has now been decided to transport the bracket signal to Broadway by lorry this Thursday. To do this the two dolls are being removed:
Once the main post has been secured on its base the two dolls can then be lifted in with straps using the Hiab. We will then erect scaffolding to continue putting all the fittings in place (a day without wind and rain would be good!!)
At trackside of Winchcombe signal box some re-furbishment work has started. Signal 6 has had its fittings removed to clean up its fairly rusty post. The whole post has been wire brushed with an angle grinder and given a coat of green primer :
The adjacent ground signal was also looking its age so we have replaced it completely with a spare unit. John H wrestles with four heavily corroded nuts to get the old one off:
While Jim P and Malcolm W wrestle the re-conditioned one into place:
Tumbling ballast has been falling onto the base of this signal so we have put in a concrete retaining wall to tidy it up:
And topped it off with a covering of fresh ballast to key into the concrete
For most of today Neil C, John P, Carl S and Keith L went off to Toddington to continue the fitting of the second point motor at the southern turnout. This now leaves the installation of cabling to the motors, adjacent phone and track circuits. (no pictures I'm afraid)
Curly
Are you planning to monitor the battery voltages remotely? If so I can recommend a good networkable device which would be perfect for this application.
ReplyDeleteNo
DeleteWell just remember that if you don't monitor backup systems then often you only find out there is a problem when the poop hits the fan ;-)
DeleteYes, but does the fan have a back up system?
DeleteRE Mallikas's comments on monitoring Battery chargers etc
DeleteWe have designed and installed a system at Gotherington which in the event of a battery going low either through failure of the battery or its charger , then a flashing light is initiated under the blockshelf, clearly visible to passing train crews. Unfortunately we do not have spare cable pairs to let the system report back to a manned station. Such a system could be used at Broadway to give signalmen early warning of a problem.
27 November 2019 at 08:01
Excellent progress. Thanks for the pictures.
ReplyDeleteregards, Paul.
Great blog
ReplyDeleteI tend to put 'anti-seize' on all threaded fasteners so they'll come off easily in the distant future. I recently had to repair a wheelbarrow put together 30 years ago on which I had omitted to do that, and I regretted it! (Had to cut off most of the nuts!) I don't know if this is 'standard practice' for you all, but if not, it should be.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog, very interesting, thanks very much for doing it for us!
Noel
We used copperslip on these studs - worked well. Nuts had to be laboriously hammered off but after a good wire brushing and slip coating went back on a treat!
Delete