Broadway Calling!

 Tuesday 8th December

 All set up that Paul and Peter were to finish off the installation of the internal pax phone at Broadway. 0830 phone rang at home- Peter had hurt his back so couldnt attend. Luckily I was getting ready to reinstall the strowger selector that had  been a victim of relay failure ( It was the F, the one that detects the loop as the subscriber lifts the handset aka "answering the phone" in the presence of loads of AC ringing current) a clever application of a standard 3000 type. These relays are a bit prone to failure at 60 years old,  I think its to do with the AC peak voltage and a bit of damp as well.

 So I ended up meeting Paul at Broadway and an hour later the phone was in and working- much easier now to just dial 60 for Toddington station than those long BT codes and cheaper for the railway as well.

Here's a quick pic of Paul - just making sure it works ok

 

 

So there we are another job done. And the Office all left tidy as DB was watching! By the way, we were also asked to move the BT phone across to a more convenient spot 

on the window ledge by the door - certainly Sir, anything to oblige

Shortly we hope to start to wire up the Concentrator and the signal post phones, ready for when Broadway Signal Box comes on line, Covid and Cash permitting.

Mike S  

A big Welcome to Peter Giles, our newest recruit. With a knowledge of Strowger as well as those new fangled computery things, Welcome Peter. I hope that your back is better by now

A peaceful and Merry Christmas to all our readers

Continuing Work at Broadway

 Tuesday 15th December

Four of us at Broadway today with various tasks to perform. 

The lineside telephone cabinet with the sliding vertical door that we recently reconditioned at Winchcombe is to be installed at the base of the new bracket signal. But first I couldn't resist a couple of shots with some of the signals pulled off.  Which platform should we choose?! (I hasten  to add that the locking would not allow this combination!)

Or this:

Everything seems to work OK by pulling on the signal wires here

A bit of ballast digging required to prepare two holes for the cabinet legs (2 substantial lengths of angle iron bolted to the sides)

Manhandled into position and secured with two barrow loads of concrete - with just enough left over to secure the base of the ladder

 

These scaffolding boards should keep it in place  until the concrete sets.

While we were doing this Neil C busied himself in the Signal box locking room with some wiring.    Plenty of connections to make to the electric locks and blockshelf instruments and phones. Speaking of which, Malcolm W and Neil C have been marshalling the instruments and making sure that they are all in full working order plus a good clean and polish of their housings. Here is a selection in the process of refurbishment 

Note the magnificent Church Bell which will take pride of place!! 

Work in progress:

We are getting there bit by bit. 

Before leaving, a quick visit to the direction indicator signal at the North end to replace a shackle connecting pin. Now that the signal lamps are lit I wanted to see the effect of the frosted glass panel. Unfortunately there was still too much daylight to see the full effect - but you can get an idea of the illumination:

And you can just make out the twin LED's here.  Probably get a good view of this from Springfield Lane Bridge at night 

Curly