Upgrading a Lineside Cabinet

 Previous work to replace some track circuit feed wires after P-Way had cut and shut a few rail joints in the area revealed that Cabinet L at Gotherington was not in the best of condition, a squirrel having apparently attempted to build a drey in it.

Plans were therefore put in train to refurbish the cabinet.  On closer inspection the cabinet was held down to some bricks in concrete by some bolts through the wooden floor, the floor was rotten and the bricks loose in the ground, so the decision was taken to replace the cabinet.

A slightly wider version was selected, refurbished by Andy, George and Neil and fitted with legs which spanned over the existing cabinet brick base and cable access.  Once ready the cabinet was taken to site, the old one rocked over backwards and the cabling carefully removed intact and still connected.  Two holes were dug, one either side, for the legs of the new cabinet and the new cabinet was stood up over the cabling (carefully inserted through the bottom) and concreted in place.  The cabinet floor was temporarily lodged in place and the track circuit battery box left disconnected for now.  

Peter, Richard, John, John and Peter pose by the newly installed cabinet.

The following day Neil returned to the cabinet, shovelled the ballast over the concrete and tidied up, then set about re-organising the cabling inside.  The two main cables (one from Gotherington and one from Cheltenham) were neatly clipped to the back board, spare unused cores dressed to either side, the through connections disconnected and re-crimped one by one, and finally the local connections made off to a connection block. Then the local track circuit feeds and the track circuit battery box were re-connected and finally the floor board was offered up and cut around the cables.  I hope you'll agree that the finished result is quite an improvement on the top photo.