Getting There

Tuesday 18th July

Just three of us off to Broadway today to progress the fitting of some of the remaining parts to the Signals Numbers 38 and 39 at the north ends of the platforms were first. The penultimate part to fit to number 38 (platform 1 side) was the angle crank which is clamped to the post at the bottom. The down rod which connects the balance weight arm to the spectacle plate at the top still has to be completed (we have the length measurement for it - fine adjustment will be taken up by a screwed adjuster on its lower end)

Then over to number 39 ( these numbers refer to the number of the lever in the signal box - number one starting nearest the door). Now this signal is another kettle of fish and we needed several attempts to fit everything on at the bottom end. Apart from the balance weight arm and the angle crank there is a large bracket on which a ground signal will be mounted:

Once clamped into its preferred position we had a fouling problem with the angle crank - a small corner of the bracket will have to be removed by angle grinder next time - otherwise it all just fits. We measured the length required for this signal's down rod which we will configure back at base.

Meanwhile up above Malcolm is drilling a hole to fix the detector

After lunch we headed southwards to the wooden post south of platform 1 to fit its spectacle plate, ladder, finial and down rod.  The down rod fitted beautifully and was adjusted to show a nice horizontal arm. Here's John P viewed from above making the final tweak

And a view from a distance

A bit more work needed to finish this signal off yet. A trial fitting of the lamp case behind the spectacle plate reveals that we need to make a spacer to bring the lamp lens to align with the centre of the coloured spectacles.

And finally a view of number 38 with the scaffolding removed - bit of a weird angle but I assure you the arm is horizontal!

Curly

Lets Concentrate now!

Friday 7th July

Kevern and Paul  met up to reinstall the concentrator at Gotherington. Mike S went to Winchcombe We knew that the line to Winchcombe was still not usable so we had planned to "borrow" another pair just top prove it worked but  it still didn't, we hadn't foreseen that we had a broken wire inside the unit at Winchcombe!
Problem is that with each concentrator we have had to commission them in stages and as each new stage comes on stream new faults can appear, including a faulty Krone strip at Toddington!.
By definition this is all done between signal boxes that are a few miles apart, it all takes time. So to eliminate the dodgy cable pr, we took the new Goth Unit to Winchcombe and it still didnt work over a few metres of cable. Eventually Kevern found the problem, a broken wire  inside the Winchcombe unit so we are now confident that when the new cable is connected ( to get rid of a number old joints inside and around the Tunnel area, we should be "cooking on Gas" as they say.
In the meantime of course its the block bells backed up by the trusty dial- up Strowger PAX that will keep the signalmen in contact.

Monday 10th July

Kevern went off to  Racecourse early this morning, I attended a bit later at Goth and was able to prove that the section between Racecourse and Gotherington now works Box to Box. When Goth is switched out then we hope that the system will work  over twice the distance ie Racecourse to Winchcombe. Kevern has just one more choice relays with a lower operating current to try in that case, buts just be positive.

Perhaps I can elaborate further on the Box to Box design side. The original scheme for the SPT's was all Loop Calling, AC ringing  (ROLI like POTS). But when you need to call between boxes we had a problem since the Calling Box couldn't send a loop and anything else would have needed bi- directional transmission bridges. The answer was to make the bridge so that it would respond not only to a loop from its own SPT's but also to 50v dc from  the other box and we had to inhibit the AC ringing so that the sensitive electronic relays in the bridges were not destroyed by an inadvertent burst of 80vac.
Again it took time and was the reason why the system has been installed stage by stage but we do now seem to be getting there

No new pics this time, I'm sure you have seen enough of us peering at things!!

Mike S

The end of the Rodding

Tuesday 11th July

Confined to barracks today. Decided not to go to Broadway because of the wet forecast. So it was an ideal opportunity to put an end to the damned rodding. Just 3 lengths left to clean and paint

And then add to the pile stored on the concrete slabs. 138 lengths in total. We'll now see how the zinc paint stands up to the elements - it will still be a while before they are transported to Broadway.
It's a relief to have them all complete and to have some space in the MSC shed to swing a cat!

Meanwhile there was activity on a couple of additional parts required for the recently erected wooden  signal post at Broadway. The ladder and its safety hoop. Carl S and Peter B attacked this with the angle grinders with wire brushes  to remove the old paint as it was in rather a poor state - quite a fiddly job to manoeuvre round the rungs.

 

While Keith L savaged the hoop and cleaned up all the rusted bolts  - all of this was accomplished outside before the rain started 

These items were moved under cover and  painted with primer and will hopefully be ready to transport to Broadway with the remaining signal fittings  next week ( must get through the platform gap with the heavy stuff before access is denied)

Talking of heavy stuff, two  of the large lumps required for Broadway north are  the buffer stops which are presently on the ends of the rails in the yard at Winchcombe opposite the Carriage and Wagon works. One of them was accessible for Steve to drag out with the Telehandler together with all the undergrowth that has sprung up round it:

The second one will require a bit more ingenuity to get out  because it is up against the rake of "high class" rolling stock on this isolated siding - probably will need a length of temporary track laying to move it all up to get access. I believe the objective is to get them trucked up to Broadway tomorrow.

Curly

Planting a Post

Tuesday 4th July

Off to Broadway again today with only a small turnout. Three of us to start with followed by Steve with his JCB and Neil C after lunch.
We started off at the Route Indicator signal at the north end having loaded the pickup with a heap of aggregate, cement mixer, wheel barrow, cement, etc

We are going to instal a ground signal adjacent to this signal, so a concrete mounting block is required. Some shuttering had been pre-prepared and was positioned after levelling out a base

A good job we brought the mixer - this took 3 large Barrow loads of concrete to fill

 

And then pushed in a template holding four mounting studs. We'll remove all the woodwork next week when the concrete is well set.

While we were here we lashed up a not quite so elegant piece of shuttering to cast a block to secure the bottom of the ladder

A couple of studs attached to the bottom of the ladder will secure it in the concrete

The signal at the end of platform 2 was noticed to have a bit of a lean so we took advantage of Steve and the JCB to give it a pull. He managed to hook his bucket onto the top of the concrete boot while we tamped some ballast in at the back. It now looks perfectly upright.

So. now onto the main event of the day. The planting of the wooden signal post at the southern end of platform 2. A task made relatively easy with the aid of the JCB. First stage to dig the hole - about 4 ft deep

And then lift the post horizontally from its resting place on platform 2  to position its base adjacent to the hole. Then a bit of re-slinging to hoist it up to vertical

 

and manoeuvre it into the hole followed by numerous barrow loads of concrete. 

And posing for the team photo are Neil, Malcolm and Carl. 

I think we got it in the right way round and it looks pretty vertical - let's hope it doesn't move before the concrete sets!! 

Curly

Signal Dressing

Tuesday 27th June

Seven of us off to Broadway today to get some, if not all of the fittings, onto the three signal posts at Broadway North. Quite a truckload of stuff to start with:

We understand that work begins in the next couple of weeks to brick up the access gap in platform 1, so the window of opportunity to truck heavy parts up north will be over - so here we are.
The route indicator signal got our first attention. The main task being to fit its ladder. This is bolted to the two platforms and needs a secure base before using it. We did this by setting it on a substantial piece of sleeper cut-off. We will eventually cast a concrete block with studs as a final fix:

Luckily all bolt holes matched up with both platforms level after a bit of adjustment with many supporting hands: 

Then the fitting of the finial and spectacle plate and signal arm. Once the finial was fitted the other heavier parts were hauled up by rope

And the angle cranks fitted at the bottom of the post to which the signal wires will be connected

A shot of the top end before the signal arm is attached 

And a view of the finished job so far. Down rod, lamp cases and electrics to follow in due course.

Then on to the other two signals at the ends of the platforms, both of which need their ladders fitting. 

These two will not have platforms but safety hoops at the top. We separated into two teams for this starting at the top to fit finials. 

And then working down to to the balance weight assembly

As far as we got today with most of the fittings on . The position  and length of the ladder to platform 1 signal was measured - cut to length but we ran out of time so it will be fitted next visit.
Now beginning to look like a Railway!

 A view looking north from the signal box you can just make out the 3 signals in the distance.

There was the accompanying sound of enthusiastic riveting going on on the station roof  throughout the day - it certainly is a magnificent structure close up.

We haven't got as far as preparing the hole and foundation for the wooden post yet, but now that the spear fencing is complete up to the Evesham road bridge I can reveal its approx position as shown by this block in th foreground :

And finally, as requested by blog reader Graham, a couple of shots of the inside of the Broadway signal box:

PS  We are hoping shortly to acquire some of the parts to move on work in the locking room . These include a locking tray and a number of electric locks. 

Curly

Sorting the Stools

Tuesday 20th June

Six of us in today with several tasks to do.
John P, Carl S and Keith L went off on strimming duty to clear vegetation at Gotherington (morning) and round the signal wires from Winchcombe up to Greet tunnel in the afternoon.

The rodding stools that Malcolm had fabricated a while back have been stored in the MSC shed at Winchcombe waiting for zinc plating. These are the units that will support the point rodding up the side of platform 2 at Broadway. Apparently zinc plating is costed on the weight of the items concerned so we needed to get them off the shelves and count and weigh them. There are two different sizes - one to take a four wheel roller set and one to take a three roller set. Within these sets two different sizes of angle iron was used so we ended up with four different weights. Firstly we laid them all out - a grand total of 87 units

Our colleague Peter B joined us today from Hawaii. He is over in the U.K. for the summer to swell our numbers. Malcolm and Peter made a start laying them out:

Here's the 87

And a close up of one of them - the rollers will be bolted onto the top surface after plating.

 

The total weight of them is 750kg and they are now boxed up in a large plastic stillage ready for despatch as soon as we have a satisfactory quotation for the plating.

And to round off the day a further 6 lengths of rodding got painted with Rustoleum  (just started the third 5 litre can)  Only a few more to go now!

We have selected a ladder for one of the signals at Broadway north. This needs a bit of modification for attachment to the post. A job for next week. (note the 3 lengths of rodding we have got ready for tomorrow's team!!)

Curly

Even Quieter

Tuesday 6th June

Hardly worth a blog this week , but must keep things ticking over. The boss is on holiday this week so five of us chose a variety of tasks. John P, Carl S and Keith L had arranged to do some strimming to clear the signal wires of vegetation from Toddington signal box.

 Mike S - our qualified PAT tester - decided to check all the electrical power tools and leads in the Building Services Dept. I don't think there were any major issues requiring confiscation!

Which left yours truly with , guess what. -- point rodding. Luckily the rain held off for most of the day so I managed to clean and paint another 5 lengths. This brought the completed pile to 100.

Here's the 100th being added

And the growing pile

I'm afraid I won't be blogging next week.  Off to see some Swiss railways. Will hope to see the whole 138 lengths done when I get back!

Curly