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

 

Broadway Signals Update

 Thursday 19th Nov

Just a quick update on Broadway signalling. 

The following is courtesy of Neil C who has been continuing with the electrical work  at Broadway together with Malcolm W while the rest of us are in lockdown.

I can report that all external  signal and electrical connections are now complete.

All signal lamps and track circuits are working.  It is interesting to plot the progress of a train approaching and running through the station by watching the repeater relays operating from the track circuits in the locking room (8  in all at Broadway and 2 for the Toddington /Broadway section )  - eventually of course there will be indicating lights on the diagram above the levers upstairs to show train position - plenty of work still to do! 

This picture is of Neil C wiring the twin ground signals at the base of the direction indicator signal (north end, platform 1 side of headhunt)

And Malcolm W fitting the lampcases

Malcolm W aloft on the direction indicator oiling the route indicator slides and fitting the lamp cases:

I shall be interested to see how the twin LED's in this case highlight the UP M / DN M letters through the frosted glass screen.

You'll have to wait until I get back for an answer to that.

In answer to a question on an earlier blog about the opening of the signal box, a commissioning date is set for early 2022. So we have just over a year to get it all sorted - read all about it in The Cornishman (assuming you have a copy of course!) 

Curly

Postscript

 Thursday 4th Nov

Just a quick note about some work I forgot to mention.  John P and I went to Gotherington on Oct 20th while the boss was on holiday to have a go at clearing some undergrowth from signal wires after a report that the wire from the distant signal was struggling to return to the normal position. I think this signal has the longest wire run on the railway.

It turns out that the wires from the station towards Winchcombe are copiously encased in brambles and other vegetation. 

No sign of any signal wires  under this lot !

A bit more work required here - we cleared about 150 yards towards the station from the old concrete sleeper park but there's still more serious de-brambling to do.

Curly

Mission Accomplished

 Tuesday 3rd Nov

Afraid I was not able to attend today - having to isolate for a hospital visit on Wed - but the stalwart team of Malcolm W, John P and Neil C completed the Broadway bracket. Signal lamps all connected up and working, balance weights fitted and signal wires connected - looks good with the scaffolding removed! 

Looking forward to pulling a lever! 

Photo courtesy of Neil C

Curly

Broadway Bracket

 Tuesday 27th Oct

Three of us braved the inclement weather today to continue with fitting out the new Broadway bracket signal. 

There is still quite a lot of work to do here, some of which is quite fiddly. Although most of the fittings were assembled on the ground at Winchcombe some while ago, it's a different matter getting it all to fit up in the air with a stiff wind blowing and intermittent rain. I have to say that the highlight of the morning was when P&O stopped on its run round with its chimney opposite us engulfing the signal in steam and grit and a welcome blast of heat! 

Engine approaching:

The first task was to mount the lamp cases on the two dolls

Followed by the lamp case brackets and cases for the call-on arms

Then the fitting of the two upper ladders which give access to the two main arms.

A couple of problems have arisen which will need attention back at base. The bracket holding the down rod guide on the long doll won't reach so a welded extension is required - and the down rod on the short doll just fouls on the platform handrail (a bit of tweaking required). Otherwise apart from the electrical wiring for the lamps the work up top is complete.

But meanwhile down below the main ladder needs support brackets attached to the main post. We have done this by drilling a hole in each side and securing two flat bars with a piece of M12 threaded bar passing through the post. Luckily the holes were in line!

And finally a shot from up top of P&O arriving tender first from Toddington

Curly

Wildlife Intrusion

 Postscript

A large wasp nest discovered in one of the lineside cabinets at Broadway by Neil C while he was sorting out some issues with the track circuits on Tuesday.  Make a bit of a mess getting it out! 

Curly

The Bracket Gets Dressed

 Tuesday 13th October

At last a day out at Broadway. Having got the scaffolding up round the new bracket signal last week we can now get it looking like it belongs to a railway!

Pickup loaded with most of the parts and ready to go. 

We need a decent lengthed ladder to enable easy and safe access to the platform. We start at the top by fixing the finials then the pivot and plunger castings to the long doll followed by the pivot pin and back blind. Note that there are no detectors on this signal because they are well within vision from the signal box. 

Repeated for the short doll and then fit the spectacle plates and signal arms (nice sparkly new ones) 

Good view of approaching train from up here - 4270 approaching from Toddington

Down below George B and John P manoeuvre the metal ladder into position between the scaffolding and hollow out a hole to secure the bottom in. To be concreted at a later date

Moving down a level we fixed on the castings for the balance weight arms and adjusted the down rods to connect with the arms. That's as far as we got today - here's a shot of the state of play.

And just a reminder of the set up for connecting the signal wires. Two for the main arms and two for the call-on arms.

Curly