SVR S&T Dept.
SIGNALLING NOTES - Chris. Hall
The last set of notes brought us up to April 2021 and so this set covers the six months to the end of October 2021. The rodding run from the new points in the single line to the ground frame is now complete, with the exception of the take off crank for the siding end of the crossover, which is a fairly small job. The ground frame is complete with its mechanical locking (which required some machining of the connection between the levers and the tappet blades) and its Annetts key release which uses the occupation key for the section. Final testing and commissioning is still awaited. The ground frame will be released by the occupation key and further electrical work to allow a release during traffic hours will not, at present, be pursued.
Making good progress in May 2021.
Mostly complete in July 2021 with just a little more to do to complete the mechanical locking.
An infrastructure planning meeting in April 2021 confirmed the intention to lay a siding at Foley Park during the Summer season in 2021 using redundant track and to procure and install the siding half of the crossover onto the main line. This is now likely to take place this Winter. We will be fitting a handrail around the ground frame in due course as well as a nameplate.
The green heart timber for the permanent replacement signal for the Bewdley South Down Inner Homes arrived in July 2021 - this has an anticipated life of upwards of 50 years. This coincided nicely with work on the ground frame drawing to a close (one compensator needs to be resited and levelled up but not with any urgency).
The new signal for Bewdley South is being built in the compound at Kidderminster but we have a notice of eviction for 1st December so that the contractors who will be replacing the footbridge can set up their portacabin city. The railway will therefore be closed from January to March 2022 to allow the existing footbridge to be lifted down (early January) the three brick piers demolished and two new abutments constructed for a new, single-span bridge. At the end of March the new bridge will be lifted into place and services will resume in April. Planning for this work is being actively pursued as a rather large crane will need to stand between the footbridge and the running disc (no. 35) for engine line 1. Our point rodding and several compensators, as well as the disc signal, are exactly where the crane will need to put down its outriggers.
The new signal post has been cut by the supplier to the precise taper required so that the bracket steelwork will be a snug fit on the post. It has been put on supports so that the front and back halves of the bracket steelwork can be fitted - each has a steel spigot about 1 diameter that fits into a blind hole in the post.
We have been working on this post now for some time: the first weekend we dug out the steel bracketwork and used a JCB to lay it on top of the post so that its spigot hole could be marked out and cut. We then lightly planed the sides of the post so that the bracket made a snug fit. Using a magnetic drill, with the bracket packed so that we allowed for the taper, we drilled four holes half way through the post. Turning the post through 180 we supported the bracket underneath the post and marked up the other bracket. We were hopeful that the two blind holes would line up.
Our mid-week colleagues have been equally active. A signal arm repeater is being fitted to Highleys Down Home, after sighting issues from the signalbox were reported, exacerbated by an overhanging tree. Despite our Department providing the MEWP to trim the offending tree, pressure from signalmen has not relaxed and a GWR repeater was donated specially for the purpose, so is being fitted. There was an arm repeater originally, before the footbridge was removed. Lamp repeating has already been installed. The work downstairs is essentially complete but we need the MEWP now to fit the cable up the signal and then we can connect everything up.
We have repainted 5 signals this summer which has smartened things up considerably, especially at Hampton Loade. We are also helping the team painting the signal box there by using the MEWP to help them reach the higher bits.
Maintenance continues as usual, with this years focus being on tackling issues which typically get put on a list and then left for another day. Much has been done. After a pretty bad run of faults in the summer, nearly all of which were attributed to the very hot weather, we had a very good period and in fact a whole month with not one fault reported. This hasnt continued for long! We have been trying in the last month to get ahead of schedule so that we can hibernate in the locking rooms or in the workshop over January where we will continue preparing refurbished spares to install as and when required. After we complete our point motor we will turn our attentions to a refurbished token machine.
We need to attract new (and younger) volunteers to the Department so that we can pass on our skills to the next generation. What better way therefore than to describe some of the work planned for the near future - routine maintenance and testing never seems quite as interesting as new work:
Quite a lot of interesting work, I am sure you will agree. Other work which is not so pressing includes:
This shot on 27 September 2021 shows the down rods for signals 9, 6 and 7 in place (reading from left to right) complete with cranks for measuring up. The blind holes drilled through the steelwork are now right through the post (and did meet). [Photo: J. Smith]
By 25th October slots have been machined so that the spindle castings for the Home and Distant on the main post can be fitted. The two dolls have been put into position and marked up ready for machining and drilling. The metal parts will be shot blasted and painted in the coming weeks. [Photo: P. Marshall]
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