August S&T report

 August 2021 S&T report 

By Robert Law

With school holidays progress at Boat North Box has been slow but steady.

The Block shelf has been mounted above the frame and the indicators have been mounted on brackets that have been made for the job. The King leaver indicator is now in front of it’s lever instead of been at the end of the frame. The temporary indicator for the points has been mounted above the points lever. 

A better look at the new indicators above the points lever. Top one is the temporary points indicator. The new one is still at S&T HQ waiting to be serviced before been sent up. Below it, is the track circuit indicator, not in use yet but ready when it is required. At the bottom is the track circuit override switch. This is for use in the event of a track circuit failure, and only to be used with RO’s authority.

Temporary disconnection boxes been installed for the termination of the 19 core cables. This has been done as the location cases are still at S&T HQ…. As the day’s are drawing in and the light is fading. The signal lights are required for the late evening running of the wine and dine trains. The signal lighting are supplied from under the signal, on the power distribution board. Over the 19 core cables, to the temporary disconnection boxes and onto the tail cables up the signals.

Just to show that is has been done, hear is all 5 of the new signals at Boat of Garten, well lit in the daylight.  Visibility at night time should be more then adequate for both drivers and signaller’s.

Moving on to Aviemore, problems were been had with the block bells at Speyside box. Two of the cells had become life expired and required to be replaced. A decision was made to just change all the batteries as we have a healthy stock of newer ones. The batteries currently supply the local 12v. At the moment it is  only for the block bells but in the longer term any relays and lever locks that will need to be installed, will be connected on to this supply.

Problems were identified with the table in front of Speyside box. The rabbits had been in about and dug out around the timbers. The timbers had become loose with the hot weather with the bolts becoming loose. Some time was spent back filling in around the timbers, bolts tightened and a new fishplate installed at the end, to tie the timbers together, to help prevent future problems. Once this was all done the points drive required an adjustment as it had effected the throw of the points.