First Train to Acknowledge new signals.
With the running season finished at the end of October. It opened up the opportunity to disconnect the old signals on the up line and bring the new ones into use. This has worked out to our advantage with having our friends from Scottish Woodlands on site with various machines. They have been running various course for there staff, gaining experience and operating hours on there machines. With this they have been carrying out various tasks over our railway which has benefited the railway greatly. One training exercise that was carried out was the removal of the old signals, wooden table with detector and wheels still attached. Which was expertly executed saving us lots of time and effort. The second training exercise for them was Manoeuvring in the confined space, back filling the hole that had just been created. Again expertly done, saving us lots of time, bring the project on rapidly.
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| The old Shunt Signals and associated equipment waiting for removal. |
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| Out with the old! Removed carefully by Scottish Woodlands. Put to one side to be Brocken up another day. |
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| Site cleared and prepared by Scottish Woodland, allowing for the new connections to be made. |
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| New connection rods in and connected. Detection swords marked and then cut. Points are now detected and proven to be correct before the signal can be pulled off. |
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| In the middle of all this work, the Pway ballast train arrives from Aviemore. At this point three of the four signal wires have been completed. Which is why one wire is dropping. But it is the first train to be signalled with the main route. |
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| With all the work completed on the ground, this is how the driver sees the new signals. Top left, across to the Dn line bottom left, shunt onto an occupied up main. Main arm, into the unoccupied up main. Right hand shunt, into the North Yard. |
There is still lots to be done yet. Interlocking changes to be completed, signal lights to be wired up. Diagrams to be updated. The signal box to be cleaned, and the yard too. If you have any free time and wish to help out, please get in contact through the strathspey Railways website.
