Spring Report supplement

 Work has continued and the Indicators are finished in the South Box at Boat of Garten. 

Lunch time train passing the Home signal with it’s Great North of Scotland finials 

The south end of the Blockshelf with the signal indicators working.

Replacement release indicator for the North Box.

This is what you can see on the operating floor. Pease remember, there is lots of unseen work to this project. One of the big things is the full use of our pole route between the signal box and the signals. We might have to add more wires in the future!

S&T Spring Report,

 As mentioned in the last Blog, we have turned our hands to getting some of the maintenance tasks done. Aviemore was requiring some timber replacement on the rodding run to the carriage shed points. This timber is on the first compensator crank and was cosing a large loss of motion. Resulting in the points not operating as designed. The old softwood top timber was removed and replaced by a good condition hardwood timber that had been cut out of a points timber. With this work complicated, the movement was recovered and the points are now working as they should be again.

Old compensator crank with the split timber.

New timber with everything completed.

One of the other things that we have looked at is the problems with the visibility of number 1 and 2 signals. The home signal from Boat of Garten. It was decided to remove this problem by installing arm repeaters for both signals. New equipment needed to be installed to detect the position of the arm. Thankfully we had already installed a cable that was suitable for the task from the signal to the signal box. We were able to acquire two midland railway arm repeaters and installed them on the block shelf. 

One of the new arm repeaters con box’s that have been installed on the signal post

In the signal box the two new arm repeaters.

Again signal arm repeaters with home showing an off.

Unfortunately some of the signalling equipment was damaged at the beginning of the season with a lorry cutting the corner of Spaylodge crossing. Landing on the points rodding run and bending the rods and breaking the drop lug for the FPL. This resulted in the crossing deck needing to be lifted to reveal the complete rodding bar. Three lengths identified as beyond serviceable and replaced. Plus a new drop lug found and also replaced. To help prevent any further damage troughing has been added to give some protection. With all these repairs the points are working well again.

Not a very good view of the damage but you can see the broken rod.

In an attempt to protect the rodding more. Troughing has been added to reduce the risks if an accident is to occur again.

Dalfaber ABCL received it quarterly maintenance in March as well as its Annual test. No real issues have been identified other than the white lines are fading. 

Dalfaber ABCL missing some road markings.

Back to Boat of Garten the pole route cabinet at Boat South box has received some work. A new felt roof and a coat of paint to keep it going for the years to come.

The refurbished cabinet.

With the never ending battle with the trees blocking the view of the Home signals at the South of Boat of Garten. It has been decided to install two arm repeaters for these signals. With this work it has also identified yet more equipment that is getting on in age and need replaced as it is beyond economical repair. At the home signals ALL cables have now been replaced. Con boxes have been wired up. A new cabinet has been installed at the pole route to receive the drop wires from the pole route. New drop wires have been added and installed for these signals extra circuits. Under the South box replacement buz bars have been installed Old one removed. New cables run to the pole route and new cables to the block shelf. Arm repeaters have been installed on the block shelf and wired up.but not yet turned on. This job is not yet finished but is almost done.

Up in the pole route new dropper wires have been installed.

Under the box new buz bars, battery cables, battery’s and cableways have been installed.

Up stairs the new arm repeaters have been installed but still to be connected up.

Looking at this picture I have forgotten about the new bells. At the left end is the new key token bell and at the right hand end you now have pegger bells between Boat South and Boat North. This takes away the need of phone calls and speeds up the operations. 

The home signals has received a bit of work with a fresh coat of paint and two Great North of Scotland finials added. It certainly finishes the signal off well.

Signalling Completion

 Winter time has always been a different time of the year to do anything outdoors in the Highlands. Hard frosts, frozen ground. Snow on the ground, all this slows us down. 

We have continued and have got on with a lot of the finishing jobs. The interlocking has now been completed and tested by independent testers. Who have reported back with no issues. Which is a tremendous achievement. It has taken a lot of hours to design, develop and implementation to achieve this goal. Which no one will see or realise that it is there.

Overall three new locking trays have been added to the existing locking. Several tappets have been removed and replaced with new. New notches have been cut to interact with the locks. Redundant locks and bridals removed or modified. New locks and bridals crafted together using cold rivets in the traditional ways, creating the locking of the signal box. Thus helping the signaller do his job correctly, removing the risk of human mistakes being made. 

With a lack of original electrical lamp units being available, we have had to be creative with what we have available to us. Each light unit houses a Ba15D LED lamp. Which is also fitted into the original lamp unit of the Main arm signal above. Happily we can report that this arrangement works well, with a good light displayed in low light situations. 

The main arm light can be seen in full daylight conditions, but the ground signals can only be seen as light levels deteriorate.

Lamp proving is provided by the back lights on each signal, which are clearly visible from the signal box window, even on a bright winters day.

Inside the signal box things are nearing completion. The new diagram is in place, a fresh coat of paint has been applied. Just a bit of house keeping to be completed before the trains start running and the box’s come into use again. With all this work now been completed, we can run trains in an Up and Down direction on the Down main or the Up loop now. Thus giving the railway much more flexibility on how to run the railway and stable trains in the station.

We will now be turning our hands to some remedial maintenance around the railway. This work is nowhere near as exciting work, but all in all still necessary. As I say most times if you have any free time and would like to Join us, be it for a cup of tea or to learn something new. Please get in contact through the company’s website.