KSE Signalling Project

As the weather permits, the Moles have been busy digging for victory... but it feels as though we're going round in circles. We dig a hole, plonk a lump of concrete in it, and fill it back in again! Rest assured, the work does have a purpose: this is the installation of the concrete bench legs for the rodding run. If we can get them all in before the weather turns, we won't be drowned Moles!! We can then tackle fitting the tops later on, in the knowledge that the hardest, physical work has been completed. The ground varies significantly from hole to hole, but we have managed 2 concrete legs a day, combined with other tasks on site. These photos are from the last two days on site, and this section of the rodding run sits between the Tebay and Eden Valley lines. We didn't want to tackle this part of the run any earlier, given the focus on getting the box looking complete internally (more work will take place on days when the weather leaves something to be desired!!). Our digg...

No rest for the Moles. We've been putting off digging for the next benches that require installation, owing to the need to get the box progressed with the frame, in readiness for the big gala... Whilst the weather is good, we could no longer put off the digging, and set to with the largest excavation. Just outside the box, we squeeze a bench for most of the signal wires to run on flat wheels, carrying them underneath the 4 lines. In the same place, we have to get wire stakes in place for the other signal wires, ducts to feed on to the Junction box as well as leaving enough space for the drainage run. We moved the bench so that it was adjacent to the hole, using a small trolley. Timmy's help with the digging wasn't necessarily constuctive... If that weren't enough, the ground we had to dig, to the levels required, had a few 'challenges' to overcome. Such as big rocks, cement leftovers from the building works and a mound of rubble! Motivational encouragement was p...

Well, it would seem there's plenty of scope for confusion! Hopefully this post will deal with some of the oddities, rule out the absurd, and maybe even share a bit of the history; all coupled to recent progress. Kirkby Stephen East. Well, that's obvious, isn't it? The most easterly-located station in Kirkby Stephen. Meaning the other station (on the Settle - Carlisle) was called Kirkby Stephen West.  But for many years, such a distinction was unnecessary: it was either the North Eastern station or the Midland station, according to the operators of the lines in question. Even after the Grouping, the two stations were run by different companies, so the distinction between the stations fell in line with this: either LNER or LMS!  The issue only really arose after Nationalisation, when both stations serving Kirkby Stephen came under the control of BR, albeit different regions initially. In order to try and make it easier for their customers, the use of East and West came about,...

...and planning ahead for their maintenance! Quite a lot of repetitive actions here: drilling out greaseways, tapping to fit grease nipples, bolting things together! First up were the balance levers for the LMS-pattern ground signals. These had previously had grease nipples fitted in most cases, so only required the threads cleaning up with a tap. The one that hadn't, required drilling out first. Why so many balance levers for just 2 signals? Well, this is a case of planning ahead. The two signals in question née to be able to be controlled from either the S&D box OR the Junction box. This is done by each signal having a wire from each box to a shortened balance lever, and whichever is operated will lift the longer lever (by means of a solid bar welded to it, which will be completed shortly!). Control between the two boxes is to be tied up electrically and mechanically. Hence, 6 levers for 2 signals! It was then on to the LNER-pattern ground signals, which were originally drill...

This post covers progress with the NER Central Division signals. Previously we drilled all the front bearing castings for the NER CD signals. This left the rear bearing castings to tackle, but these are slightly more complicated, as the hole needs to be drilled at an angle, so as to match the post taper. This was achieved by marking out the centre, then carefully setting up the casting on the radial arm drilled table, clamped accordingly. A pilot hole followed, being opened out gradually until 1.1/4" diameter was reached. Note the shimming at the two ends of the casting to get the required taper The corner mounting holes will be marked out individually to suit the individual posts: just to take into account and variations in the drilling. Hopefully they will all end up the same... Once the first on was completed, it was fitted to the post for No.17 (the Tebay platform starter), marking the first new CD signal assembly for well over 100 years! The spectacles required a little more ...

No, not in the blackmail sense... To operate the heavy signals and points, the levers in the box are pretty long, and travel a greater distance in order to move the point rodding or wires only a little way. A nice bit of physics / mechanics in action... As you may recall from previous posts, we have been stripping and painting (in primer) the 22 levers for the box, ready for their installation. These have had the lower sections painted in grey enamel to match everything else under the box and aid maintenance / inspection. We have also been cleaning up and preparing the pivots for installation, along with the plates that link the levers, lever tails and pivots. These had previously been painted in red oxide, but the oil holes for the bearings themselves were pretty solidly caked! Fortunately, removing one split pin and applying a bit of force resulted in separation. It was then a straightforward job to drill out the excess paint from the oil holes, remove any loose primer and polish up ...