KSE Signalling Project

With a shed-load of building materials delivered and stored on site, we have today recommenced work on the junction box. The base of the north-side lead-out slot has been precisely aligned with the adjacent running line to the S&T's requirements. It has been lined with flagstones and will not require any further attention until we have completed a similar construction on the south side of the box. Work on this has now begun, with the rough placement of some of the railway lines that will act as supports for the huge lead-out bench timbers that Tim and his team will fit in due course. We still have a long way to go, but "from little acorns mighty oaks do grow", and with your continued help and support, come hell or high water (and we do get plenty of high water up here!), we absolutely will resurrect this building. So keep watching!

 ...sadly not. Or maybe, thankfully not! You may remember back to various updates and blog posts about the North Eastern Railway, Northern Division lattice bracket signal, designed and built by McKenzie and Holland for the alterations at Hell Beck... Well, there is more of an update: we've now put the structure back together! The individual component parts (T-piece that forms the landing, 2 dolls and the main post) had previously been repaired, cleaned up and painted, but for various reasons could not be reassembled in time for our great Signal Planting Week, back in 2024. So since then, the main post has sat, looking rather isolated and a little forlorn. Scaffolding was erected for us by Bell and Prime, in such a way as to be able to be used to lift the components in to place using chain blocks, pull lifts and so forth. We knew the weights of the individual components, and then allowed a margin beyond this when specifying our requirements.  We had the RAMS set out before star...

With our multisize handmade bricks (Photo 1) leading us a merry dance, we persevered in the sweltering heat of a Stainmore summer, laying the inner and outer courses of the three-course-thick walls (Photo 2). The next task will be to fill in the middle course and then install the damp course. We have not yet been able to do any more work on the lead-out bench as we await the rails on which it will sit. These are due imminently and will then be cut to the required length and fitted. I am sure that once I get my head around laying a straight course of bricks with three different lengths, two widths and a variety of thicknesses, we will proceed apace. Thank you all for your contributions, and watch this space.

The laying of a couple of hundred bricks over the last few days has, at last, seen the walls of the Junction 'box rise to ground level. The site is so awkward to access and get materials to that much of our time is spent preparing to lay bricks rather than actually laying them. However, work is finally underway, with plenty to think about. While we wait for the support rails for the lead-out bench to arrive, we have several tasks to complete. We need to prepare and build the bench access slots in both sides of the building, together with small cable access slots at ground level at each end of the structure. In addition, we need to install the stone step for the locking room doorway and, of course, fit a damp-proof course six inches above ground level. Only then will we be ready to continue laying the remaining 17,000 bricks. Watch this space.

Following on from the work to connect everything up, we finally managed to control No.7 points from No.7 lever! The various photos show the contorted 'out-and-back' nature of the rodding run, with the video showing each stage of moving the points. When setting everything up, and joining the rodding, time was taken to position each crank, correct for the mid-stroke of the lever itself. The point rodding was then cut (with an angle grinder) and had holes punched for bolting together, with connections or fishplates. Jonny gets to grips with the rodding punch just outside the signal box. Only a temporary link between the lever tail and the vertical crank was put in: we are now having some made and bushed to better suit the scheme. There is some more work to do, in order to get a tidier lead out, which will involve some customised bending of rodding connections to get the heights correct. This is important as we need to squeeze signal wires underneath the rods, without rubbing on th...

Following on from the previous posts, when the rodding comes out from the box, it needs to turn through 90° to meet the rodding run. To accomplish this, we bolt cranks, securely, to the lead out bench timbers.  Whilst this *OUGHT* to be simple, sadly it wasn't... two of the crank bases needed to land above the rails that support the lead out timbers. Fortunately, there was enough room to swivel the bases, and use the securing bolts that we had previously installed, to also secure the bases! This did lead to a slight discrepancy with the alignments, but we can correct this once everything is bolted down by heating and carefully bending the forged connections. We're only talking about 3/16"! (These show the work to align the rods as best we could: working from the vertical cranks in one direction, and the pre-installed rodding run in the other) The rods will all come out at the same (high) level, which allows all the signal wires to sit below them. The higher base (for No.9 ...