KSE Signalling Project

 In search of some variation from the usual themes of digging, cleaning, painting and fettling, Matt has started on the massive task of installing the signal wires.  All the wire stakes have been 'planted' (a term which makes it all sound so straightforward and easy-going!), pulleys added and almost all the benches are in place. Wherever the signal wires join on to levers, signals, cranks or chain to go around wheels, the wire needs to be made off appropriately. 'Proper' signal wire is formed from 7 strands of galvanised steel: 6 strands twisted around a single (slightly larger) central strand. Matt has started by fashioning a couple of ends around thimbles, to join to shackles. In order to do this, the wire is twisted to form a loop, whose two legs are then cranked out slightly, so that they will sit snugly together, parallel. Each of the strands is then wound tightly around, 7 times, before being twisted off (this is a skill in itself...). The final strand is the cent...

Following on from the previous two posts concerning Central Division signals, we now have Part 3.. This concerns a trip Matt and I made, up to Fighting Cocks Station, near Darlington, to meet up with Norman Hugill. The original (Central Division!) signal from the station has been returned there, to (hopefully) be re-erected as a reminder of the line. However, for the time being, it lies in its component parts, and includes various parts we have not seen anywhere else! Particularly of note is the landing and the balance lever arrangement. Both of which we need to duplicate in order to complete our signals at KSE! We duly headed up, armed with tape measures, pens and a clipboard. The arm. First of all, we discovered the original wooden arm was only 4' in length (which would give 3'6" beyond the post), although it does look shorter than most from the photos in situ. Secondly, the edges were all rounded off, which answered a question I'd had rumbling around in the back of ...

Following on from the previous blog post, dealing with the problems we found with the CD signals and the research, we set to, and trimmed a main arm down by 6", with the ability to take off another 6" if need be, later*. Having chopped it down, a test was in order, which necessitated the removal of the arm we'd fitted to the Fixed Stop signal at the top of the site. This should have been very simple, but we found the paint had stuck the washer plate onto the arm. We just left it attached, deciding that we could attack it on the ground, later if need be! Shortened arm in place, and looking better-proportioned than the 'technically correct' version! The shortened arm (measuring at 4' projecting beyond the post) was slotted in and secured with a single bolt. And it returned to the horizontal position perfectly, on its own! Success!! Sadly we couldn't just leave it like this, and took it back indoors so that it could be fully painted. The opportunity was taken...

A distinct feeling of déjà vu today, as the Junction Box building team descended into the decaying remains of the box foundations and began removing approximately 3,000 bricks. These were held together (if you can call it that) by the metamorphosed remains of lime mortar, which had turned into something akin to dirty sand. The concrete footings thus exposed will have core samples taken and professionally examined to confirm whether they are suitable for reuse. All the bricks will be cleaned and reused with modern cement to rebuild the footings. This is a significant amount of work, but it will save us a great deal of money. After many more hours of back-breaking work, all remaining decaying brickwork was removed and stacked ready for sorting and cleaning. This laid bare the original concrete base, which will be professionally cored and evaluated to determine its suitability for reuse. Initial examination shows that there were no foundations whatsoever for either the internal wall that ...

Looking back over recent work and previous blog posts, there is more to report on the North Eastern Railway, Central Division signals. A lot of research and a lot of physical work has been taking place in order to get the arms themselves sorted. As you may remember, or have noted from previous entries, the Central Division was unusual on the NER in NOT having slotted posts, with the arms inside. Very few bits of CD signals remain, and we were lucky enough to have a complete set of castings for the masthead.  When it came to the length of the arms, however, things got a little trickier, since initially we did not have any drawings or specifications. Fortunately, at Kew, there are various documents and drawings. We were given a photograph of one of these drawings, which contained what we thought was a definitive answer: the arms are shown as being 4'6" long, beyond the end of the arm weight casting. Having tried to source these in Cedar without any success (they are rather large...

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...