KSE Signalling Project

  In the middle of a bleak, cold and damp winter, the signal box has proved to be a good place to warm up and carry out various painting jobs! The warming up has tested out the chimney and fireplace nicely! The levers have progressed to their final undercoat, with a good variety of colours on show. For those who wonder about the choice of colours: these relate to the levers' functions. Red - signals (shunt, subsidiary and main aspect) Yellow - distant signals Black - points Blue - point lock Blue over Black - points and lock combined (motor points, in our case) Blue over Brown - release (for a ground frame) White - spare lever The levers have been rubbed down and undercoated, with warmer weather required before the top coats can be applied. The fire in the box isn't enough on its own to produce a good finish. All available space has been used, with a trestle table set up behind the levers, windowsills covered and the slab of wood for the block shelf also pressed into service. T...

 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...