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Making NER Central Division signal fittings ...actually fit!

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The remaining front bearing plate castings were drilled by Alex, Dave and I, following on from the marking out Will did previously. This part of the job was very straightforward, and we soon had them all done. Drilling interrupted for a photo Concentration! It then got rather more complicated, as we came to offer the front bearing up to the post itself. We knew the casting fitted the routed posts, as we trial-fitted these before planting the posts. The central hole through the post, for the spindle itself, was drilled oversized to cater for any discrepancies. Or so I thought! ...unfortunately, it appears that this drilling of the post (hopefully in the singular) was out by more than expected. Looking through the post to the casting beyond, showing the margin of the error. After much shuffling to see if we could make it work, I took the more brutal option, and set to with a hammer and chisel, opening out the post hole to suit. At this stage I can confirm the castings are correct, the ho...
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Burials

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The Moles have been hard at work again; this time burying the benches that have previously been built up, as well as the new concrete bench legs for the rest of the crank and compensator benches we require. Since all the materials are all to hand for this job, we can fit it in as the weather cooperates. 
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Location: Stainmore Railway Company, South Rd, Kirkby Stephen CA17 4LA, UK
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More Boring Jobs

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A new progress update from Tim:  Readers of my ramblings may well remember the posts alluding to all the new castings of NER Central Division signal components. They may also recollect the preparations carried out to the wooden signal posts in order to accommodate the said castings... Routing out the signal posts Well, after much avoidance of setting to and drilling out the castings, ready for f tting up, things got serious! In the machine shop, the radial arm drill has been commissioned, and appropriate training carried out. The raw castings, as collected from the foundry, but left to weather, slightly. The castings were cleaned up and marked for the hole centres whilst suitable clamping arrangements were devised for the work. The first front bearing casting, clamped down onto a couple of spacers to raise up from the bed and prevent damage drilling through. The four mounting holes were drilled in one go, once the centres were marked and double (triple!) checked, but the centre piv...
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Location: Stainmore Railway Company, South Rd, Kirkby Stephen CA17 4LA, UK
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Specialised Mole Activities

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Hot on the heels of the previous update as to the optimal working conditions for the Moles of Kirkby Stephen, more digging has occurred! The signal box requires power and other cables running to it. These are carried in ducts. The ducts need burying underground. The digger had issues trying to dig a trench as the water table was too high. So it's a case of the Moles' talents being required! A lot of the run has already been completed, the ducts dropped in and the trench filled accordingly with sand. The last section under the bridge and into the box itself needed tackling once the rodding run was in place and before the lead out bench and walkway could be completed. So, the Moles set to; having established the fixed points in the run, and the best route between them. This wasn't set in stone: rather, stone was found that caused slight diversions!! Thanks for reading. More news soon..
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Well Fed Moles Dig Better Hole

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With works around the outside of the signalbox largely completed, this Mole turned his attention towards the missing section of the rodding run. There are only 4 stools required here, so thankfully it wasn't too daunting. However, the terrain was 'challenging'! First up, stools were selected and moved close to the run, with exact locations (at 9' intervals) marked out. The next job was to scrape back the ballast, concrete remnants and anything else that sat on top of the membrane. This then required cutting to enable the holes to be dug, and the stools planted. The end two holes were dug first, with great care being taken to get the stools in exactly the right place. Measurements were made from the inner edge of the rail for these, and the tops set at the same height as the top of the sleepers. Our tape measure (named John) came into its own here. These stools were tightly packed in place, the membrane folded back around them, and then ballast packed on top to leave bot...
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Painting & Decorating

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On Wednesday, we set about painting the inside walls of the signal box with two coats of breathable paint. This will allow any trapped moisture to escape, helping to keep everything nice and dry at the same time. John and Paul worked diligently on constructing the three maintenance access trapdoors that run along the front of the lever frame. These trapdoors will allow for periodic inspection and repair of the lever frame if required. We are now getting very close to completing the building phase of the signal box, which has been very satisfying. However, inspection of the pictures showing the beginning of the installation of the incredibly complex operating machinery - beautifully refurbished by Tim and his team - means that you can look forward to many interesting blogs yet to come. And let’s not forget: once we’re open to the public, you’ll soon be able to come and see us, and the ‘box, in the flesh, so to speak. 
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Frame installation: Day 3

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The third day dawned with delays in getting up to Kirkby Stephen, but work kicked off rapidly, with the aim of fixing all the quadrants down properly, getting the steadying brackets attached to both the frame and the joists as well as tidying up everything else and triple checking what we'd already done. We had several holes that hadn't centred properly, so we marked out what needed to be removed, took off the quadrants affected, and set up the mag drill to correct the errors. None was greater than 1/8", and most just took a minute or two with a file. Quadrants lifted off to allow the mag drill to sit on the longitudinal tie bar. The steadying brackets attach to the underside of the stanchions and tie these to the joists. This steadies the frame and also supports the remaining sections of floor, which also have to be able to be lifted out, to allow access to the locking. This will be another job for the near future. For now, we have installed a temporary floor to allow saf...
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