KSE Signalling Project

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 ...

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. 

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...

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..