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I'm planning to install some Ratio N-gauge cabinets by my colour-light signals. My layout is 60s-70s based. My signals are 4-aspect with junction indicators, plain 4-aspect and a cantilvered 2-track plain with 2 heads. I've noted on recent observations of the prototype that the cabinet doors always open away from the track for obvious safety reasons but I'd like to know whether you'd have one cabinet per signal, plus are they used for point-motors too?

TIA.

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I'm planning to install some Ratio N-gauge cabinets by my colour-light signals. My layout is 60s-70s based. My signals are 4-aspect with junction indicators, plain 4-aspect and a cantilvered 2-track plain with 2 heads. I've noted on recent observations of the prototype that the cabinet doors always open away from the track for obvious safety reasons but I'd like to know whether you'd have one cabinet per signal, plus are they used for point-motors too?

TIA.

 

Most lineside locations have doors both sides and in the old days the most used side was normally away from the track. However on more recent times, they have been placed at 90 degrees to the track (known as toastracked) 

Locations are used for all items including points, signals, power supplies and track circuits and had all items in them that are nearby. If a lot of items in the immediate area then a relay room is used.

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Most lineside locations have doors both sides and in the old days the most used side was normally away from the track. However on more recent times, they have been placed at 90 degrees to the track (known as toastracked) 

Locations are used for all items including points, signals, power supplies and track circuits and had all items in them that are nearby. If a lot of items in the immediate area then a relay room is used.

The Locs also house batteries, typically for anything with a motor, e.g. points, barriers, etc.

 

Regards, Ian.

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Wherever there were points nearby, some of the cabinets would contain point clips and scotches (usually covered in oil and grease). These would often have the words “point clips” painted on the doors, although you'd be struggling to pull that off in N.

Edited by Western Aviator
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I'm planning to install some Ratio N-gauge cabinets by my colour-light signals. My layout is 60s-70s based. My signals are 4-aspect with junction indicators, plain 4-aspect and a cantilvered 2-track plain with 2 heads. I've noted on recent observations of the prototype that the cabinet doors always open away from the track for obvious safety reasons but I'd like to know whether you'd have one cabinet per signal, plus are they used for point-motors too?

TIA.

If it is on a multiple aspect signalling area by the 1960s the relays would have been plug-in types which needed access on both sides. Styles depended on if the installation was in-house or the contractor involved and regional preferences.

Cabling and wiring to the relay bases which was stuff you didn't need to access much was on the track side. Relays plugged in from the cess side, and items such as power supplies and fuses were usually on that side. 'Toast racking' of cases was sometimes used in restricted areas and in some instances of particularly tight site half cases were used.  The number of cases used depended on the type of equipment, sizes came down a lot in the early 1960s

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It does depend to quite a considerable extent on the Region as some used completely different pattern loc cabinets from others in earlier years. standardisation across BR didn't really come until the late 1980s but many older cabinets still survive.

Like those WR ones with the heavy lift-off doors. Painful on the feet if you got it wrong.
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Like those WR ones with the heavy lift-off doors. Painful on the feet if you got it wrong.

and also not the easiest thing to get back onto the case, especially if an aged one! Thankfully it’s a good few years since I had to do that and now I am fully retired from Signal Engineering, yippee

 

Tim T

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As we have found doing reasearch for the signalling on Charwelton about the only way to find info is to wade through photos of the nearest area that your modelling, as mentioned signalling design varied between regions, not easy when your researching signalling on a line that didn't survive such as the GC with Charwelton. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/124677-charwelton-re-signalling/

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