Mid-Cornwall Lines - 1950s Western Region in 00

[St Enodoc]

26, 39 and 43 discs are now built and painted, with just the actuators to be fitted. They're the last of the signals for Porthmellyn Road but, while the process and techniques are fresh in my mind, I might carry on with the five remaining signals for St Enodoc, so that they will be ready when needed. These will be:

 

- a standard 4ft arm stop signal, using the post that previously carried a backing arm

- a two-armed backing signal

- a 4ft arm stop signal with fixed distant below

- a 4ft fixed distant

- a "special" 3ft ringed arm fixed distant

 

These will only need four actuators, of which one is already built.

Edited December 17, 2020 by St Enodoc

[KingEdwardII]

Since I have a signalling challenge to come on my layout, can I ask how you are creating your signals? Are you using kits or are you scratchbuilding? And how are you doing your actuators?

 

Yours,  Mike.

[St Enodoc]

18 minutes ago, KingEdwardII said:

Since I have a signalling challenge to come on my layout, can I ask how you are creating your signals? Are you using kits or are you scratchbuilding? And how are you doing your actuators?

 

Yours,  Mike.

Mike, in brief:

 

Ratio kits 460/461/462/469 according to type;

Scalelink etched arms;

Memory wire actuators built using Bic Clic ballpoint pen parts.

 

At the moment they're all built to standard Ratio configuration, for speed of construction, but in the fullness of time I might replace some to vary the styles (e.g. round posts) and to imitate more closely some of the actual signals at Par.

 

For the full story. start at the top of page 145 and follow the posts through.

[St Enodoc]

To the accompaniment of the remarkable goings-on at the Adelaide Oval today, I installed 26 disc to complete the signalling at Porthmellyn Road (except, of course, for the four signals on the branch).

 

Here are all the Down end main line signals, with 26 disc in the foreground. This is another disc, like 11 and 34, that can be passed in the On position for the route that leads direct to a further disc - in this case, towards the Up Branch where the next signal is 39 disc at the safety points protecting the Branch crossover (41 points). The prototype would have a white light instead of red when On. 26 disc does need to be Off for movements towards the Chapel Sidings or Down Main.

Edited June 28, 2023 by St Enodoc
Got red arm/white light back-to-front - see below.

[5BarVT]

2 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

The prototype would have a white light instead of green when Off.

Are you sure?  I thought it was white i.l.o. red when On and normal green when Off.  (Ancient memory of Ascott-under-Wychwood October 1975.). The Stationmaster will confirm.

Paul.

[St Enodoc]

41 minutes ago, 5BarVT said:

Are you sure?  I thought it was white i.l.o. red when On and normal green when Off.  (Ancient memory of Ascott-under-Wychwood October 1975.). The Stationmaster will confirm.

Paul.

Well Paul, I've just looked back at some correspondence I had with Mike @The Stationmaster about four years ago, when I was working out the signalling for Porthmellyn Road, and...

 

... you are absolutely right!

 

I'd completely misinterpreted what he wrote about red arm/white light discs and consequently got it back to front. On the models it makes no difference at all, as the spectacles on the discs are just unglazed holes, but it makes a lot more sense! I'll edit my post above and, more importantly edit my signalling diagrams!

 

Just shows what can go wrong when you let a rolling stock engineer dabble in the world of S&T...

 

Thanks.

[5BarVT]

8 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Just shows what can go wrong when you let a rolling stock engineer dabble in the world of S&T...

Definitely not worded right: “A railway systems engineer specialising in rolling stock with knowledge in other disciplines.”  Sounds so much better to the prospective client.

Paul.

[Metropolitan H]

Nah! - As an old fashioned Rolling Stock Engineer (- one time ex LU "ARSE") I agree with St Enodoc.

 

I got really angry when persons from another discipline wanted to add a half mile walk to the platform end at terminal stations when we were already adding traibn arrestors to the end of the terminal roads to make sure there were no calamitous terminal road collisions!.

 

There is absolute safety - when nothing moves - or there is sensible systems thinking when risks are properly understood and addressed.

 

I know that "Common sense is not that common", but please let us get on and represent sensible railways, that work!

 

Rant over.

 

Regards

Chris H

[manna]

G'Day Folks

 

Stay safe over there in Sydney St E. Railway room Lockdown, sounds reasonable.

 

manna

[St Enodoc]

2 hours ago, 5BarVT said:

Definitely not worded right: “A railway systems engineer specialising in rolling stock with knowledge in other disciplines.”  Sounds so much better to the prospective client.

Paul.

Ha, ha, you've been reading my CV...

 

I like to tell folk that I know enough about other disciplines to know how much I don't know.

 

Anyway, that's the Monday to Thursday version for when I'm getting paid. At weekends anything goes.

Edited December 19, 2020 by St Enodoc

[St Enodoc]

2 hours ago, Metropolitan H said:

Nah! - As an old fashioned Rolling Stock Engineer (- one time ex LU "ARSE") I agree with St Enodoc.

 

I got really angry when persons from another discipline wanted to add a half mile walk to the platform end at terminal stations when we were already adding traibn arrestors to the end of the terminal roads to make sure there were no calamitous terminal road collisions!.

 

There is absolute safety - when nothing moves - or there is sensible systems thinking when risks are properly understood and addressed.

 

I know that "Common sense is not that common", but please let us get on and represent sensible railways, that work!

 

Rant over.

 

Regards

Chris H

I was once involved in designing a new organisational structure for a certain part of BR. It wasn't the most exciting job so we tried to spice things up with some cheeky job titles. My favourite was Area Rolling Stock and Overhead Line Engineer. It got about three rungs up the ladder before one of my bosses - who shared my sense of humour - killed it.

[St Enodoc]

1 hour ago, manna said:

G'Day Folks

 

Stay safe over there in Sydney St E. Railway room Lockdown, sounds reasonable.

 

manna

Thanks. We shall just have to see how things go. Our January running session now looks distinctly doubtful. More immediately, on Thursday I bought my tickets for the Sydney Test on 7 January...

[Barry O]

17 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Thanks. We shall just have to see how things go. Our January running session now looks distinctly doubtful. More immediately, on Thursday I bought my tickets for the Sydney Test on 7 January...

It seems like my visit last January c0cked up the running sessions.. many apologies... can't you get Veronica to "have a drive"?  (her indoors says if V wants me to get a slap for that to contact her direct(!)

 

Sorry to hear about the cricket John.. so long as the tickets are not for the 4th or 5th day but it appears the  Covids might badger it all up. You might have to make do with having a beer or two listening (been listening to the ABC commentaries here .. some commentators need to learn to stop spouting about DRS and how good cricketers walk.. really??

 

Baz

 

 

Edited December 20, 2020 by Barry O

[St Enodoc]

5 hours ago, Barry O said:

her indoors says if V wants me to get a slap for that to contact her direct

I think you already know the answer to that!

 

5 hours ago, Barry O said:

so long as the tickets are not for the 4th or 5th day

Day one, as always. A smaller group than usual but at this rate it might be smaller still, i.e. 0.

 

5 hours ago, Barry O said:

You might have to make do with having a beer or two listening

My concern is that there might be nothing to listen to...

 

5 hours ago, Barry O said:

DRS and how good cricketers walk

Why would anyone walk with DRS? It has taken away the need for personal responsibility - both for players and (dare I say) umpires. Oh, and while I'm at it, what's the point of the third umpire calling a no-ball about 30 seconds after the ball has been bowled? To quote a famous fast bowler of earlier times, I don't know what's going off out there...

[Barry O]

Some of us umpires have yo get on with it.DRS is not good (tried it , found how it has a problem or two).. no balls called when they happen..  the international umpires would struggle in league cricket..

 

Baz

[St Enodoc]

I've assembled the seven arms for the five final signal structures at St Enodoc, primed them and applied two coats of white. Yellow, red and black to follow.

 

Of the five posts, one already existed, being the single arm post that previously carried a 3ft backing arm but which will now carry a standard 4ft stop arm (with Rule 55 diamond), and one came part-built in a secondhand, incomplete kit so will do duty for the 4ft fixed distant. Another two will be two-arm posts, one carrying the two 3ft backing arms and the other carrying a 4ft stop arm with a 4ft fixed distant below it. The fifth, final, post will carry the 3ft ringed fixed distant arm. I'm thinking of making that post much shorter, to provide a bit of contrast in the vertical plane. The longer "doll" in the old Ratio 466 square post bracket kit would give an arm about a scale 11ft above rail level. Does the team think that is too short?

[5BarVT]

That’s roughly where we would put a colourlight in modern practice, but that’s giving out a light rather than being viewed (preferably) against a sky background.  Gut feels is that you would want a reason for it being so low (viewed through a bridge?) but on a slow speed line (assumption) it would be ok. (More time to make it out, less delay impact if it wasn’t seen to be off as soon as might otherwise be the case.)

Basis for a good story if nothing else!

Paul.

[St Enodoc]

1 hour ago, 5BarVT said:

That’s roughly where we would put a colourlight in modern practice, but that’s giving out a light rather than being viewed (preferably) against a sky background.  Gut feels is that you would want a reason for it being so low (viewed through a bridge?) but on a slow speed line (assumption) it would be ok. (More time to make it out, less delay impact if it wasn’t seen to be off as soon as might otherwise be the case.)

Basis for a good story if nothing else!

Paul.

Thanks Paul, that's why I asked! There is no convenient bridge unfortunately. It's definitely a slow-speed line though, being the Wheal Veronica china-clay branch and of course being a fixed distant it will never be Off.

 

There's a picture around of a fixed distant (without ring) at Lostwithiel on the Fowey branch that is described as 21 ft tall. The old Ratio round single posts (kit 467) are 18ft tall, while the standard square posts (kit 460) are 25ft tall.

 

I will probably shorten a standard square post to about 18ft, which with the shorter arm will look better-proportioned.

[drduncan]

Dear John (and all the others who have contributed to this thread),

 

Just worked my way from page 1 to 161 and throughly enjoyed the journey!

 

Many thanks and merry Xmas!

 

Duncan

[St Enodoc]

6 hours ago, drduncan said:

Dear John (and all the others who have contributed to this thread),

 

Just worked my way from page 1 to 161 and throughly enjoyed the journey!

 

Many thanks and merry Xmas!

 

Duncan

Thanks Duncan. I think you deserve a medal for that.

 

The very same to you and yours.

[St Enodoc]

The six new and one recovered arms for St Enodoc's signals are now painted and waiting to be striped. Sorry there are no multi-coloured bulldog clips in this shot.

 

I rather like the little ringed distant, though I say so myself.

 

Once the stripes are done and the arms varnished, I can make up two of the signals straight away but the others need new posts. A nice holiday task.

[5BarVT]

You’re tempting me with that ringed distant, but I’m resisting!  I have my own ideas for something just a little different (eventually).

[St Enodoc]

20 hours ago, 5BarVT said:

You’re tempting me with that ringed distant, but I’m resisting!  I have my own ideas for something just a little different (eventually).

A working cash register?

[manna]

6 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

A working cash register?

G'Day Folks

 

Wot's cash ????

 

manna

[5BarVT]

2 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

A working cash register?

A nice idea, but unfortunately mechanical is not my domain.  I’m looking at GWR power signalling, in particular their colour light double shunts.

Paul.