Reading Signal Works

[CloggyDog]

At the Kenavon show the other month, a former worker at the Works shared some very useful info about the despatch of new signals - the posts were sent out 'undressed' with no fittings and usually loaded on the Prawn (30t BoBol Cs), with the fittings (lamps, arms, bearings, etc) in an accompanying 12t van. He also said that the posts were set out without the underground section fitted, as that would be done on site. Likewise gantries were sent out without posts fitted, unless they were very simple/small ones.

 

He also recalled at least one whole small signal box timber upper level being despatched on a lowmac, so that's another possible load to add to staircases and crossing gates.

 

So that helps with my outbound traffic.

 

What I forgot to ask him was about inbound, removed signals from site - were old signals brought back for component re-use (and if so, were 'whole' signals loaded, or were they also stripped and just the undressed posts loaded on Prawns/recovered fittings in vans), or was it standard practice to just scrap old signals on site?? Likewise redundant gantries?

 

I'll shortly be making up a couple of scrap cable loads (21t min, 13t sands), plain tube loads for the Prawns (2mm brass tube, painted white) and I'll be looking at how to make a batch of lineside cabinets (both wood and metal styles) for loads and general scenic items.

 

[sb67]

Just came across this layout and got to say I think it's great, I love the original photo that inspired it and you've done a fine job of recreating that, are there any more photos of the layout? With a bit of moddelers licence looks like there is a lot of scope for some interesting bits of stock to build as well Hope I get to see it in the flesh sometime.

Steve.

[mewstone]

This is a photograph taken in 1981, of a new Western Region lower quadrant at Craven Arms, I assume as delivered to site from Reading Signal Works. I thought this might be of interest.

[Compound2632]

Is that signal still in situ? It must surely be one of the newest semaphores / last to be installed. Surely those finials are recycled components - as indeed quite a lot else? 

[5BarVT]

1 hour ago, Compound2632 said:

Surely those finials are recycled components - as indeed quite a lot else? 

At that time, I’m fairly certain that new castings were available for semaphore components.  I have a new spectacle plate casting dating from after 1988 ‘recovered’ from Caversham Road for me when the demolition contractors were on the site.

Paul.

[Fat Controller]

9 hours ago, mewstone said:

This is a photograph taken in 1981, of a new Western Region lower quadrant at Craven Arms, I assume as delivered to site from Reading Signal Works. I thought this might be of interest.

Loaded in a former Plate wagon (Winkle). The signal looks to be finished in Zinc Chromate primer, albeit a bit bluer in tone than normal; new Oleo buffers used to be delivered in a similar finish.

[CloggyDog]

9 hours ago, mewstone said:

This is a photograph taken in 1981, of a new Western Region lower quadrant at Craven Arms, I assume as delivered to site from Reading Signal Works. I thought this might be of interest.

 

That is fantastic, many thanks for sharing the photo.

[CloggyDog]

17 minutes ago, Fat Controller said:

Loaded in a former Plate wagon (Winkle). The signal looks to be finished in Zinc Chromate primer, albeit a bit bluer in tone than normal; new Oleo buffers used to be delivered in a similar finish.

 

I'm not sure it is a Winkle, Brian - the wooden sides/ends makes me think it's a Whiting (2 plank long low)?

[mewstone]

1 hour ago, Compound2632 said:

Is that signal still in situ? It must surely be one of the newest semaphores / last to be installed. Surely those finials are recycled components - as indeed quite a lot else? 

Yes it is still there, it is the down home (the 2nd picture) here http://www.roscalen.com/signals/CravenArms/index.htm

 

[Fat Controller]

2 minutes ago, CloggyDog said:

 

I'm not sure it is a Winkle, Brian - the wooden sides/ends makes me think it's a Whiting (2 plank long low)?

Looking at again, I think you're right.

[Compound2632]

2 hours ago, mewstone said:

Yes it is still there, it is the down home (the 2nd picture) here http://www.roscalen.com/signals/CravenArms/index.htm

 

 

So that's an interesting warning that all is not what it might seem to be - not a true Great Western survival!

[The Stationmaster]

5 hours ago, Fat Controller said:

Loaded in a former Plate wagon (Winkle). The signal looks to be finished in Zinc Chromate primer, albeit a bit bluer in tone than normal; new Oleo buffers used to be delivered in a similar finish.

Looks like the usual green coloured primer/rust proofer which they used at Reading Works although the colour in the photo has obviously suffered somewhat due to age.  Incidentally unless there is something very wrong with 'Roscalen's' picture of the signal it is actually the Down Main Starting Signal.

Edited August 4, 2019 by The Stationmaster

[Clive Mortimore]

15 hours ago, mewstone said:

This is a photograph taken in 1981, of a new Western Region lower quadrant at Craven Arms, I assume as delivered to site from Reading Signal Works. I thought this might be of interest.

Hi Alan

 

Just buy a Ratio GWR signal kit remove the bits of the sprues, paint and then bung in the wagon. Even I could manage that.

[Compound2632]

Are not the signals in the Ratio kit square-posted?

[Fat Controller]

15 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

Are not the signals in the Ratio kit square-posted?

The more recent type are, but the original (1970s?) ones were tubular-steel posts.

[CloggyDog]

40 minutes ago, Fat Controller said:

The more recent type are, but the original (1970s?) ones were tubular-steel posts.

 

Indeed they are, I acquired a few boxes when I started the project, for just this occasion. 

 

 

[mewstone]

2 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Looks like the usual green coloured primer/rust proofer which they used at Reading Works although the colour in the photo has obviously suffered somewhat due to age.  Incidentally unless there is something very wrong with 'Roscalen's' picture of the signal it is actually the Down Main Starting Signal.

The signal, which I understand was installed on the 6th September 1981, (from the left) No 25 Down Main Home to Down Goods Loop and No 27 Down Main Home.

[The Stationmaster]

16 hours ago, mewstone said:

The signal, which I understand was installed on the 6th September 1981, (from the left) No 25 Down Main Home to Down Goods Loop and No 27 Down Main Home.

Those dolls look far too short for the Down Main Home in Roscalen's picture - far more like the Starting Signal dolls.  Or was the Home renewed with shorter dolls?

[mewstone]

1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

Those dolls look far too short for the Down Main Home in Roscalen's picture - far more like the Starting Signal dolls.  Or was the Home renewed with shorter dolls?

Hopefully these photographs will help, showing the new signal being assembled on Sunday 6th September 1981. The first picture shows the old Westinghouse signal, having been craned out, to be replaced by the new one.

[mewstone]

At the same time on Sunday 6th September 1981 the bracket signal carrying Bromfield's no 25 Down Goods Loop to Down Main and no 27  Down Main Inner Home, was also replaced. Apologies if this is going off topic, however, maybe the "kit of  parts" in the S&T wagon at Craven Arms was this signal. I had not thought of that before?

[CloggyDog]

Great set of pics mewstone, many thanks. This is all fascinating and very useful stuff.

 

Were the large concrete blocks at the base of the main post delivered with the new signal, or were they already on site (as they don't appear in the loaded wagon pic you posted earlier)? The various pics give a good sense of scale of these things.

 

And what happened to the old/replaced signals? Were they scrapped on site, transported off site (how, where?) or salvaged for component use and if so, did the parts head back to Reading somehow, or simply retained for local use?

 

A Whiting is on the build list (using Parkside's Fruit D chassis parts) but I may have to bump it to the top of the build list to replicate that photo!

[mewstone]

59 minutes ago, CloggyDog said:

Great set of pics mewstone, many thanks. This is all fascinating and very useful stuff.

 

Were the large concrete blocks at the base of the main post delivered with the new signal, or were they already on site (as they don't appear in the loaded wagon pic you posted earlier)? The various pics give a good sense of scale of these things.

 

And what happened to the old/replaced signals? Were they scrapped on site, transported off site (how, where?) or salvaged for component use and if so, did the parts head back to Reading somehow, or simply retained for local use?

 

A Whiting is on the build list (using Parkside's Fruit D chassis parts) but I may have to bump it to the top of the build list to replicate that photo!

Apart from on the day when the new signals were being craned into position I did not see the large concrete blocks, used on the base of the main posts. I think these would have been supplied by the BRWR concrete works at Taunton, so maybe they arrived on site separately. There was just (as far as I can remember) the one "Whiting" S&T wagon parked in the down goods siding at the "Salop" end of Craven Arms Station. I seem to recall it was at the stop block end of a platform and that is how I was easily able to photograph the wagon contents. It was there for at least a week or more, before the work on Sunday 6th September 1981. The old "scrap" signals I seem to recall were left adjacent to the railway lines for at least a few days after their replacements were commissioned. As to what happened to them after that, I do not know. Hope this helps?

Edited August 5, 2019 by mewstone
concrete spelt wrongly

[CloggyDog]

Reading Signal Works will be at the Wealden Railway Group's exhibition in Lancing this  coming Saturday (7th March 2020).

 

 

[HGT1972]

A lovely little layout!

 

One fixture at the Signal Works for many years was the Lennox-Lomax Earth Auger, built on a former GWR four-wheel crane chassis by Automower of Bath. It was intended for the drilling of holes for signal posts but I've only ever seen a few pictures of it, all immobile at Reading. Paul B's photos of it here:

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/otpmiscellaneous

And I can spy it in the background two of the pics of No.20 you've posted earlier in the thread. It used a former Lowfit as a runner. Does anyone recall ever seeing it working? Or even better does someone out there have some more photos? I quite fancy making a model of the odd little machine one day!

 

Hywel

[hmrspaul]

5 hours ago, HGT1972 said:

A lovely little layout!

 

One fixture at the Signal Works for many years was the Lennox-Lomax Earth Auger, built on a former GWR four-wheel crane chassis by Automower of Bath. It was intended for the drilling of holes for signal posts but I've only ever seen a few pictures of it, all immobile at Reading. Paul B's photos of it here:

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/otpmiscellaneous

And I can spy it in the background two of the pics of No.20 you've posted earlier in the thread. It used a former Lowfit as a runner. Does anyone recall ever seeing it working? Or even better does someone out there have some more photos? I quite fancy making a model of the odd little machine one day!

 

Hywel

https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/otpmiscellaneous/e1a3f0b46

https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/otpmiscellaneous/e1391a0b1

 

Paul