34theletterbetweenB&D Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Seen in 'the warehouse' section of the NRM earlier this week, a very extensive exhibit as titled. To be demonstrated on high days and holidays by volunteers drawn from past and present signals people, some of whom trained on this very set of equipment. Had a most interesting chat to the volunteer working on it. As so often this splendid bit of kit was nearly junked, but for the intervention of some interested ex BR folk. Very well worth a look the next time you are in the NRM. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted June 1, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 1, 2012 I had a go working on it - believe it or not I spent a couple of days at signalling school in Manchester whilst others were being trained, the instructor was very impressed with my knowledge ! - I worked the junction and the intermediate box, on the loop. I've got some photos of it whilst it was still at Manchester. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMS2968 Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 I remember it too at Manchester Victoria. As I was to become a guard, I didn't get a go on, but it was well worth seeing! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 I've been lucky enough to work it on two occasions and it's got a little bit of everything on it, terminus, twin track junction, shunting signals, intermediate siding with ground frame, permissive block line etc. What you don't realise until you get close to it is that everything behaves as in the real thing, working FPLs, miniature mechanical signal detection, full frame interlocking etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark axlecounter Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 we was going to go to see it work but i never got chance but i will one day Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingsignalman Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 When it was at Manchester Victoria if a fault developed, the S&T were called out. It was, not surprisingly, a low priority and it had spent some time unable to be used fully. I was lucky in that when I went in October 1976, an ex S&T man had gone to the previous school to train as a Signalman and he had used his expertise to restore it to use, clearing several block instrument and track circuit failures. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boris Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 When it was at Manchester Victoria if a fault developed, the S&T were called out. It was, not surprisingly, a low priority and it had spent some time unable to be used fully. I was lucky in that when I went in October 1976, an ex S&T man had gone to the previous school to train as a Signalman and he had used his expertise to restore it to use, clearing several block instrument and track circuit failures. Unfortunately the track circuits were all removed when it was transported to the NRM, although the equipment is still in a cabinet should they ever decide to restore that aspect of the layout, I was quite impressed the last time I was there to see a train waiting plunger (and wired to the block instrument correctly too!) attached and working at one of the outer home signals, something I have read about but never actually seen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingsignalman Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 At Manchester the junction signal box (box B ) had one of its starters converted to a 3-aspect colour light which I think was replaced by a semaphore when it went to York. The layout was getting worn when I was there; the junction starter with the Box A distant underneath would lean when the starter was pulled off and lean even more when the distant came off too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanuts Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 was out of action when i was at signalling school at manchester looked amazing tho would love to have used it were the l trains ever driven using the set of controls from a dmu that were on a lecturn close by as we were told ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 was out of action when i was at signalling school at manchester looked amazing tho would love to have used it were the l trains ever driven using the set of controls from a dmu that were on a lecturn close by as we were told ? The original controls were a simple set of section switches once the train had been set in motion. A retired electrical engineer came in to re-wire it at Manchester. He fitted overhead wires and had some of the coaches converted to collect power from the OHL. There was a set of controls from one of the old Glossop units used to control it. There used to be a L&Y 4-4-0 on the layout (in lined BR black as 41000!!) but that, along with quite a few items of rolling stock, disappeared before the layout left Manchester. I think one of the radial tank models still runs there at york. I used to occasionally visit the layout as a kid in the mid 70's and when I joined BR in 1978 at the age of 16 as a box lad at Bolton West I fully expected to be sent there when I got to 18. Sadly I was told in no uncertain terms that I was expected to already be capable of qualifying as a signalman by reason of having studied during my 2 years as a box lad and shouldn't need to go to the school. It was many years after that before I managed another visit and many changes had taken place...! I have managed a days playing on it at York with some signalman friends, but the value of our performance as a demo was somewhat diminished by the speed that we all worked it once we'd passed ourselves out on it! (DDDDDDing!) Jon F Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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