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?

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?

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.

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.

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

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.

Does anyone know how well the forthcoming Hitachi IEP bimodal trains will cope with the waves?

[killybegs posted today at 09:24 "you really think they know the difference!"]

Hopefully the BBC do and I think some members of the general public will also. I take your point though, that perhaps many do not

[stewartingram on 16th December 2014 at 15:13 said.  "shame  they are still referring to the station at Dawlish as TRAIN station, after promising last year to clean up their act"]

The privatisation of the railway, splitting apart the infrastructure from the operational element, probably has not helped. Under British Rail it was a complete organisation (a railway). Now many people seem to regard the infrastructure such as the sea wall, tunnels, cuttings and track as railway and the operational side, i.e. stations, booking websites and rolling stock as train.

Please accept my apologies if I have stated incorrect information. I don't know why but I thought that a proposal had been put forward to try and appease some of the Sea Lawn Terrace residents that the raised sea wall should be a metre lower than the existing high level sea wall. Personally I agree with Granitechops that one level is preferable. I personally want to be able to see the trains, although I absolutely promise not to use binoculars and peer through the residents windows.

There was mention at one point that the newly raised section could be a metre or so lower than the height of the existing walkway. Has that idea now been dropped (sorry no pun intended)? I guess one issue would be providing steps or a ramp between the two levels. The problem with a ramp is that it could become very slippery at this location and steps inhibit buggies and wheelchairs.