Wednesday 9th October 2024

Current format: Trains coming from the quarry, under the control of the Edwards board controller, can be run right up to the signal, whereupon, the correct signalling process (bell/flashing light sequence) can be carried out. During the recent 'trainees running session', Ted, who seemed to like the process, asked if the same routine could be applied to the mainline as well? Although Geoff and Stephen thought it could, they couldn't answer categorically and so agreed to investigate.

Worklist: Investigate the above!

The mainline track is already separated from the adjacent, station section, but is electrically bonded to the section. However, the yard control panel has an additional, switchable section for 'something' in the area, but is it on the station board or the Edwards yard board? There is an identical section for the quarry line, but no apparent rail break on either track/board.

Basically, the rest of the session was spent tracing wires. Then, when an initial plan evolved, an extra wire was inserted in the loom, and track feeds and switches were adapted, but without achieving the desired arrangement. A lot more investigative work is required!

Where Geoff spent a lot of the day...

Wednesday 2nd October 2024

Worklist:
Repair point (engine shed to siding).
Add electrical jumper to Edwards yard point off mainline.
Glue scrap timber pile together.
Add a sleeper to the end of the siding.

The engine shed to siding point had 'played-up' the previous week by not travelling the full way and bouncing back slightly. Close examination determined that the wire actuator needed to throw further, but once moved to the next servo arm hole, the wire was too short and a new wire was required. Once fitted, Geoff needed to reprogram the point using the MERG programmer.

One of the point blades on the point into Edwards Yard was receiving an intermittent electrical feed. This is normally fed through the pin at the pivot pivot at the end, but they sometimes lose the contact with the printed circuit-board sleepers. The standard solution is to solder a jumper wire under the point, from the stock rail to the blade, which worked again.

In between assisting with the above, Stephen  glued the pieces of scrap timber he'd created previously.

Stephen got the brown paint out and touched up several sections of rail where the 'rust' had worn off. While painting the rail at the end of the shed siding, he queried the lack of a buffer and Geoff knocked-up a prestigious bolted-down sleeper.