St Albans South Signal Box - developments in 2012

January has seen a number of bits and pieces done:

This is a new shelf for the better display of our smaller exhibits, formed from a timber that used to support the down-rods and balance weights from the levers upstairs. (Hence the numbers on the front edge!)

Outside we have now connected up our Midland Railway ground disc signal to a small LNWR ground frame:

Close-up view of the signal:

The pulley gets the pull into the right direction to operate the signal and helps us show how signal wires were taken round corners.

 

A new addition to our display in the garden:


Still to be painted white; we've been waiting for the good weather, which arrived today. But we were also open to the public and wet paint and visitors don't mix!

 

Sometime since I made any report - much was going on 'behind the scenes' or was delayed by the weather.

First item was the completion of the gate seen above in the previous post:

This was considerably delayed by the heavy rain experienced this year, as was our first major repaint of the box exterior:

This is the south end of the box; the left-hand side has been repainted, the right-hand side was being worked on when I took the picture.

In May our new computer simulator was completed. The next picture shows part of our demo of 7 trains in 20 minutes, approximating to the third busiest hour of the day in the mid-1970s:

A lengthy goods train is on the Up Slow line (top of the diagram - note the number of track circuit lamps lit) - our signalman is ready to give 'Train entering Section' to the next box.
A stopping passenger train is just pulling into the Up Fast platform - the two sets of lights on the third from top line.

The rain and sun also generated noticeable growth in the garden, seen here mid-August:

Right of the lattice post signal is the newly 'planted' Midland Railway signal post. The rest of the signal was completed just in time for the recent Heritage Open Days:

Seen here in the 'On' (Stop) position.
Although not yet connected to the lever in the box, we were able to alter it to the 'Off' (Clear) position by hand:

The signal is not a complete original MR signal - it has been assembled from items obtained from several sources; the arm is completely new, however.

Heritage Open Days on the 8th/9th of September saw some 300 visitors attend.
At the entrance:

Note our new style of T-shirt on the left and the prominate new MR signal at the end of the garden.

Upstairs, our members explained the workings of the box to our visitors:

Note our youngest trainee signalman - grandson of one of our members.