Blog Archives

Platform numbering

29/7/2020

On a layout with as many stations as Banbury Connections, it is easy for minor details to slip the attention of the scenic team.

Recent work at Leamington Spa and Platform 1 at Birkenhead Woodside has left Stratford-Upon-Avon as the only unnumbered station on the layout. This should be rectified shortly!

Station numbering has been added to the footbridge and awnings at Leamington Spa.

Due to the lack of appropriate mounting points on Platform 1 at Birkenhead, a post was inserted at the end of the platform.

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Bradford Locomotive Storage

20/7/2020

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Fluctuations in traffic at Bradford Exchange has often left operators with a shortage of locomotive storage roads. In response, the head ganger inserted an additional locomotive storage road between platforms 1 and 2. Unfortunately, it has been occupied by the pictured 9F ever since!

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Winchester and Bradford Scenic Lift

20/7/2020

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With the aid of our new scenic expert Katie, the scenery around Bradford Exchange carriage siding and the southern end of Winchester Chesil were recently improved.

New scenery at Bradford, unfortunately the carriages block the view most of the time.

Application of sheet grass at Winchester was a major improvement over the poorly applied scatter.

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Wolverhampton Throat

1/7/2020

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Since construction of the Chester and Birkenhead extension in 2015, traffic coming and going to the north of Wolverhampton has been constrained by the restrictive trackwork at the station throat where up trains from Chester shared a double slip with all down trains. It was noted that track geometry would permit the installation of an additional crossover between the centre bi-directional and the up Stafford track, thereby permitting parallel moves of up and down Chester line trains.
Unfortunately the existing Wolverhampton Control Panel (the oldest on the system dating back to 1975 and extensively modified over the years) could not readily support this further change to the track diagram. Accordingly a 3 stage modernisation process was put in place over the Xmas/New year period without interrupting regular operations. Firstly a new and longer panel was constructed, taking advantage of the previous removal of the controller to an adjacent location but still alowing room for coffee cup storage! This was initially wired as before, although showing the new track arrangement. Secondly, the new crossover was laid in. This initially relied on reinstatement of the previous wiring, as the use of sandwich baseboards, skeins of similar coloured wire and unlabelled multi-pin plugs at this location makes wiring amendment much more difficult than on contemporary interlockings. Consequently, the upgrading of the two affected switches to double throw, double pole, centre off status was deferred until a third possession which, unfortunately, still resulted in a long string of technical expletives when the aging and poorly sighted Head Ganger managed to get his wires crossed.
All eventually ended well and the new arrangements, which bear a remarkable resemblance by Banbury Connections standards to good railway practice, are now functioning correctly, thereby enhancing effective operational capacity at Wolverhampton.

Work being undertaken to remove existing track to make way for the new station throat.

The old control panel in place with the new one being sketched out.

The new panel in place without switches.

The new Wolverhampton Low-Level throat. Trains are now able to depart and arrive from Wellington simultaneously.

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Platform numbering

Bradford Locomotive Storage

Winchester and Bradford Scenic Lift

Wolverhampton Throat

Banbury Connections General Blog

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