Banbury Connections
Banbury Connections British 00 Scale Model Railway
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Operations
  • Videos
  • Gallery
  • Gosport Tramway
  • Birkenhead Connection
  • 50 years on
  • Blog
  • Rolling Stock Update
  • Special Traffic Notices
  • Resources & Publications
  • The Prototype
  • Links
  • Contact Us

Platform numbering

29/7/2020

0 Comments

 
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!
Picture
Station numbering has been added to the footbridge and awnings at Leamington Spa.
Picture
Due to the lack of appropriate mounting points on Platform 1 at Birkenhead, a post was inserted at the end of the platform.
0 Comments

Bradford Locomotive Storage

20/7/2020

0 Comments

 
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! 
Picture
0 Comments

Winchester and Bradford Scenic Lift

20/7/2020

0 Comments

 
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. 
Picture
New scenery at Bradford, unfortunately the carriages block the view most of the time.
Picture
Application of sheet grass at Winchester was a major improvement over the poorly applied scatter.
0 Comments

Wolverhampton Throat

1/7/2020

1 Comment

 
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. 
Picture
Work being undertaken to remove existing track to make way for the new station throat.
Picture
The old control panel in place with the new one being sketched out.
Picture
The new panel in place without switches.
Picture
The new Wolverhampton Low-Level throat. Trains are now able to depart and arrive from Wellington simultaneously.
1 Comment

    Banbury Connections General Blog

    The Banbury Connections blog looks at issues of significant interest involving the railway and its staff.

    Archives

    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.