Re: [Melb] Broadmeadows re-signalling

["Notagunzel" <notagunzel@bigfoot.com>]

Christopher_Martin GORDON <cmgord@ecr.mu.oz.au> wrote in message
7u34lq$eb7$1@mulga.cs.mu.OZ.AU">news:7u34lq$eb7$1@mulga.cs.mu.OZ.AU...

> : Please expand on the details of this air assistance. Where else is
it
> : provided?

> St.Albans is one with air assistance.

> Have a look at
> http://www.ecr.mu.oz.au/~cmgord/trains/signalling/stalbans/

> After all the crap about Double Line Block, Traffic Light
Co-ordination etc.
> there is a little picture of the Air Assistance switch for one of
the sets of
> the points (23).  I don't know how the air assistance works apart
from you
> first select normal or reverse, pull (push) the lever, when it is
almost there
> (ie full normal, or full reverse (1st notch)) then there is a rush
of air
> and the points go fully over.

> If anyone knows anything else, let me know and I will added it to
the page.

I remember the Air assistance at Somerton.  There was a nice little
air compressor under the box, which was a very regular target for
theft. (Funny 'bout that).  So eventually S&C gave up replacing the
Air Compressor, whenever the points needed to be operated, the Fitter
just attended with a portable pump & charged the reservoir.  Nobody
('specially head office) really appreciated the inconvenience of this
until one day the fitters couldn't attend due to being elsewhere,
doing a 'real' job.  Suffice to say the Track Machines trying to get
into the Upfield line got as far as Broadmeadows, and went no further.
|-)

IIRC there are now point machines fitted to the ex air assisted
turnouts at Somerton, when they were installed they were manually
operated only (lock & detect 'em), they may be power operated now, I'm
not sure.

--
Mr Notagunzel.
Rail Transportation Connoisseur.
notagunzel@bigfoot.com
(Waiting for any move at http://www.bigfoot.com/~notagunzel)