{"id":5713,"date":"2022-11-06T08:52:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-05T22:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?guid=08a366963c4f0c4c0732183e49da9c97"},"modified":"2022-11-06T08:52:00","modified_gmt":"2022-11-05T22:52:00","slug":"bomen-signal-box-interlocking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=5713","title":{"rendered":"Bomen Signal box interlocking"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

Bomen Signal box Interlocking – or – who is going cranky<\/o:p><\/b><\/p>\n

When I was designing the future Wagga layout, I had
\nanticipated incorporating my partially built 56 lever frame only for the Wagga
\nstation.  <\/span>The station at Bomen though
\ndidn\u2019t seem that important in the scheme of things, and I was not going to
\nworry about this until the layout was constructed.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

As it turns out, I have not as-yet been successful in
\nfinding a builder, who is willing to undertake construction of my train
\nroom.  <\/span>So, projects that were on the back
\nburner have advanced instead.<\/o:p><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
My picture of Bomen was after the signal box removal in 1983<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Prototype Bomen<\/o:p><\/u><\/p>\n

Bomen was a crossing loop, with some additional
\nsidings.  <\/span>Only the sidings for the
\nmeatworks stock yards were interlocked by the frame, the long siding into the
\nmeatworks, the siding into the canning factory, and the one for the leather
\nworks were on a simple ground throwover levers on the yard tracks  <\/span><\/o:p><\/p>\n

Bomen\u2019s signalbox according to Bob Taafe\u2019s signalbox book,
\nwas relocated from Uranquinty around 1941. 
\n<\/span>It was situated on the southern side of the station.  <\/span>The frame was 20 levers.<\/o:p><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A picture from the internet – showing the signal box<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
After I had enlarged a small pixel image of the signal diagram which was used for the interlocking diagram, a far better resoluton image showed up.  Careful checking found an error – lever 10 was actually a catchpoint with signal attached, where Bomen frame as modelled, as this lever as a signal, with a catchpoint attached.  Shouldn’t affect operation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Modelling.<\/o:p><\/u><\/p>\n

Way back in 1982\/3, the British magazine \u201cModel Railway
\nConstructor\u201d ran a comprehensive monthly series authored by Martin Goodall, on
\nconstructing a layout based on the GWR station of Bodmin.   <\/span>Parts 15 through 23 concentrated on signals,
\nand interlocking.  <\/span>Inspirational, as well
\nas informative.  <\/span>The parts dealing with
\nmechanical interlocking were the best I have ever seen on the subject, and from
\nthe time I read the article,  <\/span>I took an
\nintense interest in this obscure aspect of modelling. <\/o:p><\/p>\n

(copies of the articles are at the end of this blogpost)<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, this interest started just after the NSW
\nrailways removed the signalboxes at Wagga, and Bomen in 1983.  <\/span><\/o:p><\/p>\n

But, luck was on my side. 
\n<\/span>A fellow modeller, who had also seen the MRC articles, had actually
\nstarted making interlocking machines in approx. 1\/10 scale, using the
\nprinciples of the MRC articles.  <\/span>Then around
\n1990, the Defence department moved him to Queanbeyan, where I was living, and I
\ngot to know Tony.  <\/span>Tony Kociuba\u2019s layout
\nManuka, was featured in AMRM way back in issue 188 (October 1994).  <\/span> <\/span>I got
\nto work a fully interlocked lever frame at his home, and at exhibitions.  <\/span>After a while, Tony trusted me to build a
\nlarge lever frame under instruction and guidance, that being the 56 lever frame
\nof Wagga Wagga .<\/o:p><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Wagga signalbox frame was built by me in the 1990s – still needing to be interlocked.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Since moving to Junee, Tony and myself have maintained a
\nsporadic contact.  <\/span>When Tony found out
\nabout my plans for the layout, he volunteered to construct Bomen\u2019s frame as a
\ncontract build for his Mackenzie in HOLland hobby business.  <\/span>I supplied Tony with as much information I
\nhad at the time  <\/span>unfortunately, with the
\nlousy small pixel signal diagram picture. 
\n<\/span>It was also a bit of a fiddle, as my rendition of Bomen\u2019s track plan is
\nmirror image of the original.  <\/span>  <\/span>Tony now lives in Bendigo, and detoured into
\nNSW via Junee to show me progress, and later the finished lever frame \u2013 fully
\ninterlocked.<\/o:p><\/p>\n

 <\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tony made 2 visits – the first one showed me the progress of the frame, prior to interlocking<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
On the second visit, the frame had been finished.  Here is the interlocking with the cover removed.  Note that all the tappets have numbers, which helps if the frame ever gets disassembled . Tony adds a lot of graphite for lubrication <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n


<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Now I have to learn the frame, and crunch the levers in the
\ncorrect order to free up the mechanism   Excess force will break something, so you don’t want to pull the levers in the incorrect order.  <\/span>It will be a challenge for the future Bomen operator too, but learning the frame was part of the real signalman’s job – and simulating this on a model takes things to another level of realism<\/p>\n

.<\/o:p><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Albury to Junee.  The levers have to be pulled in the pull chart order as seen on the signal box diagram.  <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Albury to Platform road<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Junee to Albury<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Integration into the layout will be via electrical
\nconnections, rather than through a mechanical links direct off the levers <\/o:p><\/p>\n

Signals will of course have to be built. <\/o:p><\/p>\n

 <\/o:p><\/p>\n

 <\/o:p><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Trouble cat – gives an idea of how big the lever frame is.  She may not yet be the station cat, but takes a lot of interest in what I am doing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/o:p><\/p>\n

 <\/o:p><\/p>\n

Observation.<\/u>  <\/span>A
\nlot of older magazines contain a wealth of information.  <\/span>Some of these publications get converted to a
\ndigital format, but a few never do.  <\/span>It
\nsaddens me to see the wisdom of these now forgotten publications, consigned to
\nlandfill, or recycling.  <\/span>Please, consider
\nthe process that brought the articles contained within to print.  <\/span>The author, the editor and their desire to
\nnot only sell magazines, but the sharing of knowledge.  <\/span>We are all better modellers by learning from
\ntheir experience<\/o:p><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/div>\n

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<\/a><\/div>\n

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<\/a><\/div>\n

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<\/p>\n

 <\/o:p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

 Bomen Signal box Interlocking – or – who is going cranky<\/p>\n

When I was designing the future Wagga layout, I had
\nanticipated incorporating my partially built 56 lever frame only for the Wagga
\nstation.  The station at Bomen though
\ndidn\u2019t seem th…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":13247,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2271,2272],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bomen","category-signal-box"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5713","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5713"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5713\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5714,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5713\/revisions\/5714"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}