Developing & Building Bell Code Block Instruments.

Moving right along,
There have been some slight adjustments / tweaks to the Instrument design, which has resulted in the front panel being made slightly larger than the original drawing.
So I have made the alterations and printed out a test schematic to see how it looks on an instrument case.
Actually I`ve adjusted it again after this pic was taken. The name plate has been made slightly smaller and the opening ( bottom right ) for the Morse Key has been lengthened and widened.
These things rarely make sense until you see them on the actual thing you are making.
By the way, this case is just sitting there, it`s not properly assembled with any fixings yet.







I`ve also come up with a solution on how to mount the relay inside the box. It requires two 50 mm long bolts anchored into the side of the case. The relay sits in between them with a flat plate then placed over the ends of the bolts and tightened with nuts.
I had to make the bolts from some suitable flat head nails as per the short video below.




Gormo

 

G`day Andy,
I did extensive research a few years ago when I was contemplating this build, to see if it could work.
Somewhere in my travels I found the squared off display, whether it was the real thing or a model adaption, I can`t remember, but I followed that design because it is easier to draw up than the rounded versions. I have drawn rounded versions as well, but not entirely happy with the result in the past.
The rounded versions are not the only system in use on British railway companies, as there are some that use a quadrant version and there are variations of that as well. There was also some use of coloured lights on some instruments as we moved into the1950`s and 1960`s
When you go into it, there are lots of ways to look at it, depending on the age of the instruments.
So when you pull it all back to basics, this is a Hybrid version, an adaption in model form, that will try and emulate the real thing, however some concessions must be made.
The line to be operated by the instruments is single track, out and back to the junction station ( Great Chesterford ). There are two branch stations on the branch. First up is Little Bardfield with minimal facilities, and then you go onto Bamford which is a terminus.
My drawing abilities have improved since I last attempted the rounded displays, so I have moved over to that system and refined the drawings to where I am happy to commit to them permanently.
So you will be happy to know that we now have the rounded version in play.
The boxes are lined up in their final sequence from left to right.
The left hand box ( Little Bardfield ) will be installed at Great Chesterford.
The middle two boxes ( Gt. Chesterford & Bamford ) will be installed at Little Bardfield and the last box on the right ( Little Bardfield ), will be installed at Bamford.





When the commutator is moved to " Train On Line " on the box marked " Little Bardfield " , installed at GCJ,...... it will light the LED for " Train On Line " on the box marked "Great Chesterford ",installed at Little Bardfield.
The same would happen in reverse for example, if Little Bardfield moved it`s commutator on it`s Great Chesterford instrument to "Line Clear" .....it would light the "Line Clear" LED on the Little Bardfield instrument installed at Great Chesterford.
So whatever instrument you are operating, you will know who you are communicating with and their location.......it`s simple.......A can only talk to B..........B can talk to either A or C ......and C can only talk to B

















Another version of the rounded display





And home made bolts and brackets, adapted from Meccano, to hold the relays in place.




I am currently modifying machine screws that will anchor the Morse Levers, and I am also shortening point levers by about 10mm so that they better suit the enclosures where they will be housed.
More as it happens
Gormo

 

Yep !!
They are printed on A4 paper and then put through a laminator.
I have used this method with all my control panels so far.
Gormo

 

Absolutely Andy,
One of the most obvious variations is use of either " LINE BLOCKED " or " NORMAL ".........both meaning the same thing as far as I can make out.?
But there are other functions that creep into the instruments, depending on the railway and the location.
So there is potential there to use the elements of the system that appeal to you.
Gormo

 

Thanks Echidna,
Yes we are slowly getting there.
I have some Teak stain varnish that should do the job. I have used it before on GCJ lever frames and I think it will suit this timber.
I`m not quite sure what the timber is ?, however it is considerably darker than the pine I usually use, and it also has a tighter, straighter grain which will give me a darker finish than I normally get with the pine.....I think ??
Anyway it will have at least three coats and we can doctor the colour as we go if required.
There is still a lot to do behind the scenes, but that is always the way when you have to start from scratch.
Gormo

 

G`day Folks,
I have started preparing the Morse Keys for the instrument cases.
They consist of one of my point levers cut down by approx. 10mm.......a brass terminal block connector ( one of the larger sized ones )......a plastic screw head cap.....a 3/16th inch machine screw to act as a pivot for the the lever.......a small 3mm bolt , nut , spring washer, flat washer and electrical terminal clip to connect power to the lever......two flat head nails to limit the vertical movement of the lever......a return spring and a third flat head nail to anchor the return spring......plus nyloc nuts etc. to mount the lever.





The lever is trimmed back first and then the brass connector is slid onto it. Initially the end screw on the right is screwed all the way down to limit how far the connector can be pushed onto the lever. The screw on the left is screwed home as tight as it will go and then trimmed off flush with the top of the connector.





Because the plastic screw head cap has a slot in it, I have used two washers to cover it which will allow me to use the small 3mm connector screw to connect it to the lever.









The Black cap is then pressed onto the base and we have a Morse Key




Because some of the securing hardware protrudes through the instrument case, I have elected to grind the heads of them flat, where necessary , to keep them flush with the sides of the cases.
I think it will be visually interesting as well...????....we`ll see....
There is a short video attached showing the preparation of the main bolt for the Morse Key and then bench testing the set up.



Gormo

 

Thanks Andy........

 

G`day Folks,
I designed some drilling templates tonight on the old clockwork PC......works better when you oil the gears and tension the springs....
Anyhoo.....the idea is to be able to drill fairly accurately without having to mark up each panel individually.
I used Libre Office Draw as usual and made up some simple templates that can be taped to the timber panels and then drilled.
Great care was taken to measure accurately and I`ve done a test run that has worked perfectly.
So onwards and upwards Batman.!!!!
Examples below

This is the drilling pattern for the Morse Key


And this is the drilling pattern for the Relay bracket.


Also for anyone who is interested, the final drawings for the front of the Block Instruments.



That`s enough for today........it`s time for Gormo to get his beauty sleep..........

Gormo

 

G`day Andy,
The lines up to the curved section are a visual extension of the marked line on the knob of the commutator.
Don`t forget, I will have some youngsters trying to get their heads around this, so if I can make it a bit easier to understand, the quicker they will get to grips with how it works.
Me too
Plus this is not entirely prototypical.......it`s my version, so it`s full of Gormo-isms..............it`s my way or the highway....
Anyway.....I have been plodding away at it again today.....it`s amazing what`s involved in this. When you look at it, it seems quite straight forward, but by reducing the size, compared to the real thing, you have to be very careful how you put it together, otherwise you`ll have parts banging into each other.
At the same time it has to be robust, it has to look good and it has to work properly, whilst also being easy to access in case something comes unstuck.
Today I`ve reached the point where it is " partially" assembled.....but there is still a long way to go.
The tops are now fitted to the top plates with slots and holes for the bell ringer to pass through. The glue is drying over night





A short video follows showing the processes required to get to this point.



Gormo

 

G`day Gary,
Depends on what your drilling and how securely you can hold them together.
When in doubt, do them one at a time.........if you stuff up the mass drilling you have to go back to square one, if you stuff up one panel it`s not so bad.
Well I`ve sorted out the hardware for mounting the bells today and there is a brief video to show how it`s done.



Gormo