Project 26 - Hewish Gates #4

I have reprinted the backscene that was created for the original layout (see Part 1). It is a photo of the real location printed over three sheets of A4. We can see from the hedging on the right how well the foreground merges with the background. The grassy bank on the left is waiting completion.

The downside is the join between sheets clearly visible and for some reason the shade of blue sky differs slightly between sheets. The only way to resolve all this is to have it professionally printed on one sheet.

To Part 1.
 

Project 26 - Hewish Gates #3

How can a large hand wheel in the signal box cause four level crossing gates to open or close? It had me baffled until I researched the matter.

The hand wheel rotates a vertical shaft by means of bevelled gears. The bottom of the shaft in the signal box basement drives rack and pinion gears that connect to rods that move the gates via cranks in the same manner as turnout control. In addition road and rail side gate stop locks and wicket gate locks are controlled similarly.

At Hewish Gates in the 1930s the cranks and rods outside of the crossing area were covered by boards. By the 1950s the boarding appears to have been removed exposing the mechanics. I have modelled the boards in place to save modelling the mechanics. I only had to show rods where they cross the open track bed.

In the prototype there are more mechanics under the road surface that were accessed by removeable panels but most of the road was an asphalt covering over wooden boards, judging from photographs.

To Part 4.

To Part 1.

Card Kit of the Week

 A different model displayed here every week.

Swanage pre-heritage signal box.(Click for details).