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To: "oermsignal" Subject: Orange Empire Railway Museum Signals Update - 4/12/2004 This email is our semi-regular update about signals work (installation, maintenance and restoration) at the Orange Empire Railway Museum and is a collaborative effort -- the information for this e-news issue was provided by Gene Cranston. If you have information that would be of interest to others, please email it to me and we'll include it in our next newsletter. If you would like to be removed from this mailing list, please email me. Likewise, if you know someone who would like to be added to this list, please have them email me. If you receive duplicate copies of this email, please contact me and let me know your preferred email address. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- During this past weekend, the Signal Team performed the following activities: * The signal crew found the parts for the Members' Crossing wig wag repair. Mike and Paul K got it installed and adjusted. * Darrel cut over the AC-power for the 2038 signal via the new cable we pulled in last month. The control wires still need connection --- soon we hope. * Darrel and Mike got the broken bonds welded at 11th St. (see 11th St story below). * Gene swapped out the approach circuit transmitter at 11th St Crossing (see full story below). 11th St. Crossing: How many times do we think we have something done and back it comes? Several times Gene has been convinced that the problem at 11th St. was solved. The gates and flashers fail to activate until the train enters the island circuit. He found a broken bond and then Darrel found another one. Darrel and Mike rewelded these bonds and everything seemed to operate properly once again. It is all done - OK? No, Easter Sunday Gene got a call that 11th St. was malfunctioning again. He checked it out and the approach circuit was down again. Measuring the track voltage he discovered that the approach circuit transmitter was barely operating with too low an output voltage. Installed a new set and quite amazingly it adjusted and worked correctly. Now Gene can hold his breath to see if it finally is through playing it's games. While they were there Gene was informed that Members' crossing had rung on it's own last night. It appears that it needs an adjustment on the super short starting circuit (about 12 feet). Festival Preparation: Everything is ready for Rail Festival (April 24 and 25 at OERM) except for the temporary flasher and the Monthly Crossing Inspections at 11th St and Mapes. The only work needed next week is to build the temporary flasher for the new entrance sidewalk and move the semaphores "Out Back" before they get lost in the rearrangement of the storage area. Let Gene (eugenecran@juno.com) know if you plan to come to the museum next weekend to help finish up the festival preparations. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For additional OERM Signals information, visit the signals website at: http://gsee.sdf-us.org/signals. Previous editions of these email newsletters are at: http://gsee.sdf-us.org/signals/enews/enews.html . Questions or comments regarding OERM Signals should be directed to the Signals Superintendent Gene Cranston. |