Grantham: p. way maintenance

[61070]

Specially for folk interested in track maintenance , these two photos were taken on 24th May 1962.

Frame 08: Matisa Track Recording Trolley, type PV6. A driver from the shed acting as pilotman would accompany the operator of the trolley when out on the line in the Grantham area.

Frame 10: Dad probably took this picture because he was attracted by the interesting juxtaposition of the two figures - in a very natural conversational pose - with the rigid geometrical patterns created by the track. However, there is more to this picture than an attractive composition.

The man on the right with his pot of oil and long-sticked brush is lubricating the point mechanisms near the north end of the station. If you look at the track in the foreground you can see that there is fresh oil around the special rail chairs fixed to the crossing timbers, known as 'slide chairs', on which the switch blades slide.

The man on the left is Tom Plummer, the North End Ganger at Grantham, who is acting as ‘Look-Out’.

An L1 creeps by in the background.

[52D]

Its good to have a human interest in these pics by being able to name the characters in the photograph.

[R. pike]

The slip behind the chap with the brush seems to be plated 67. I can find a slip on this diagram marked as 67 but what is the one in front?

http://richard2890.fotopic.net/p61008685.html

[61070]

R.pike: the diagram you seem to have linked to is for Grantham South box - this photograph was taken in the viscinity of Grantham North box, which is to the right of both these scenes. I'd be interested to learn more about what's visible in both pictures, and I certainly hadn't picked up on the numbering of the various switch mechanisms - which presumably corresponds with the numbered levers in the box?

I'm told that the device with the handwheel across the tracks behind the two men was a manually-powered drill that was used when making up lengths of point rod.

[R. pike]

Yikes! The device with the wheel is a little bit big for a rodding punch... I think it is more to do with fishplate hole drilling... A rodding punch is most portable. I'm now in search of a Grantham North diagram..

[R. pike]

Grantham Yard and North now added...

http://richard2890.fotopic.net/p61538676.html

http://richard2890.fotopic.net/p61538675.html

67 is a facing point lock on a single ended point at Grantham North.

[Bryan]

Any idea anyone as to which recorder unit this was?
No sign of any numbers which bear any relevance as far as I can see.

One of these units is for sale from the Llangollen railway at the moment but is minus all recorder equipment.

http://www.ontrackplant.com/photo/90005a

[Ladas]

Grantham Yard and North now added...

http://richard2890.fotopic.net/p61538676.html

http://richard2890.fotopic.net/p61538675.html

67 is a facing point lock on a single ended point at Grantham North.

Having now noted that Fotopic has ceased to exist. Do you have the images for the quoted links?

As I'm trying to construct a 00 gauge model of Grantham, I'm finding it near impossible to find any track diagrams of the Grantham station/yard/shed area at all.

Any help that you may be able to give would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards,

Marcus Burton.

[R. pike]

PM me an email address and i'll fire them over..