Of Interlockings And Other Machines ...: Switzerland 1988: Points and signals at St.Blaise

Deutsche Version dieses Postings

Here is another picture of the signal box at St.Blaise which I took before walking out to the points and home signal:

Signal box, St.Blaise CFF, 17.8.1988

The first outside picture shows the tensioner for the double wire line of points no.4 and the two rods for points 1/2^b and 3:

Rodding and tensioner, St.Blaise CFF, 17.8.1988

This six-axle engine came up somewhat too fast:

Ae6/6 11471, St.Blaise CFF, 17.8.1988

Here is a compensating lever in a rodding line:

Compensator in rodding line, St.Blaise CFF, 17.8.1988

And here is a picture of a bearing:

Rodding bearing, St.Blaise CFF, 17.8.1988

Points no.4, together with a derail, were moved by a double wire line. Unfortunately, I did not take any photos of the derail:

Points linkage for double wire line, points no.4sd, St.Blaise CFF, 17.8.1988

Points linkage for double wire line, Weiche 4sd, St.Blaise CFF, 17.8.1988

This crank is used to run the rodding for points no.3 below track 1:

Crank acting as compensator, St.Blaise CFF, 17.8.1988

And here is the linkage for driving points no.3. Actually, no additional linkage is necessary—the rod is simply attached to the central blade locking linkage:

Points linkage for rodding, Weiche 3, St.Blaise CFF, 17.8.1988

Hanspeter Thöni saw this interesting feature:

Looking at the track diagram of St.Blaise in the previous posting, one can see the only facing points on track 2 are points no.3. Of course, these points, which are traversed at full speed, have to be locked when the home signal is cleared. Points no.3 are moved by rodding. The following picture shows the points indicator, with the box containing the facing point lock at the back with an entering and leaving double wire line. The picture above shows the rod going from the right blade to the lock mechanism.
But the question is: How were the points locked?—there is no lock lever on the frame.
The solution: The gearing for the facing point lock was cut into the wire line to the home signal: Clearing the signal would therefore lock the points. Conversely, if the points would not lie correctly, the lock blocked the wire and therefore prevented clearing the home signal.

Points linkage for rodding, points no.3, St.Blaise CFF, 17.8.1988

Here one can see the rods leading to points no.1 and the double wire lines for signals A^1/2 and A^d:

Rodding and double wire lines, St.Blaise CFF, 17.8.1988

At the home signal, a train approached:

Re 4/4^II 11214 at home signal A^1/2, St.Blaise CFF, 17.8.1988

Shortly afterwards, both signals have been returned to the stop position:

Home signal A^1/2 and distant starting signal A^d, St.Blaise CFF, 17.8.1988

Here are the mechanisms driving the signals:

The box contains the wheel moving the home signal's arms. On the right, one can see the entering double wire line. The crank above the box is used for raising and lowering the signal lamps.
The wheel moving the distant signal's disc in mounted at the foot of the home signal, with a lever extending to the distant signal: