Signal boxes at two Austrian stations in 1983: Ziersdorf and Limberg-Maissau

This posting shows the mechanical interlockings of two stations on Austria's Franz-Josefsbahn in 1983. Shortly afterwards, these interlockings were replaced with electromechanical ones of the ÖBB type 212 (or EM5007, as it is now known), which in turn were to be replaced with relay interlockings of the type VGS80. However, because of problems at the suppliers, the latter replacement was not fully completed, so there are still EM5007s at various stations on this line right now in 2013.

I have selected these stations because I plan to publish a few postings with explanations about the Austrian standard interlocking type "5007:" The stations presented here have 5007-type frames that best resemble the animations I will present in these upcoming postings.

But now let me introduce the stations of Ziersdorf and, after that, Limberg-Maissau in Lower Austria.

At Ziersdorf, one can see that the electrification of the line is under full development. However, in front of the building two old hand carts stir up memories of older, more quiet times:

Ziersdorf station, 10.12.1983

The signal boxes contained good old 5007-type frames, although block working had already been converted to the relay "ZG block" system on the whole line.

The following picture shows a somewhat stressed train director, who is talking to the next station and at the same time unblocking the signal block instrument for a train from Gmünd (the red lamp in the right "ZG" arrow at the top shows that the train is already on the line):

Block instruments, traffic bureau Ziersdorf, 10.12.1983

Above the block instruments in the traffic bureau, one can see the schematic track plan. It is plainly visible that the line once had two tracks, but had been single-tracked in the past: The home signal Z is still shown near a somewhat sloppily erased left-hand track, both home signals are shown at the left of the line (which would only be done on double-track lines with left-hand running; so actually, both home signals were on the right of the single track in 1983), and starting signals are missing from track 1 on the left side and track 2 on the right (although they were of course installed in 1983 so that all tracks could be used in both directions). By the way, all other tracks plans I've seen that had to be modified after changes to the stations's layout were corrected much more diligently than this one—it is a small wonder that this sloppy patchwork was allowed here.

Block shelf and track diagram, traffic bureau Ziersdorf, 10.12.1983

Signal box no.2 was a small single-storey building:

Signal box 2, Ziersdorf, 10.12.1983

Inside, there was a quite small and quite original 5007-type lever frame, the only newer parts being the arrows of ZG block above and a comparably new buzzer for the barriers of a level crossing (the buzzer would sound if a signal block instrument was unblocked, but the barriers were still raised). The small lever on the frame is the "king lever" which locks all points during the nightly closing of the line:

Lever frame and block instruments, SB 2 Ziersdorf, 10.12.1983

Next to a milestone (or rather, "hectometre stone": Yes, this is the official name), I took a picture of the supporting pulleys for the double wires leading to the points, facing point locks, and signals. In earlier times, old boiler tubes from steam engines were used as supports of these pulleys:

Rollenträger beim SB 2, Ziersdorf, 10.12.1983

I also visited the other signal box:

Block instruments, SB 1 Ziersdorf, 10.12.1983

Here is the whole frame, perfectly cleaned so that the mirror images of the track indicator and other parts can be seen:

Lever frame and block instruments, SB 1 Ziersdorf, 10.12.1983

This picture shows signal box no.1. The form of the building is similar to the other box, but this one is still the traditional wooden building:

SB 1, Ziersdorf, 10.12.1983

Here are the semaphore starter signals R1 (one-arm signal for the main track on the left), R2 (two-arm signal for limited speed from track 2—however, the sign "6" allows a speed of 60kph through the points), and R4 (two-arm signal for track 2, for signalling a maximum speed of 40kph through the turnouts):

Ausfahrsignale R1, R2 und R4 Richtung Gmünd, Ziersdorf, 10.12.1983

In the next picture, one can see that the two Austrian two-armed semaphores R2 and R4 had been fitted with German electric signal arm clutches so that, according to German rules, they would drop to "stop" after the train had entered the block section ahead. The signalman is here on his way to grease the points:

Starter signals R, Ziersdorf, 10.12.1983

And here, a train blazes through the station:

2143.61 with goods train 60813, Ziersdorf, 10.12.1983

After Ziersdorf, I visited Limberg-Maissau which had similar signal boxes. The signal arms there had been replaced with reflecting ones, and therefore all lamps were gone. In the background, one can see the new colour light signals, with their screens still facing away from the tracks:

Starting signals H2, H1 and H3, Limberg-Maissau, 10.12.1983

The signal box 1 still had the fully equipped lever frame of a single-track line with "ZG block": Signal levers on the left, points and FPL levers on the right. All the levers are in their normal position here—the three upwards pointing levers are the "right halves" of a double-lever for the three-aspect home signal and for the FPL of points no.1 and no.2 (with three positions each: "locked left", "unlocked," and "locked right"), respectively:

Block instruments, lever frame, and track indicator, SB 1, Limberg-Maissau, 10.12.1983

Block instruments and lever frame, SB 1, Limberg-Maissau, 10.12.1983

In contrast to Germany, Austrian stations were rarely equipped with distant signals for starting signals—Limberg-Maissau, however, had them for both directions. These distant signals were not operated from the box for the corresponding starting signals, but for the opposite box. An electric clutch at the signal would ensure that the distant signal could only be cleared when one of the corresponding starting signals was also clear. However, the signal box clearing the distant signal would have to know whether a starting signal was clear, because the clutch would not clear the distant signal if its lever was reversed too early. Therefore, the box was provided with a corresponding repeater. As this sort of equipment is of German design, these distant signals and the corresponding levers and circuits were added after 1938:

Block instruments and signal repeater, SB 1, Limberg-Maissau, 10.12.1983

Here is the lever for the distant signal r of the starting signals, wedged between home signal lever A and starting signal levers H2, H1 and H3 for the opposite direction.

Signal levers, SB 1, Limberg-Maissau, 10.12.1983

In contrast to the functional signal boxes in Ziersdorf, Limberg-Maissau's box no.1 resembles a nice little cottage with a pointed roof:

SB 1, Limberg-Maissau, 10.12.1983

Here are the very standard (and badly photographed) block instruments in the traffic bureau:

Block instruments, traffic bureau, Limberg-Maissau, 10.12.1983

Outside, a newly built bridge hid the semaphores towards Gmünd. Therefore, repeaters had to be erected. Here, the middle one (for main track 1) shows clear, and the corresponding starting signal R1 can just be seen next to the right pillar of the bridge:

Starting signal repeaters 1R3, 1R1, and 1R2, Limberg-Maissau, 10.12.1983

Here is R1 once more—a German semaphore with extra-slim mast. To the right if it, R2 is an Austrian semaphore, with overlapping arms and a tubular mast:

Starting signals R1 and R2, Limberg-Maissau, 10.12.1983

Signal box 2 had a typical building for this line, which had been re-erected with bricks at some earlier time:

SB 2, Limberg-Maissau, 10.12.1983

Inside, one can again see the repeater for the distant h for the starting signals H3, R1, and R2 of the other box. Signal lever R1 is reversed, and next to the home signal lever Z, one can see the lever for distant signal h:

Block instruments and lever frame, SB 2, Limberg-Maissau, 10.12.1983

Track indicator and lever frame, SB 2, Limberg-Maissau, 10.12.1983

And here, we see the home signal Z and the distant signal h for the starting signals:

Home signal Z and distant signal h, Limberg-Maissau, 10.12.1983

The distant signal z for the home signal was located directly on the famous hill-side bridge (which became necessary when the whole slope was found to move downwards under the tracks soon after the line had been built; the pillars of this apparently low bridge reach deeply into the ground to a stable rock). One can see here the girder for the former second track, which is now used solely as support for the distant signal:

Distant signal z, Limberg-Maissau, 10.12.1983