This is, I'm sad to say, my last complete documentation of the interlocking frames of an Austrian station from the last century. However, I'll continue to post in this blog with about 200 more pictures from various countries around the world, which will show interesting semaphores and interlocking frames from the 1990s. After this—well, it seems to be over, then. So it goes.
Hollabrunn, in 1990, had a refurbished set of 5007 frames with the typical Austrian layout: A traffic bureau in the station building and a signal box at each end of the station tracks. Here is the command frame in the traffic bureau, with a poster calling for secure working conduct that is typical of this time:
Command frame, traffic bureau, Hollabrunn, 14.8.1990
The command frame had been built anew in the 1980s with small route levers. Besides the typical six block instruments for station blocking of a single line, it had an additional instrument that would unlock points 32 and 32 in the middle of the station tracks. On the left, there were four small levers for unlocking derails and another set of points, W34. And even though the calendar shows still the 13th of August, I know that I took this photo on the 14th: Because that is the date shown at Retz's signal box 1, which I have definitely visited before Hollabrunn:
Command frame, traffic bureau, Hollabrunn, 14.8.1990
On the traffic director's desk, there was this ÖBB-built signal panel, which additionally had the controls for three barriers on the line to Vienna:
Signal panel, traffic bureau, Hollabrunn, 14.8.1990
The next photo is already from signal box 1. Splitting the single track of the line into four station tracks (3, 1, 4 and 6—track 2 had been removed when the centre platform had been erected), three sets of points are sufficient; and only two of them, in the straight through track, need facing point locks. So, we end up with five levers altogether, as the FPL levers are reversible "three-position" levers that can be used to move the locks to either position: Such a lever is either moved up with the handle pulled to lock the points in the normal position; or it is first moved up without pulling the handle and then, with handle pulled, moved down—this will turn the wheel in the other direction and lock the points in the reverse position):
Interlocking frame, signal box 1, Hollabrunn, 14.8.1990
Below the track indicator, there was a key lock for an "A/C dependency", i.e., the key would unlock a derail, after which one could extract another key there to unlock the points leading to the derail. At the upper left, there is a beeper indicating that a barrier had to be closed manually if a route was set for a train:
Track indicator and related instruments, signal box 1, Hollabrunn, 14.8.1990
The signal panel was quite minimalistic. Besides the few buttons, lamps and symbols for the signals, there was a set of monitoring lamps and override buttons for a train-controlled barrier inside the station limits:
Signal panel, signal box 1, Hollabrunn, 14.8.1990
Signal panel, signal box 1, Hollabrunn, 14.8.1990
Here is the low building of the signal box:
Signal box 1, Hollabrunn, 14.8.1990
While I walked to the other signal box, the train from Retz rumbled through on its trip to Vienna:
2050.011, Hollabrunn, 14.8.1990
The old station had been optically cut in two by a large platform shelter. But the building itself had been renovated quite nicely:
Station building, Hollabrunn, 14.8.1990
Station building, Hollabrunn, 14.8.1990
Here, I am approaching signal box 2, of which I have taken a rare back-side photo:
Signal box 2, Hollabrunn, 14.8.1990
This is the compact type 5007 lever frame. In contrast to signal box 1, it is completely occupied by levers, without any space for old signal levers—thus, it must have been built newly when the station was redesigned in the 1980s:
Interlocking frame, signal box 2, Hollabrunn, 14.8.1990
The points levers have each two positions, whereas the FPL levers were three-position levers of the same type as in signal box 1. The rightmost lever had, for some reason, a larger wheel, which would give it a wire travel of 610 mm instead of the standard 500 mm. Below the track indicator, there are the small route levers. Towards their left is a row of small levers for shunting signals:
Interlocking frame and track indicator, signal box 2, Hollabrunn, 14.8.1990
The two sets of points 31 and 32 in the middle of the station tracks had large "Madner" levers, which made it possible to release them for ground reversal during shunting. On the far left is the block instrument for releasing these levers from the traffic bureau (the label Ze means "Zustimmungsempfang" or "admission receive"; it should also have an additional text telling what was admitted by it—but that was forgotten, out of laziness, I assume):
Block instruments and lever frame, signal box 2, Hollabrunn, 14.8.1990
The small signal panel has a few buttons for the starting and home signals, two sets of barrier monitoring controls, and a larger number of shunting signal symbols—these signals were cleared by small levers as mentioned above:
Signal panel, signal box 2, Hollabrunn, 14.8.1990
Out of the signal box's window I took this photo of points no. 52. It shows a typical Austrian points installation: The heavy weight, which would forcefully lock the blade locks, was on the opposite side of the linkage moving the points. On the same side as the weight and to the left of it is the cover of the facing point lock; one can see its connection rods leading to the very points of the blades. Both covers, of the moving linkage and the FPL, are nicely painted with yellow warning stripes to make them more visible:
Points no. 52, Hollabrunn, 14.8.1990
Here is the signal box, which was built into the slope near the tracks:
Signal box 2, Hollabrunn, 14.8.1990
Hollabrunn had, at that time, a small pedestrian-only barrier leading over the tracks. Three photos of this small contraption conclude my presentation and documentation of this station:
Pedestrian barriers, Hollabrunn, 14.8.1990
Pedestrian barriers, Hollabrunn, 14.8.1990
Pedestrian barriers, Hollabrunn, 14.8.1990
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