Over the last few months our volunteers have been repairing the mechanical interlocking in our Bundoran Junction signal cabin, which was damaged in 2023’s devastating flooding. This means that when a lever is pulled in the cabin to operate points or a signal, interlocking bars will prevent the signaller from accidentally misleading train drivers or causing an accident.
Members of our team dismantled the whole signal cabin interlocking mechanism, removed any dirt and rust left by the flood, cleaned and oiled the components, and inserted shims or ground down contact areas to ensure everything ran smoothly. Finally, the whole thing was put back together – imagine a giant game of Tetris, except it’s 3D and everything is a different size! With the interlocking operational, we can finally make a start on connecting the cabin to points and signals in the headshunt area to control the passing loop and yard access. It will likely be a few years before we get this in place. This system will include original signalling components from the historic Irish railway companies, including the BCDR.
Although the flood happened 18 months ago, our volunteers are still working hard to repair the damage. Any donation is therefore very much appreciated – you can donate online here.
