Sydney Tramway Signal Box - Elizabeth St & Eddy Avenue-
  Noel Reed

On Friday, 12 November, 2010, Brian Blunt wrote -- ( re Eizabeth &
Liverpool Streets Junction facing points in 1961 )

....................Could the remote point changing have been disconnected to
allow manual changing by the conductor ?...........

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Remote point changing would not be possible at Elizabeth St & Liverpool
Streets Junction as the facing points were only connected to the signal box
lever and there was no 'bow & weight' arrangement to allow operation by the
conductor using a point hook. Considering the short time that remained for
the tramway system at that stage, I think it unlikely that a change would be
made to the point mechanism at that junction.

It is possible that the facing points at Darling St Junction were converted
to operation by point hook after the closure of the Drummoyne line (ex
Gladesville -- Ryde line).

Most other Sydney tramway signal boxes were permanently closed consequent on
closure of all routes concerned. In other cases e.g. Elizabeth & Park
Streets and Darlinghurst (Oxford & Flinders Sts) Junction, the points were
simply secured for the route remaining in use.

In the early fifties a dual control point operating arrangement was designed
for the Elizabeth & Randle Streets Junction on the tramway deviation built
to allow excavation of Chalmers Street alongside Central Station Platform 23
to build the ESR platforms.

A similar arrangement was provided at Millers Point Junction in George St
near Circular Quay when the earlier tramway track arrangements had to be
altered for the building of the railway across Circular Quay.

At each of the above junctions, a pointsman in a small kerbside cabin
operated the facing points by a spring lever during busy periods. At
quieter times, the point lever was left set for the ' busy ' route and a
conventional 'bow & weight' mechanism below the track could be operated by
point hook.

At the Sydney Tramway Museum, the scissors crossover points are worked from
ex Sydney ' bow & weight ' mechanisms. The design drawings show that these
points could also be dual controlled by either point hook or signal box
lever...or electric...or hydraulic mechanism.

Noel Reed. Who was involved with some of the Sydney tramway signalling
changes in the fifties.

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