194808 – Wright – The Design and Manufacture of Insulated Wires and Cables

Of all the use to which rubber insulated cables are put there is none more important than that of Railway Signalling. The cables form the nerve centres of electrical signalling on which the safety of the congested rail traffic in City and Suburbs and the high speed Interstate Expresses so largely depends.

In November, 1941, when the Cable Factory was still in construction, the Kail- ways urgently needed Signal Cable for wartime installations and emergency stocks. None was available from Great Britain. The old established Members of the Cable Makers’ Association were so hard processed in producing the millions of miles of cable, which eventually made victory possible, that the only assistance they could give Ru5tralia was the contribution of capital to the establishment of C.M.A.P.

At this time the heavy variable speed motors essential for the Rubber Callenders, were on a ship which had sought refuge in New York Harbour after receiving the attention of the enemy in mid Atlantic.

It was promptly agreed that C.M.A.P. should manufacture a non-standard type of Signal Cable with a special rubber jacket which would act both as dielectric and sheath instead of the accepted construction of rubber insulant and braided covering. Two machines only were available but within a lew weeks operators were trained and several hundred miles of Signal Cable produced. So Car as it is known this temporary type of cable has given every satisfaction in service.