Work in Progress 7 April 2011 - Another look back in time

posted by Nigel Thompson on Fri, 03/04/2020 - 01:47

A lovely day here at Woody Bay with bright sunshine all day. General Manager, Martyn Budd, decided it was time to begin the annual task of fishplate oiling. So most of the Thursday Group volunteers spent the day doing the fishplates on both up and down platform lines and around the turnouts at Woody Bay Station.

The operating season is now well upon us and during the day several visitors to the railway were curious as to what we were actually doing as they watched the fishplate bolts being undone, the grease squirted in, then the plates done up and all the nuts and bolts tightened.

To recap to the uninitiated, all the rail joints need greasing each year to prevent the track buckling in hot weather. A special grease/oil mix is coated onto the inside of the fishplates which allows the rails to expand in the fishplate and close the gap in the joint during hot weather. Without regular greasing the rails could distort and form a kink within the track which at its worse could even derail a train. We have continued a programme of yearly greasing along the line which has become easier each year with the replacement of the shorter rails that were originally laid several years ago.

1. Greasing the rail joints on the up platform.

2. Dave Bloomfield and Richard Willey work on a rail joint by the platform.

3. AXE's Driver Robin Edwards and Fireman Jim Price are ready to depart shortly with the 12:15 train when the volunteers on the greasing gang get safely off the track.

4. AXE returns to Woody Bay over the crossover.

5. Lots of joints greased on the crossover.

6. An afternoon view from the loading dock as AXE arrives again.

7. AXE and the 3 carriage passenger train after arrival in the down platform.

8. In the paint shop section of the shed, Dave Tooke works on Coach No.1 nearing the end of a winter refurbishment and repaint programme.

9. The ex MOD Brake Van restoration project continues as John O'Dell works inside the van.

10. The end window frame has been removed whilst design and construction of a new 3 piece window is made.