Work in progress: 17th November

posted by Martyn de Young on Sat, 19/11/2011 - 00:37

Taking advantage of the railway's shutdown for a few weeks, General Manager Martyn Budd decided with the good weather today to begin the construction of the ash pit outside the shed. The excavator was unloaded ready to do the main digging work on this project.

Until now the steam locos have dropped their ash between the rails on either shed road, causing a gradual build up which has to be cleared periodically. The new ash pit will help to keep the ash in one place ready to be moved away and reused for the trackside paths alongside the sidings.

Within one short rail length on the pit road (right hand side) by the water column, was the place selected for the ash pit to be dug out and a base of concrete laid. Later, blocks will be cemented in to support longitudinal sleepers onto which the rails will be secured.

1. First job was some digging around the fishplated rail joints to undo and to unfix the rails from the two sleepers at each end of the track panel.

2. A works train was shunted alongside ready to take away the spoil from the digging.

3. Strops were fed underneath the track panel ready for the lift.

4. The excavator lifted the track panel out and the spoil was cleaned off the sleepers.

5. The three surplus sleepers were knocked from the rails.

6. The excavator began to dig away the spoil.

7. The completed hole for the ash pit, Fred the dog waits for another stone to chase.

8. Other projects underway today included Eddie Mills cleaning up the cab control mechanisms for Hunslet diesel D6652 under restoration.

9. Tim Woods and John O'Dell continue work on the repairs to the 'Goods Yard' gates that had been damaged during a recent storm.

10. After lunch the Gang organise themselves with the concreting of the ash pit base floor. Dave Blencowe takes the lead in mixing the cement and aggregate.