Work in Progress: 12th January

posted by Martyn de Young on Sun, 15/01/2012 - 20:09

Mild, dry and foggy weather at Woody Bay today. As the signalling engineers Dick Gunn and Rob Pym worked on signal refurbishment and communications cablework programmes respectively, the main gang working on the track by the crossover were tasked with clearing away mud-contaminated ballast after last week's flood washouts, and digging and installing a new cross drain pipe. This should prevent a reoccurrance of the flooding over the track as a result of the torrential rain experienced recently.

1. Dick with the needle gun hammering away rust off the down home rail-built signal post.

2. With the mist prevalent all around, Dick later ascended to the access platform to paint the areas cleared of rust.

3. Dick Gunn, unable to 'enjoy' the view as he paints the rail built post!

4. Morning tea break in the mess room for the orange-cladded volunteers.

5. The flood was caused by surface run-off from the waterlogged fields above the A39, across the road and into our entranceway and car park. The muddy water then flowed down the bank to the track, depositing lots of dirty mud within the path and rail ballast by the headshunt/transhipment turnout.

6. The gang dig out the spoiled ballast from the 'main line' track just before the crossover.

7. With one length of rails and a couple of sleepers removed, the excavator was postioned to dig a cross trench for the new drain pipe.

8. Shovelling spoilt ballast alongside the temporarily 'severed' railway.

9. A shallow layer of chippings is spread along the base of the trench.

10. The first pipe section is laid and positioned.

11. Fred the dog watches the moving stones as Jim McFarlane finishes off the back filling of the chippings around the pipe.

12. Martyn Budd in the excavator was also able to dig out a larger hole for a junction chamber.

13. Tidying up the rail plates on the sleepers.

14. The second pipe is measured for length before being threaded under the rails of the turnout.

15. New volunteer today was John Heys from Dorset who begins to back fill the second drainage pipe just installed.

16. Almost ready to reinstate the rails now.

17. Jim and Martyn adjust the pipes into the chamber before further backfilling.

18. After everyone helped to lift the rails back in place, the gang begin to reconnect the track together.

19. Dave Drayson works on a fishplate joint to reinstate the track.

20. The excavator definately earned its keep today, ready to remove the surplus spoil and 'landscape' it into the bank nearer the Portakabin office tomorrow.

Words and pictures by Nigel Thompson