Work in Progress: 14th March

 Very bright sunny weather today. Still cold but this week's snowfall was melting fast everywhere.

Time to return to finish off the fishplate greasing on the line, from last week's efforts reaching just below Bridge 67. A larger gang working today as a team spread out in front of the works train moving up the hill towards Woody Bay.

All the joints on the line have now been greased for the 2013 season. The next stage of the programme will be to complete the joints around the stations and other running lines as required and appropiate.

1. The gang begin todays work around a rail joint near Bridge 67.

2. Mike Corner came suitably prepared today with extra knee pads helping in this quite physical job attending to each bolt and the rail joints.

3. In last weeks report Graham Bendell even got a couple of mentions (although he was actually at home in Dorset!). Today Graham 'looked forward' to his annual ordeal with the grease, fishplates and the nuts and bolts.



4. Martyn Budd with Graham doing up a rail joint after greasing.

5. Working alone behind the works train, Andy Foster was tasked with the job of fully tightening each nut on the fishplates.



6. Making great progress along the line heading back towards Woody Bay.



7. Graham takes a short breather whilst he awaits the gang to complete a joint and then the train will be moved up.



8. After lunch progress had reached just below the picnic area/car park........

9.  .......then into the station to do the rail joints around the cross-over.

10. Andy throws a stone for Fred the dog to chase, whilst he waits for the works train to move up so he can tighten the newly greased rail joints here.

All the joints on the line have now been greased for the 2013 season. The next stage of the programme will be to complete the joints around the stations and other running lines as required and appropiate.

11. Not forgetting lots of other valuable work in progress today. For example the 'Daves' (Drayson (R) and Bloomfield (L)) replaced a life expired external PIR light above the mess room entrance next to the toilet block.