Work in Progress: 16th June

A mixed day, weather wise.

With Nigel Thompson away on a Norfolk Railway Holiday, Roger Bye has once again stepped in to provide us with photos and text regarding this Thursday's activities.

1. On a rather misty morning Dick, Don and Trevor head off to the car park to start work constructing yet another rail built signal like the one in this picture.

2. Drilling steel rail is not to be undertaken lightly and General Manager, Martyn Budd, seen here with Don, is preparing to drill more holes in the rail with Dick and Trevor in supervisory mode! The holes are for fitting bolts and spacers to join the two lengths of rail together to form a signal post.

3. As well as passengers from the two Shearings coaches, an early train conveyed members of the Thursday Gang and their equipment to...

4...Killington Lane where the mist was beginning to clear.

5. ISAAC, the engine in steam today prepares to run-round the train...

6...and the gang unload their equipment ready for the day's work.

7.  As the train departed for Woody Bay, the gang made their way up the track...

8...to start another session of sleeper replacement.

Old sleepers were removed, new ones installed, holes drilled to take the track screws and the screws tightened down.  A successful, if hard day's work by Dave, Malcolm, Roger, Ali, Dave, Don and Mike, following on from last week's sleeper work, resulted in another 16 sleepers replaced with ones of better quality more suited to withstand the North Devon weather.

9. While waiting for the train back down to Killington Lane after a break for lunch, the gang were pleased to catch up with Dave Bloomfield (seated) who is recovering from recent surgery.

10. At Woody Bay Nigel Spencer continued his life's work and….

11…. the newly painted Southern Cream fascia boards were evidence of Dave Evans refurbishment work on the toilet Block.

12. PILTON's Progress - John Uphill has installed a vacuum ejector pump enabling PILTON to work with the vacuum braked carriages and wagons. 

13. Jim Pounds was preparing PILTON’s modified cab for painting. The recently installed handbrake mechanism can also be seen.

14. Driver Pete Williams and Fireman Dave Carter were in charge of ISAAC today and conveyed a good number of passengers...

15. ISAAC makes a spirited exit from Killington Lane.

16. One of the passengers today had travelled on the original railway - all the way from Barnstaple to Lynton - at the age of 15! We will leave it to the reader to work out the mathematics, but our congratulations to her on reaching such a great age and we are pleased she enjoyed her trip today.

Words and photos by Roger Bye