Work in Progress: 17th January

posted by Martyn de Young on Sun, 20/01/2013 - 00:28

We are now in the depths of winter with snow and sleet forecast for today although this did not deter three volunteers travelling all the way from Dorset to continue the various projects underway at Woody Bay.

A five-man gang travelled in the works train to Killington Lane to complete the platform works required to accommodate the heritage coaches. The weather conditions were not good, with a biting wind and driving sleet giving us the incentive not to hang around.

The bed for the sleeper edges was excavated and cleaned, the sleepers placed and the voids backfilled. All that is now needed is for some tidying up and compacting of the platform surface for it all to be ready.

1. John Villers, John Heys, Mike Corner and General Manager Martyn Budd awaiting transportation in the Brake Van to Killington Lane.

2. Mike Corner, John Villers and John Heys digging down to the concrete bed on which the sleeper edging will rest. Honorary gang member Fred the dog is waiting for a suitably sized stone to retrieve. The weather conditions are apparent.

3. John Villers with attached sleet.

4. The trench awaiting final cleaning up before the sleepers are laid.

5. The first sleeper goes in.

6. Graham Varney watches intently from the cab of HEDDON HALL as he moves the train up as sleeper laying progresses

7. Martyn Budd rakes over the back-fill

8. The result of the morning's exertions

9. Killington Lane platform awaiting the finishing touches - ready for passengers once again.

After an early lunch everyone retired to the shed as the Exmoor winter began in full.

10. In the shed John Heys has SID as a backdrop whilst he wire-brushes clean part of a signal lever frame.

11. Dick Gunn greasing an angled crank prior to repainting.

12. With LILLA protected from dust, John Villers and John Heys continue cleaning up the signal lever frame sections.

13. John O'Dell and Mike Corner fixing plywood sections onto the balcony above the paint shop.

14. Dave Drayson and Martin Williams prepare the next section of plywood ready for fixing. These partitions will help isolate the paint shop area of the shed from unwanted dirt and dust whilst AXE and other projects receive new coats of paint.

15. John H. and John V. are joined by Graham Bendell as they paint primer/undercoat onto the painted sections of the signal lever frame they had cleaned earlier.