Work in Progress - 18 November

posted by Nigel Thompson on Mon, 22/11/2010 - 00:30

A very wet day at Woody Bay and all the volunteers got extremely soaked whilst working on today's task of the fencing by the A39 road. The job was to install several concrete fence posts into the ground to create the fence as the necessary requirement of Exmoor National Park's planning condition of having a sturdy fence between the miniature railway and the A39. Larger strainer posts needed to be installed at each end. One by the entrance gate and another further along the verge above the stage area.

The showery rain was heavy at times but despite that the Thursday Group volunteers continued digging the holes for the posts. By 1530 as the light began to fade all the posts had been successfully installed in line waiting for the wire.

1. Another hole is dug and the gang begin to select a post to install.

2. The concrete post is lowered into its hole.

3. Under the trees by the entrance gate a new concrete strainer gate post is held in place.

4. The base of the concrete gate post is cemented in.

5. Robin Edwards was in charge of mixing the dry cement mix, a change from his usual steam engine driving duty.

6. Jim Price repaired the Guards door to Van 23 to give it a better fit.

One of this winter's projects is to regauge and restore the second Hunslet diesel (ex Dean Hill, ex Gosport museum) and after last weekends removal of its wheelsets to the Talyllyn Railway for the regauging. The locomotive itself was transported to Woody Bay to allow some early work to be carried out. During this week some attention to the engine and other components was begun.