Work in Progress: 19th April

posted by Nigel Thompson on Fri, 20/04/2012 - 02:12

This time last year we enjoyed warm spring sunshine as the various outdoor maintenance tasks continued. Today it was cold and windy with most of the volunteers wearing their winter clothing topped by their woolley hats. The next stage of the 2012 fishplate oiling programme was to do the up and down platform lines at Woody Bay Station.

1. The gang begin with the rail joints at the Barnstaple end of the up platform line as steam loco SID in the background prepares for departure.

2. The usual method is to slacken off the nuts just enough to squirt the grease oil mix down the back of the fishplate.

3. Driver Phil Clarke with Fireman Jim Price alongside SID in service today whilst AXE takes a rest.

4. When the train is down the line, the gang can work on the joints through the platform where the carriages usually stand.

5. Inside the shed, Dave Drayson has the job of top coat painting green the four refurbished platform seats.

6. John O'Dell and Dave Bloomfield work on some roof repairs to Van No.62

7. Later in the afternoon having progressed along the down platform line, the gang are near to the last joint to be done today.

8. Jim McFarlane, Graham Bendell, John Villers, John Heys and Nigel Thompson worked on this job today with the coated and oiled fishplates clearly visible along the tracks.

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Words and pictures by Nigel Thompson