Work in Progress: 19th March

Let the annual fishplate greasing commence!

Here is today’s report of activities at Woody Bay. Report and photos by Graham Bendell and Roger Bye. (Nigel Thompson is still “on leave”)

A bright, fine day made for very different working conditions from last week. Although cool, it was very pleasant to be out in the sun at last. The main tasks of the day were to start fishplate greasing (it’s that time again) and to continue with the preparation and painting of the station building.

When the fishplates through the station had been completed, that part of the Thursday Gang descended upon Rowley Moor and cleared some "greenery" which had been cut down previously.

1. Fishplate greasing underway, while ISAAC waits to take out the first train of the day. Andy Foster starts to remove the next pair, Mike Corner and Dave Robinson split the plates and Dave Bloomfield stands by with the grease.

2. Trevor Buck cleans the carriage brasswork. It has often been commented what a difference this task makes. I wonder if he knows that another 14 doors-worth will be arriving soon?

3. Graham Bendell and Dave Bloomfield on their knees already. The really difficult bit is standing up again!

4. John Villers and Roger Bye move the seats out onto the platform following their winter repaint.

5. ISAAC returns from Killington Lane with today’s two-carriage train.

Meanwhile, up on the scaffold......

6. Dave Evans replaces the window frame putty. 7. Jim Isherwood “paints the parts that other brushes cannot reach” ...

8. ... whilst around the corner, Pete Colley removes old paint from the louvres on the east end of the building.

Roger Bye and John Villers took the platform seats down to Killington Lane.

9. Guard Bob Ayres chats with the loco crew before departure from Killington Lane.

10. John Uphill, Dave Bloomfield and Martyn Budd, supervised by “Fred” the station dog, check the cranks and signal wire for correct operation.

11. With the greasing gang nearing the end of today’s assigned length, the train crew look on and give “encouragement”

12. Another view of ISAAC approaching Woody Bay Station, this time with three coaches.

Meanwhile down at Rowley Moor Farm....

13. Jim Price was working on the SR lineside huts, fitting new glass (four panes per window) all puttied in.

14. The concrete huts at Rowley Moor showing one of the new doors fitted by Jim.

15. Clearing vegetation from the garden at Rowley Moor.

16. The view from Rowley Moor Farm this afternoon. Have you booked your week here yet?

Text and photos by Graham Bendell and Roger Bye.