Work in Progress: 1st August

Another bumper crop of photos from Nigel Thompson this week.

Yet another very hot and sunny day and as we are now in the peak season visitor numbers have been substantial all week. With carriage No.4 out of service due to a problem with one of its wheelsets - AXE operated some well loaded three coach trains - including an extra afternoon service to accommodate the passengers who had arrived at the same time as the Shearings coach.

The miniature railway was also operating today whilst Thursday's regular volunteers carried out various maintenance projects.

1. AXE with her 3 coach train approaching Woody Bay.

2. An unusual view of AXE framed within the station's booking office doors.

3. AXE backs onto the train as seen from the scaffolding.

4. Today's guard was Jack Balchin, seen here putting the 'reserved for coach party' labels on the carriages.

5. Todays footplate crew was father and son team John and Michael Uphill.

6. Michael Uphill shows off his 'Railway Cap'. Don't tell SR aficionado Martyn Budd that the GWR was present on the L&B today!



7. SID and Hunslet diesel D6652 on display outside the shed.

8. D6652, SID, AXE, & HEDDON HALL - 4 of the 5 locomotives resident at Woody Bay (PILTON being the exception) on view outside the shed.

9. Visitors can view the locomotives from the path at the side of the shed. Information boards give details and history notes of the current L&B fleet.

The miniature railway has been in operation all week. Volunteers from the South Devon Miniature Railway (SDMR) have been hard at work operating the train not only for our visitors but also for crew training purposes.

10. Quarry Hunslet on a crew training run.

11. A well-laden miniature train heading back towards the car park.

12. The train with its passengers back at the car park 'station'. On days when the miniature railway is operating, our visitors and their children really enjoy this "extra" (for which we make no charge). This of course encourages people to spend more time on site and adds to the growing attraction of Woody Bay.

13. Graham Rust of the SDMR with the Quarry Hunslet miniature railway locomotive awaits the next group of passengers.  Our thanks to Graham and the South Devon Miniature Railway (SDMR) for their support of the L&B. Through their efforts visitors have donated over £200 this week as a result of this extra attraction at Woody Bay.

14. AXE returns to Woody Bay with the additional afternoon service.

The Thursday gang of volunteers were about the site working of several contrasting projects.......

15. A rare sight of your photographer and reporter, Nigel Thompson at work painting undercoat onto a section of the recently cleaned up railings fence by the original 'Gents' toilet. Note the attractive flower butts.

16. Meanwhile on the scaffolding, Jim Price repairs an upstairs window.

17. In the shed Jim Pounds cleans and paints the wheels of the railway platform barrow he has been restoring over several weeks.

18. A small team led by signalling engineer, Dick Gunn worked on assembling an 11 lever frame - the sections and levers of which were meticulously restored and painted in the shed during last winter. This lever fame will be used as part of the future signalling of the railway as it extends south towards Blackmoor.

Words and pictures by Nigel Thompson