Work in Progress: 20th August

Another good day at Woody Bay, despite the greatly varied weather.

Graham Bendell and Roger Bye have compiled this weeks report.

With frequent drizzle and the occasional heavier shower didn’t help, we still managed to achieve several of the tasks on the list left for us. In spite of, or because of, the weather, the station was fairly busy with several families with young children visiting us during the day. The visitors from the two Shearings coaches packed the first train and as always many photographs were taken.

1. The first train of the day arrives at Killington Lane.

2. New volunteer, Mark Williams, found himself tree pruning shortly after his introduction to the railway. Julian Palmer steadied the ladder as Don Wood waits to take away the prunings. Always good to see a new face.



3. Lindsay Palmer gets engulfed by the tree prunings being handed to her.

4. ISAAC gets ready to take out the 10.45 to Killington Lane.

5. & 6. Martin Williams (left) and Jim Pounds (right) prepare the coal wagon for a repaint. An unseen Graham Varney was needle-gunning the ironwork on the other side.

7. Moving more vegetation. Mike Corner, Julian and Lindsay Palmer and Mark Williams managing to stay upright on the steep slippery slope behind the shed.

8. CHARLES WYTOCK and AXE on shed. The bags alongside CHARLES WYTOCK contain kindling wood used for lighting the loco fires.

9. Jim Price moves his latest creation to its new home.

10. Many hands make light work as the new board is fixed to the old stable wall.

11. A busy platform at lunchtime. The weather brightened up for a while.

12. Always a popular spot, but more so with three steam locomotives on view.

13. An optimistic Nigel Spencer cleans more fence for painting as the sun comes out for a short spell.

14. Today’s driver, Pete Williams, answers a visitor’s questions. An important part of “being there” for many of us is the opportunity to talk to interested visitors, who are always very appreciative.

15. Jim Price and Dave Evans transfer the extension map from the old board, which had succumbed to the Exmoor weather.

16. A well-attended tea-break. A heavy storm "trapped" us in here for a while.

17. ISAAC departs the shed area in the rain to resume its duties after the tea break.

Don Newnam and Dave Bloomfield carried out electrical testing on the signalling equipment and Tony Cross had a busy day in the shop as did the Tea -Room staff.

Photos No. 1, 10, 11 & 12 by Roger Bye. Words and all other photos by Graham Bendell.