Work in Progress: 23rd April

St. George's Day.

A very successful attraction in this picturesque corner of England.

1. Volunteers enjoy the sunshine and the great scene of ISAAC departing Woody Bay with three of the Heritage Carriages.

2. Graham Varney drives ISAAC away from Woody Bay.

3. An almost everyday scene recently; visitors with their young families experience steam - many for the first time...

4. In the booking office today Tony Cross has been overseeing new shop staff volunteer Kate Pounds behind the counter.

Kate, of course, has assisted the railway for many years, helping to provide extra catering at special events such as AGMs and Galas. We welcome Kate to the regular volunteers at Woody Bay, helping with daily operations on the expanding and ever busier railway.

5. Not in use today, but stabled on the newly restored plant trailer, the railway's excavator is ready for transport to other sites as required.

6. Roger Bye and Martyn Budd cast two more concrete point rodding foundations.

The other main task for today's volunteers was transporting items of the railway's equipment between the storage sites at Rowley Moor Farm, Killington Lane and Chelfham Station. This ongoing project is part of the railway's plans to consolidate its stored equipment, as well as gradually clearing surplus items from the original platforms at Chelfham Station.

7. Meanwhile at Chelfham Station, work has started restoring the original signal cabin.
Local Trust member Anthony Barnes has been leading this project. The cabin was temporarily laid on its back to enable the creation of a new wooden frame base

8. They also began replacing some woodwork on the original roof of the cabin.

9. The cabin base was then painted with a preservative, as the ground was prepared for the cabin to stand on.

10. Finally the cabin was jacked up and carefully returned upright once again.
Skilled local carpenter Steve Woolgrove and Anthony Barnes have made great progress this week. The original signal cabin will remain on this site temporarily, until it can be relocated at its original position, closer to the station building.

Words and pictures by Nigel Thompson.