Work in Progress: 24th October

As Nigel is off for a couple of days, Thursday regular Dave Bloomfield has sent us this weeks report and photos. Our thanks as always to the team at Woody Bay

Today, as the weather was bright and mild, it was a good day to undertake a few of the "outside" jobs.

1. The first job was to erect a sign in the main car park so that the cones could be removed. Mike Corner and Roger Bye assisted by Jim McFarlane (not in shot) make the holes in the ground for the two sockets for the posts. A simple task that proved to be more difficult than expected, due to the ground being more "compacted" than first thought.

2. Mike Corner with the erected and cemented sign, which is fitted into sockets so that it can be removed if large lorries etc. need to turn.

3. The "inside team" today - Tea Rooms Manager Judy Williams, Irene and Tony Cross, and on office duties; Dave Tooke.

4. In the shed, further work is continuing on the lever frame with Don Newnham.

5. The original Gents toilet is having a door fitted to help prevent the cistern from freezing and dead leaves being blown in here during the winter. Jim Price and Dave Evans are fitting the frame, watched by General Manager Martyn Budd.

6. Dave Evans also painted the inside of the Token Hut ready to receive the future Token Instruments when the railway extends to Blackmoor.

7. After lunch we sorted some lengths of standard gauge rails that will be used to make the signal posts required for our extension further along the line.

8. AXE returning to Woody Bay with a late afternoon service.

9. AXE at Woody Bay. Today's train crew are Driver Graham Varney, Fireman John Hayes and Guard Bob Ayres.

Words and pictures by Dave Bloomfield