Work in Progress: 25th June

Sun, Steam, and … manure?

Graham Bendell has kindly compiled this Thursday Gang Report:

We arrived at Woody Bay, ready for whatever lay ahead, only to be met with the news that "Today we will be filling the new raised vegetable bed with well-rotted manure" and that is just what we did. Fortunately, the entire task was in the shade so the aroma was tolerable and flies were not in evidence. As you can imagine there was much banter between the gang which I won't go into here!

It was also a day of moving things around as the photographs show. Recently delivered sleepers were loaded to the well-wagon, a trailer-load of sleepers was offloaded at Killington Lane, and a picnic table was taken on a tour of the site. Painting, tiling and sign erection were also tackled!

1. The gang attack the manure heap, with barrows at the ready.

2. Trevor Buck loses control of the barrow but still managed to land the contents close to where they were needed! Roger Bye stepped neatly backwards before stopping the threatened avalanche.

3. Don Wood shows exactly how to do it.



4. Trevor tipped his next barrow in an exemplary fashion.

5. Lunch time at today’s painting location. A multi-lingual warning sign must be a first at Woody Bay.



6. CHARLES WYTOCK and today’s service loco, AXE, in the station yard.



7. Today’s train crew are joined by regular Gala Volunteers Rick and Barbara Sayers for a tea break between trains.

8. Later in the day - the finished job – a bed full of ...

9. Another finished job. The raised shunt signal, complete and painted.

10. The “missing man" formation! The sleeper-shifters wait patiently for the photographer to help take the strain.

1. A "smoky" AXE runs round at Killington Lane in front of an audience of passengers.



12. The sleepers ready to be off-loaded at Killington Lane.

13. Volunteer of the Year, Dave Evans (left), and Richard Whiteman continued with the tiling in the Volunteers' Mess Hut shower unit.

14. No Thursday report would be complete without Nigel Spencer, green paintbrush in hand!



15. A cheery wave from today’s Guard, Bob Ayres.

16. A Picnic Table on the move with Roger Bye, Trevor Buck, Don Wood and John Ranger providing the motive power.



17. A hard-to-recognise Assistant Guard, Paul Curson, fixes the tail lamp, ready for the next departure.

18. Today’s “sermon” delivered by Driver Williams. Dave Bloomfield realises the moment has been captured!

19. Meanwhile in the shed, Roger Bye and Jim Pounds prepared aluminium plates for the new signs that the two Jims (Price and Pounds) were erecting around the site today.

Another great day at Woody Bay. Passenger loadings were good and everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Photos and text Graham Bendell