Work in Progress: 29 September

posted by Martyn de Young on Sun, 02/10/2011 - 13:15

This week North Devon, West Exmoor and most of the UK is enjoying an 'Indian Summer' heatwave. The weather is unseasonally hot making up for the poor unsettled weather of earlier in the summer.

For the L&B volunteers today, the tasks were to return the railway and Woody Bay Station site to relative nomality after the hugely successful Autumn Steam Gala last weekend.

Earlier in the week a shunt around of the wagons had returned Van 23 and the box vans to the loading dock siding. The 'new' brake van was shunted into the shed for further work to complete the fitting out of doors etc.

So, the first job today was to dismantle the main marquee tent by the station. This tent, which is railway owned, usually serves as covered seating area for the tea rooms. During the Galas and other special events our marquee tent becomes the main catering and beer tent -now helping to keep overhead costs down by avoiding the need to hire in large expensive marquees.

1. The gang begin the packing up and dismantling of the main marquee tent.

2. Les F (new volunteer today), John V, Ian M, Don B, Dave B, Graham B pose before disassembling the poles of the frame tent.

3. Being very close to the kitchen here, of course plenty of tea breaks were enjoyed by Graham, Nigel and Don.

4. With the tent now removed, the outside tables for the tea rooms can be used today in the superb hot, sunny weather.

5. Later the volunteers had yet another tea break using the tables under shelter on the stage, whilst several visitor groups began to enjoy using the outside tables as well.

6. Parts of the marquees were laid out on the down platform fence to dry out before packing away.

7. The gang fold up the tent sections prior to storage.

8. Brom Bromidge has organised the Portakabin office for the storage of the tents and other event paraphenalia in between the special events. Brom folds and prepares several tent sections before moving them to store.

9. With the Brake Van back in the shed, work continues on fitting the doors in place. Tim Woods checks the door's alignment.

10. John O'Dell painting the inside of the door with SR brown.

11. Also in the shed, more progress on the regauged brake hangers for the recently regauged ex-MoD bogie flat wagons which featured in the goods train at last weekend's Gala.

12. A new spacer bracket has been welded onto these hangers as part of the regauging process (from 2'6" to 2'.)

13. Another job today was to remove the temporary water tank and sleepers from behind the loading dock to store near the Portakabin area.

14. John, Graham and Les help to remove the the wood sections to store.

15. The ash from the steam locomotives is spread out alongside the transhipment siding to create a pathway here.

16. A final job today was to dismantle several second hand sections of 7.25" gauge railway recently delivered.

17. John, Graham and Ian work on splitting up these track panels. The miniature railway extensions will use the best of this rail and sleepers in due course.

Words and pictures by Nigel Thompson.