Work in Progress: 30 April - 1 May

posted by Nigel Thompson on Tue, 03/05/2011 - 13:19

7.25" gauge miniature railway extension construction work.

Project leader, Alistair Hall was at Woody Bay all weekend to continue the tracklaying helped by Dave Bloomfield, Jim McFarlane and Martyn Budd.

1. A base of chippings was laid out and rolled smooth along the trackbed of the miniature railway.

2. Tracklaying begins as Alistair and Jim begin to screw the rail lengths to the sleepers.

Photos Dave Bloomfield

3. On Sunday Jim and Alistair prepare a plastic pipe as a conduit for a cable run for the miniature railway stock shed.

4. A shallow trench was dug for a drainage pipe and the cable conduit.

5. Alistair and Jim connect the end of the drainage pipe to a joint near the earth bank by the water tank.

6. Saturday's tracklaying had progressed well along the dug out area past the water tank alongside the A39.

7. Looking back towards the upper lawn area of the new track extension -awaiting connecting up and top ballasting.

8. Further extensions will head towards the end of our land above the cutting nearer the site of the A39's crossing of the L & B trackbed at Martinhoe Cross.

9. Back at the water tank (restored and constructed by the L & B Trust's Surrey Group 2008-9) the miniature railway will use land alongside for a small engine shed with carriages housed underneath the tank itself.

The miniature railway will be in operation over the Vintage and AGM Weekend (14th-15th May) and at other special events throughout the season. This has been a very low budget construction using second hand donated materials and built almost entirely by volunteer labour under the guidance of Volunteer of the Year 2010 Alistair Hall. This extra attraction at Woody Bay will not only encourage our visitors to stay a while longer but will also add to the total value of their visit.

10. The traincrew on Sunday was driver Pete Williams and fireman Frank Daff.

11. Guard Steve Ball outside the signal cabin with the newly restored platform barrow trolley on display underneath the running-in board.

12. Nigel Thompson at work on the brake van in the shed which has now been partly painted. All being well we should see completion of this project later this year.

---------
Text and and photos by Nigel Thompson.