Work in Progress: 30th August

posted by Martyn de Young on Sun, 02/09/2012 - 00:28

Another busy day at Woody Bay. Still cloudy so not a proper beach day and in the last week of the school holidays the visitors kept on coming to help swell the numbers travelling this year.

Meanwhile the Thursday Gang had another important job to do today...

1.The new, semi-permanent marquee is expected to be delivered to Woody Bay soon. This will be located behind the signal cabin (to comply with the planning permission) and coloured to minimise the impact on the site. The temporary marquee was moved beside the station building, to continue providing space for visitors enjoying their tea and cakes, until the new one is erected.

2. With the site cleared, the excavator and a hired-in one-tonne dumper truck were used to remove spoil from the measured foundation anchor points for the new marquee.

3. As some electricity cables run nearby, a couple of holes had to be carefully dug by hand.

4. Behind the concrete storage shed, a base anchor point was dug and backfilled with dry-mix cement.

5. Adjustments are made to a drainage pipe exposed in the bank whilst the marquee area is enlarged.

6. Dave Drayson and new local volunteer Martin Williams mixing up the dry-mix cement for the concrete anchor points.

7. The excavator ready to dig out the other anchor points using the 18" auger attachment donated by many Trust members during a fundraising appeal in 2010.

8. The auger makes easy work of the achor point holes.

9. AXE arrives at Woody Bay

10. A few enthusiasts were about today. A visitor photographs AXE as the loco runs towards the shed for servicing with coal and water.

11. Bob Ayres, today's Guard, operating levers at the signal cabin.

12. Platform scene with volunteers and visitors.

13. Dick Gunn has been busy restoring signalling equipment at home, which he returned today but to his wife's dismay, collected yet another load for more cleaning, lubricating and painting at his home workshop. In due course, all restored signalling equipment is likely to be used as the railway extends to Blackmoor Gate.

14. Southern Railway-liveried ex-MoD Box Vans 47061 and 47062 stabled in the loading dock siding. Thanks go to Jim Pounds, who has now completed all the lettering on these two vans. They are expected to feature in the demonstration freight trains at the Autumn Steam Gala on September 29th and 30th - see you there !

Words and pictures by Nigel Thompson

Nigel wasn't the only photographer at Woody Bay this week. Dave Blencowe has also provided some images, including some of Nigel himself, who although he is an active member of the Thursday Group, tends to keep behind the camera in his journalistic work. Dave says:

I am sure you will get a report from Nigel but here are a few extra photos including a few of Nigel himself. The work was preparing the ground for the new tent which will arrive next week. The tent was carefully marked out and then holes drilled to be filled with concrete to bolt the tent to. Some of the holes had to be hand dug due to underground services.

15. The site of the new marquee.

16. Moving the tables into the temporary marquee.

17. The excavator shovel clearing the marked areas.

18. Nigel Thompson, caught in front of the camera for once!

19, 20. The auguer makes short work of this post-hole.

21. I'm sure my bone was in there somewhere...

Feedback from visitors to the website shows that the regular "Thursday Gang" updates from Nigel and others are a popular feature of the site, to both members and non-members alike.

If you are involved in any activities at Woody Bay - or anywhere else - in support of the L&B, we would be pleased to feature your reports. It doesn't have to be a regular item - a one-off article will be just as welcome. If you'd like to have a go, but aren't sure how to go about it, what to write, or if you need help with the text, just contact the web team at webmaster@lynton-rail.co.uk, and we will be pleased to help.