Work in Progress: 30th August

Thursday Gang in action!

Nigel Thompson provides this week's report.

LYN was on duty today and the train crew, shop and catering teams were really busy all day. Meanwhile the Thursday Gang continued a mass tidy up and clearance of the area around the water tank.

1. More fence repairs for Anne Belsey and Tim Woods along the path towards the shed. LYN has arrived back with the mid-morning train.

2. Dave Pratt and Kevin Williams with a bag of rubbish after the water tank area clearance work. LYN "photobombs" behind!

3. This work is essential to enable access to a leaking pipe that runs from the water tank. The gang pause for a moment.

4. A rare view of the water tank which the space underneath utilised as storage.

5. With the space now cleared, Keith Lamprey and Malcolm Kitchen prepare for some digging by hand!

6. A quick job for the gang was to cut up old wood to stack in the wood store for locomotive firelighting.

After lunch a trailer load of scrap was taken off site to be recycled.

7. Paint Shop Boys Jim and Barrie are making progress with the brake van...

8. ......and today applied sealant to the Brake Van roof.

Elsewhere; Anne Belsey and Keith Lamprey erected two large 3m x 1m banners on the route of the Devon stage of the Tour of Britain Cycle Race 2018 which takes place this Monday September 3rd.

As the route passes Blackmoor Gate, one banner is on the Old Blackmoor Gate Hotel site facing the Combe Martin direction and will be clearly seen by any observers standing on the junction there. The second banner is located on the post and rail boundary fence of Old Station House Inn.

So the L&B will be well advertised as the riders pass and no doubt be recorded by any TV cameras at Blackmoor Gate.

Words and photos Nigel Thompson.