Work in Progress: 7th November

With Nigel Thompson off this week to visit York to see six A4 Pacifics all lined up for the last time, I was asked to write this week's report.

Today's weather started bright and clear with a few dark clouds threatening rain. So with a reasonable number of volunteers on site we boarded the train for Killington Lane. As the running season is over for 2013, we are able to carry out work on the track without interfering with passenger trains.

One of today's jobs was to remove a standard sleeper by the point lever frame and replace it with a much longer one. This is to provide a fixing point for a right angle pivot for the point rodding. The reason this is being done is to give more clearance for engines and our new Heritage Carriages. The lever frame is being moved further back towards Killington Lane station.

Once the sleeper was replaced and packed a laser level was set up to allow level marker posts to be aligned along the beam ready for the rod support blocks to be installed.

Whilst the levelling was being carried out, another team set to work cutting some rail posts for a new sign at Killington Lane which will show our future extension plans. The holes were dug with the auger attachment and digger. The posts were then aligned and cemented in.

Today's Killington Lane team was: Nigel Spencer, Don Newnham, Dick Gunn, John Hayes, Martin Williams, Roger Bye, Dave Evans, Dave Bloomfield, Dave Drayson, Graham Varney and General Manager Martyn Budd.

Others on site at Woody Bay were Jim Price carrying out some more carpentry work. Dave Tooke was in the office.

Alistair Coney was in the shed finishing the painting of coach 16 and had been at Woody Bay for most of the week.

Contractors were also on-site, replacing the rotten wood under the gable end of the station building. This now makes the road side of the station look much better and completes the work carried out by volunteers earlier in the year. Now the scaffolding can be removed.

Words and Pictures: David Bloomfield

1, 2. Replacing the sleeper at Killington Lane.
 

3. Setting up the laser level.

4. Setting the level along the white line.

5. Some of the team in the Guards brake van returning to Woody Bay for lunch.

6. The works train and D6652 at Killington Lane with General Manager Martyn Budd and Graham Varney.

7.    The auger in use making holes for the rail posts.