Work in Progress: 9th April

While the boss is away...!

Whilst General Manager Martyn Budd was away enjoying a well-earned holiday on the Isle of Wight this week, the main project for the Thursday gang was to repair the picnic tables at the Rowley Cross picnic area, which the L&BR looks after.

1. The rotten seats and tables were removed from the stumps.

2. The first table is worked on; new wooden slats are secured.

3. Next the seats were fixed onto the stumps - the table proving a useful bench for all the tools needed here.

4. Before...

5. ... and after. The plan to remove the supporting posts was rather thwarted by their being concreted in with reinforcing mesh! So we cut off a few supports and adapted others. (Roger Bye)

6. Back at Woody Bay, electricians Dave Drayson and Dave Bloomfield were digging a cable run from the mess room to the car park. This is to provide electric and telephone cables for the entrance marquees used during galas, enabling credit card transactions at these locations.

7. In the shed, John Heys (left) was busy working on parts for his CHARLES WYTOCK locomotive, and Dick Gunn was working on fabricating an access step platform to go on the down home signal for the shunt signal position.

8. Morning visitors at Woody Bay observe the goings-on, whilst Guard Bob Ayres waits by the signal cabin as ISAAC is being serviced.

9. Trainee Fireman Rory Robinson watering ISAAC in the April sunshine outside the shed.

10. The train crew with ISAAC awaiting departure time.

Words and pictures by Nigel Thompson (except photos 4 & 5 by Roger Bye).