Work in Progress - Thursday 19th February

We began the major track-bash weekend today at Woody Bay Station with a vast shunt around of almost every item of rolling stock. Needing to keep the platform roads clear as well as access to the shed, Martyn Budd using Hunslet Diesel 'Heddon Hall' managed to shunt all the wagons and carriages to stable either in the headshunt, running line (carriages), or the tool vans to the transhipment siding ready for use in the turnout regauging project.

Even before the usual 10am tea break, volunteers had begun disconnecting the 35lb rail shed access turnouts installed in early 2004, thus clearing the site ready to install the new 50lb rail regauged turnouts brought down from the car park. The old turnouts were moved onto the works train (Heddon Hall with bogie flat wagon), and driven up to the transhipment siding where a contractors' tele-handler was available to transfer them to store in the field ready for their resale to another narrow gauge railway.

Meanwhile outside the shed, the mini-digger with grading bucket attached began scraping the ballast to prepare the trackbed of the two routes from the shed roads towards the station. With a high-tech laser guide system, as used by Network Rail and its contractors, the digger was able to scrape an accurate depth path for the trackbed from the shed over the cleared way.

We adjourned for lunch and the usual railway and other topics discussion. However our normal one hour lunch break was slightly curtailed not because of the pressure of work but because Alistair, our nominated tea-maker this week, had brewed a weaker tea not to the usual standards of the Thursday Group!

Next the first regauged turnout was moved onto the flat wagon and delivered to site to be installed adjacent to the station side of the coaling stage.

In the car park, Alistair Hall and Nigel Thompson worked on regauging the other turnout -now nearing completion.

During the day contactors continued extending the shed, with more work on the steel framework.
 
Work continues all this weekend - Friday, Saturday & Sunday, but with just a few extra volunteers from Dorset and the Isle of Wight area and with a lot of work still to be done, we would appreciate any extra help from members who may be in the area during this weekend.

Dave Blencowe (electrics), Jim Price (painting and fittings), and Martin Andrews (labouring) were also very busy today working within the new toilets,which are  progressing gradually towards completion. With the first operating day on Sunday 1st March drawing ever near, we remain confident that the new facilities will be ready in good time.

Photos: Nigel Thompson

1. Dave Tooke begins to unattach the lever frame from the old turnout

2. John Villers assists with laser guiding as the digger regrades the trackbed

3 Digger's regrading bucket moving surplus ballast aside preparing the trackbed

4. The shed extension framework nears completion

5. Coach No.1 stored in the temporarily truncated cutting siding