Work in Progress - Thursday 3rd September

And now for something completely different ...

Today the Thursday gang went on a day out in Martyn Budd's Land Rover with the trailer to collect some railway equipment either donated or bought from a member from South Devon. After leaving Woody Bay at 0900 and a rendezvous with Richard Willey at Tiverton M5 Jct.27 we drove to a private address near Buckfastleigh. There we were treated to tea and cakes both before and after loading the trailer.

The equipment to be collected included a traditional red telephone box almost completely intact, a platform luggage trolley and a sack barrow, a SR style lattice signal post and an assorted amount of various signalling paraphenalia such as lamps, pulleys and some levers from a variety of origins.

Firstly it took all six of us to safely move and load the heavy telephone box on the trailer. The other equipment was then loaded onto and around the trailer and secured with straps for the steady journey up the A38, M5,A361,A399, and A39 back to Woody Bay. Unloading took place with the mini digger lifting the phone box into place behind the station.

   1. With the telephone box now loaded, Alistair Hall checks the spaces around the trailer.

2. The platform luggage trolley is positioned to the rear of the trailer with the signal post down the side.

3.Safely back at Woody Bay, the Land Rover and trailer await unloading.

4.The digger lifts the telephone box across the goods yard area towards its position.

5. After placing in position (behind the original Gents), Dave Tooke goes inside the box to check.

(Ed's Note: The GPO telephone box is a "K6", designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V in – ironically enough – 1935!)

  There is more about telephone boxes HERE

 Photos: Nigel Thompson