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Latest News: Archive
August 2001
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Latest News: Archive
August 2001
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By Paul Mobbs and Barney Stratford.
The P-way gang got stuck in and dug out a further 20 sleeper bays in preparation for sleeper changing between bridge 1690 and Yaxham's down distant.
Trevor and Paul spent an afternoon packing and filling in sleeper bays between 9 1/4 milepost and bridge 1690.
In pouring rain, a gang of 5 people replaced the rotten fencing near Green's Road level crossing.
Having travelled to site on the works train from Dereham, the P-Way gang really got stuck in and replaced 22 bad sleepers between bridges 1689 and 1690, just south of Yaxham. As we had eight volunteers on site, we were able to finish the planned resleepering just after lunch. So, in the afternoon, we started to dig out the ballast either side of the next set of eight bad sleepers and place out the next set of new sleepers, before it was time to pack up and catch the last service train back to Dereham. Having a couple more volunteers helping did make a big difference to our productivity, so if you can spare a Saturday, then please come along and help maintain the railway.
It was a really wet day, so the P-way stores got a good tidy.
The ticket office at Dereham station has been completely refurbished. The ceiling has been repaired with new plasterboard and the office has been repainted in green and cream and the Edmondson ticket rack has been installed ready for use. Two period light shades have also been provided. The volunteers involved in the project were Rosemary Cooper, Steve Cushion, Graham Moates, Eileen Oliver and Roy Robinson.
Another good turnout of volunteers (9) coupled with good weather (warm but slightly overcast) meant that we were able to dig out around a further 20 bad sleepers and renew ferrules on adjacent sleepers. This means that there are another 26 sleepers ready to be changed next Saturday. The replacement sleepers were then placed out ready to go into the track. As we had an hour to spare and we just love hard labour, we started to pack and fill in half the sleepers we completed last week.
We were planning to start backfilling sleepers, but as we had made good progress on Saturday and the weather forecast was not promising, we changed over to checking out the drainage problems at Wymondham. After much digging, we were able to find the old downside drainage system between Lady's Lane and the old A11 bridge. Unfortunately, it looks like earthenware pipes have been broken and disturbed in the past so may have to be replaced. Barry and Owen spent a couple of hours clearing out the old foundations of Church Lane signal box. It was dirty work, with all kinds of undergrowth and lashings of mud thrown in just to make the job interesting.
A gang of four volunteers began clearance work north of Neatherd Road level crossing in Dereham. About 80m of track was cleared of brambles, trees and litter. Weedkiller was subsequently sprayed over the area.
The p-way gang managed to change 28 sleepers in one of the hottest days of the year, reaching 30 degrees. It was hard going simply because of the heat, and we even had to arrange for additional drinks to be brought to site by the 11:00 & 14:00 trains. To date, we have changed approx 100 sleepers on the section between Yaxham station and the south end of Whinburgh cutting.
The Operating Department have noticed that there was foliage which was starting to get near the train at various places along the line, so it was time to get the handsaws out again and remove the offending branches.
Bank Holidays are usually a quiet time on the volunteer front, so it was down to Barney, Paul and Mark who busied themselves clearing some old branches just south of Yaxham Road level crossing. Paul had earlier checked out the Wicklewood Cutting drainage which we had sorted out earlier this year (see April / June reports). It appears that it has been successful, as the drains are virtually dry.
Barney and Owen spent a productive day digging out the old base of Lady's Lane signal box in Wymondham, which had become unsightly and had filled with smelly mud and water over the years.
Roy and Barney sprayed the saplings that are growing up near the sewage works in Wymondham.