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Latest News: Archive
September 2001
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Latest News: Archive
September 2001
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By Paul Mobbs and Barney Stratford.
We were aiming to dig out the remaining 49 sleepers which are due to be changed south of Yaxham, but due to a poor turnout of volunteers (4 before lunch, and another 2 who joined us at lunch time) we were only able to dig out 40.
Trevor and Barney finished clearing the vegetation that was touching the train between Kimberley and Crownthorpe, before going back to Dereham, where Barry, Owen and Andy were performing maintenance on the ground frames.
In far cooler conditions than we have been having recently, a gang of 6 people changed a further 27 sleepers.
Kevin, Barney and Trevor were doing various odd jobs around Dereham Station. We tidied up the remains of the old fence at Green's Road level crossing before collecting up some keys and chairscrews for use in the resleepering job in Whinburgh Cutting. We tidied up some scrap metal which had been sitting around for a while, and finally we caught the last train to repair some vandalism near the sewage works. Meanwhile, Owen and Barry spent the day cleaning and painting the rest of the signal frame to go into Dereham Central signal box.
The Friday gang cleared the remaining vegetation in the four-foot between Neatherd Road and Swanton Road level crossings. The way is now clear to remove all the remaining debris. Ian, Owen and Barney meanwhile moved the signal frame from the Goods Shed into the Signal Box.
A gang of 7 people turned out, and we dug out the remaining 9 sleepers which are due to be changed. Then, we replaced worn-out ferrules in the area. Finally, there was a little time left over, so we replaced the ballast around sleepers that have already been changed.
The P-way gang got a few useful jobs done around the station, including attaching baseplates for 113lb rail to sleepers, and dragging some crippled rails out to be cut up and made into light posts. We also lent a hand with the signal box.
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Photo: Barry Brackpool |
Barry and Owen spent the day installing the frame for the signal levers into Dereham Central signal box. Over the previous month the frame was stripped down to bare metal and painted. Years of accumulated grime had to be removed, probably built up over the life of the box in London. The components prepared included the stanchions, spindle and longitudinal angle sections that support the quadrant (floor) plates.
Over the week prior to Sunday, Ian had built the wooden pedestal that supports the frame. On Saturday the frame was installed to check positioning and to finish the timber structure. It was bolted down into its final resting place on Sunday morning. Various other parts were also installed at the same time including the brackets which hold the block shelf up and several quadrant plates. As more are restored then these will be added. We couldn't resist adding a couple of levers too!!
We changed the final 20 or so sleepers which were scheduled for renewal south of Yaxham. We had a good turnout of volunteers (10) which meant that we finished earlier than expected, so we could do some of the backfilling that needed doing.
Having finished re-sleepering south of Yaxham, all the sleepers which were removed from the track were stacked up together. Those that are totally rotten will be burnt some time soon.
Ernie and Paul took advantage of the fine weather and packed and backfilled in the remaining bays where sleeper replacement had occurred between the two bridges at Whinburgh. This now leaves us the twenty odd bays to backfill and pack where we replaced sleepers a couple of weeks ago. Then it was back to Dereham to do some work on dismantling of the pointwork adjacent to Norwich Road gates.
What a busy day! Firstly, we got to grips with dismantling the point adjacent to Norwich Rd gates. A fine turnout of volunteers soon got to grips with the work and the job was completed without using heavy mechanical aids. We did it the old way using bars, jacks and buckets of sweat. The closure rails came out first with their sleepers. The switch blades and sleepers were next followed by the crossing ironwork and sleepers. A big thank you to all who turned up and helped.
After lunch (fish and chips, by the way) we were able to load up and deliver 50 bullhead chairs to Neatherd Road crossing with the kind help of a gentleman who just happened to be visiting the railway with his flatback transit. These are needed so that we can replace the broken chairs in the section to Swanton Rd crossing.
Then, for good measure, the gang took the two o'clock train down to Yaxham and started digging out sleeper bays to the north of Yaxham station to prepare for resleepering in that area.
Although the weather didn't look promising, the P-way gang got stuck in and replaced seven sleepers in the section of line just north of Yaxham station. Meanwhile another gang surged off into the jungle between Swanton and Neatherd Rd crossings and had a good day on vegetation clearance.
By Richard Cullen.
One of the Friends of County School Station has started to clear the vegetation and accumulated rubbish from the former bay platform formation. Already the sand trap, buffer stop and a section of the formation have been cleared.
Great Eastern coach body number 1380 was found to contain several sheets of marine ply. Although this material will be useful for projects other than the coach (the gauge is too heavy for use with the surviving panels), it has had to be removed from the vehicle to enable Reg to continue the internal renovation work. Some of the original carriage locks have been removed for servicing and repair away from site.
Visitors from the Railcar Associations convention, held at Dereham this year, popped up to see the progress on E56301 since it was bought by the Trust. Several "guided tours" were given and many useful contacts made - including the promise of some spare parts! All visitors were impressed with the care being taken over the restoration and were especially impressed by the authenticity of the coach.
The station fires were all lit this weekend - although the front of the grate in the ticket office collapsed and will need to be repaired or replaced before too long. Thinking about the coming winter months lead to a plan being hatched to hold a traditional Christmas event at the station later this year. More news later!
Today was used for a general maintenance sweep in readiness for the winter season. The fence has been repaired north of the station where walkers had created a gap onto the railway itself. The path does need to have a major clearance job done to it, any volunteer assistance welcomed - please bring a strimmer!
New laminated information boards are being gradually fitted to the station, these featuring the "ghost" of a station porter, who explains the displays and provides some anecdotal comments. These boards will slowly be fitted to all the displays at the station, and should assist any future efforts for the station to become a registered museum.
The footpath south of the station (towards North Elmham) was given a quick trim, and is very clear now as far south as bridge 1700. The path onwards into North Elmham was strimmed a few weeks ago by a contractor.
The replica GER station lamp in the hall is now lit. A suitable small burner has been located and a temporary base for it to stand on was quickly fabricated. Few people are now used to the smell of working oil lamps, and it is hoped that this will add further depth to the recreated atmosphere of the station.
Two burners have also been found for the platform lamps on the island platform, but the heads of the screws on the lamp casings had perished and would not undo. One small job for the future will have to be to drill the heads off and find a new way of securing the casings. Any volunteer with a power drill and a couple of hours would be more than welcomed to complete this task, as we would like the lamps lit for the Christmas event.
Last opening day of the summer season. The oil reservoir in the booking hall lamp was found to have a slow leak, and has been replaced temporarily with the burner from a highways oil lamp (of the sort used before the flashing yellow lights found on the cones of today). The aroma of burning lamp oil mixed with that of burning coal attracted several favourable comments from our visitors during the day. One of the tasks set for the closed season will be to try to locate additional oil lamps and burners - both domestic and railway types will be required to complete the cameo.