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Latest News: Archive
December 2002
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Latest News: Archive
December 2002
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The MNR has succeeded in receiving nearly £40,000 from the East of England Development Agency's "Market Towns Initiative" to visually improve the level crossings in Dereham. The project will include the replacement of missing crossing gates, and Yaxham Road crossing keeper's cottage will receive external renovation. Repairs to the World War Two pill box in the station yard near Norwich Road will also begin. Work is expected to commence in the new year.
This was a first for the MNR and was extremely successful. Southburgh Choir sang on the train as well as at the service. Many of the villagers were waiting at Thuxton for the short procession to St. Paul's Church, led by Mary (Chloe Myhill) and Boxer the donkey. Co-Chair Steve Cushion read a lesson, as did volunteer Arnold Brackpool. On the return journey mulled wine and hot mince pies were served, completing a very enjoyable event, which we hope to repeat in 2003.
By Owen Stratford.
The weather was miserable once more (a familiar story!) and we keyed up some rails on a siding in Dereham as well as cutting and drilling a few rail ends. The opportunity was also taken to cut a couple of tree stumps down to ground level near the Goods Shed.
We spent Saturday working on Neatherd Road Crossing in Dereham. In the early 1990s, a van hit the gate and broke the massive 18 inch square post off at ground level. It had been standing awkwardly at an angle of about 30 degrees and needed changing. One of our kind members had offered the services of a Hiab lorry in order to move and install a new post. The old post slid out of the hole easily and to our amazement the new one slid snugly into its old hole. However things never go as easily as you think and the new post was about 8 inches too high. It was lifted out and we tried to dig down to lower it but met with limited success and so eventually we cut the bottom of the post in order to make it the same dimension as that which we had removed. Finally we spent the rest of the day digging out the flangeways and removing heaps of soil and muck that had washed off of the road over the years and accumulated around the crossing.
Another day of clearance at Garvestone saw us progress further towards Thuxton. We eventually got a good fire going and cleared up the cut wood. Progress was hampered slightly by really thick hawthorn scrub and brambles all sitting in a boggy mess!
Five volunteers struggled in very wet conditions to erect two replacement lamp posts at Wymondham Abbey Station ready for the Santa Specials. Armoured electricity cable was also dug into the ground between the lamp posts and the Ticket Office.
The two wooden lamp posts that have existed since the Station opened were cut from trees, but the October gales proved too much for them! The lights have been wired overhead as before, but as soon as time allows will be connected via the new armoured cable to conventional lamp fittings.
With only a few people working on the siding today, the rate of progress was slow. To compound matters, we had to lift the rails by 8 inches due to a dip in the ground. It was also raining and so all things considered a panel and a half was quite good progress.
We went out to Wymondham to attend to some rails under bridge 1671 (the former A11) that had signs of corrosion. Upon lifting the first rail and clearing the rust away it was not as bad as had been suspected and so it was reinserted after changing a broken chair. The second rail had signs of separation of the metal under the rail foot where it was seated in a chair and so although not a serious fault we changed it anyway to avoid future maintenance headaches.
Work progressed on the siding again. Five of us packed up another two panels reaching the start of the curve at the site of the old south junction. The worst sections to be lifted to the required height have now been completed.
With torrential rain having flooded many areas, we abandoned clearing underwater scrub and split into two parties. Two people went to Wymondham to replace a couple of fishplates that required lift plates to be fitted whilst the other two started filling in sleepers at Yaxham. After lunch we all finished off at Yaxham before heading home.
By Roy Malyon.
Volunteers continued work on the northern section today and a ballast drain gulley was placed in the six-foot just south of North Elmham Level Crossing where an original catch-pit had been covered. Two trees that were overhanging the track at North Elmham were cleared and then the working party continued clearance between Worthing and Hoe Level Crossings. Good progress is being made and the next working party in that location is planned for Friday 13th December when it is hoped to reach at least a third of the distance (it is nearly a mile and a half between the two level crossings).
Special thanks go to Terry Montgomery who has done an amazing repair to Worthing Crossing's north gate. The gate had been damaged by a car at some time and resembled matchwood!
Eight volunteers continued clearance between Worthing and Hoe: the first half mile is now clear enough to allow a flail to work. This was a major achievement but we still have another mile to go before we reach Hoe, and in places the track-bed is currently impassable.
Three volunteers continued stacking cut wood into habitat piles and burning the residue between Worthing and Hoe.
Seven volunteers continued clearance work between Worthing and Hoe. Progress was slower than hoped because of thick blackthorn bushes growing onto the track-bed, but the finished result is a superb clearance that is now within sight of the half way point between Worthing and Hoe.
21 volunteers worked to clear part of the northern section near Hoe and great progress was made. It is now possible to walk in the four-foot all the way from Hoe to North Elmham and another three days' work will clear the blackthorn and overhanging branches to allow the flail to operate. We have begun finding and painting the quarter mile posts.