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Latest News: Archive
March 2002
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Latest News: Archive
March 2002
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By Paul Mobbs.
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Photo: Paul Mobbs |
The temporary track panels, on which the Class 117 DMU used to sit, were dismantled and the rails and sleepers were placed to one side so that we can prepare and level the ground ready to install the new track which will form the siding.
It was back to Yaxham again to clear away more vegetation which was cut back earlier in the year. It's looking better all the time.
It was time to get in some heavy plant, so in came the digger which spent most of the day moving P-Way equipment and preparing and levelling the ground to take the new siding.
A small team of volunteers headed off to the south of Yaxham gates and spent a useful day clearing vegetation.
Seven P-Way volunteers were able to get another mile of fishplate greasing done, which is very good going considering that its all 45 foot length rail through this section (Kimberley - Danemoor).
As the first panels of track in the new siding will be curved, it is necessary to use different length rails so that when we get back on the straight the joints are level with each other - otherwise you get staggered joints. So it was down the yard with the tape measure checking out rail lengths so we will know which rails to use. The rest of the day was spent dealing with vegetation around the yard. There was also a gang working near Swanton Road getting to grips with the undergrowth.
With a good turnout of volunteers, the P-Way gang were able to sort out a number of sufficiently good sleepers and manhandled them to the site of the new siding. The sleepers were then positioned in approx the correct position and the rails turned up and into the sleeper chairs then keyed up and fishplates fitted. As a result we now have a further three track panels of the siding ready for final aligning and packing.
The P-way gang spent the day cutting back vegetation near the Cavick gates up distant.
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Photo: Paul Mobbs |
With a good turnout of volunteers, we managed to move up sufficient sleepers and rails to construct the fifth track panel of the siding. This time we needed to cut and drill the rails to bring the rail joints parallel again. Once we had keyed up the rails it was time to get the bars out and align the curves as the next seven or eight panels will be straight. In order to get a line we had to roughly pack the track so that the dips do not give a false impression when you eye up the alignment.
The P-way gang returned to clear away more of the vegetation which has grown up along the trackside near the Wymondham Up distant.
By Richard Cullen.
Steve Cushion and Richard Cullen spent the afternoon cutting a board and frame to secure the P-Way hut, which had been broken into by children. After several hours work the frame was temporarily fitted into place and Steve ventured onto the roof of the station to clear the canopy drainage of accumulated plant and bird remains.
Richard fixed the board into the window of the P-Way hut, using the skilled and gentle art of hitting it very hard with a large hammer until it went into place. He then stripped the hut and has tidied up the stored materials (old chairs and tables and the seats from the Gloucester 100). Enough room was left over to make a small office/workshop area. The level crossing hut, which is in real danger of falling over backwards into the stream, was cleared of stored materials and electrical fittings. The plan is to dismantle this shed for use at Hoe or Worthing level crossings, placing the batteries for the level crossing lamps in a small location cabinet.
Finally, the gap in the fence created when the wooden fencing to the south of the level crossing collapsed in strong winds was replaced with chain link fencing. A more permanent repair will be undertaken in the future.
After checking the condition of the footpath between County School and North Elmham, Richard discovered Roy Malyon and Arnold Brackpool restoring the boundary fence at the level crossing in North Elmham. This meeting led to an impromtu working party on the County School level crossing, which had been suffering from some loose timbers. Temporary repairs were made in appalling conditions (gales and driving hail), and Richard would like to publicly thank Roy and Arnold for their help!
Richard has reinstated all the wall and ceiling panels in the former toilet compartment of E56301. This means that the original formica panels are now a lot less likely to be damaged during the ongoing restoration of the interior of the coach. A filing cabinet will be moved in in place of the toilet bowl (which is stored elsewhere), and the "smallest room" will be used as a store - probably for worksheets and materials for school parties. While some scrap glass fibre insulation was being cleared from the floor, Richard was surprised to find a half-eaten rabbit. It appears that one of the County School feral cats had been using this part of the coach as a base, and had dragged the rabbit in through the toilet pipe! The pipe has now been covered. Also, a noticeboard recovered from the hedge at County School has been restored to use on the station, the first posters to be displayed being for the diesel enthusiasts' weekend and the County School painting days. It also has a data panel on the old school and the footpaths.
Steve has been busy weedkilling around the station. The bottom car park and the double track north of the level crossing have now been done, as has the track to the south to the farmer's level crossing. He has even dealt with the station bay platform track bed.
He started to fight his way through the undergrowth southwards from the farmers crossing, but that is going to be a challenge. The Great Eastern Railway (1989) had abandoned this section of line about a year before they left the site, and it has become quite overgrown! There are some areas where it will have to be hacked out manually before spraying, as it is practically impossible to gain access.
David and Sue Holt continued to work on the orchard today, cutting back some scrub which was starting to choke the northern end of the orchard area. A lot of work has been done on this area, including the removal of a fairly large amount of domestic waste.