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Latest News: Archive
February 2003
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Latest News: Archive
February 2003
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By Owen Stratford.
With the snow still on the ground we installed another length of signal wire onto the already installed stakes. New ones were not planted because the ground was still frozen.
We took a train out to jack and pack the remaining joints that needed attention between Thuxton and Dereham. On completion, some ballast was shovelled off of the sleepers after the drop of a few weeks ago at Rash's Green. Meanwhile our new shark arrived on the back of an Alleley's low loader.
We went out and took gauge and cant readings form the platform at Kimberley prior to reopening after the edge slabs have had work carried out. On return to Dereham we spent the afternoon working on ZUV 'Shark' ballast plough DB993717. The ploughs were freed off and then all mechanisms and moving parts were greased and oiled as appropriate. We also oiled and inspected the axle boxes as well as assessing some of the work required to the running gear.
We took out a train to Hardingham to change sleepers. We changed 17 but this included some tricky ones and all required digging out, hence the low number. There are still a lot to do so this should keep us busy for some time.
With Trevor and Owen heading off to Essex in the afternoon, we only had the morning. We took this opportunity to dig some trial holes in Yaxham Road in order to assess the work required in preparation for a major maintenance operation in a months time. We also took measurements for new rails.
With the Model Rail day depleting our numbers, we were down to two! We conscripted a few helpful folks who happened to be in the right place at the wrong time to shift two 60ft rails from the grass by Norwich Road to a more suitable area. We then went and attended to ballast shoulders in the Yaxham area. It was a gloriously sunny day.
We doubled our numbers since Saturday and with the first good Sunday for ages, we went to Garvestone to carry on with vegetation clearance. We hacked our way through the worst part and also got a lovely bonfire going. It should be slightly easier from here on.
By Roy Malyon.
Owen, Terry and Roy strimmed from the Swanton Road end of Northall Green Cutting to beyond where Graham's gang reached and we found a perfect 12 and a quarter mile post. Opposite this post is a huge area away from the second formation where cut material could could be stacked and there is room for an area to replant the dog violets mentioned in the ecological study.
Clearance work continues in the Northern Section and great progress is being made. Today the very bad section south from Hoe Road Bridge was completed and all the surplus material burnt. Many volunteers have struggled in this quarter of a mile section and we have been greatly helped with burning by a group of scouts and on two occasions by army cadets who even surprised themselves at what they achieved. Three quarters of a mile remains to be cleared and but much of this has already been strimmed to enable access for the chain-saw in the hands of Barry or Ernie. The drainage challenges continue to be dealt with but there is still much to do before the road/rail sprayer can pass through from Dereham to North Elmham.
Drainage work in Northall Green Cutting continued today, and Steve Tweed kindly christened a newly bought spade/fork set by digging out 5 catch-pits. The drainage challenges in the cutting appear mainly to be caused by a lack of maintenance. There is still much work to do to clear, burn and drain the cutting but we are winning.
By Tony Hendry.
The building team set about removing the iron fencing from Lynn Hill. The work went well as soon as we realised that it was quicker to cut the rusted bolts with a petrol saw rather than mess about with spanners.