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Latest News: Archive
June 2004
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Latest News: Archive
June 2004
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Avondale's sprayer at Hoe. 9th June 2004. Photo: Alan Cooper |
This year's weedkiller spraying trip ran along the branch recently. Our regular contractor, Avondale Environmental Services Ltd, sprayed the whole line from North Elmham gates to the Down platform at Wymondham Station.
From the Avondale team was their manager Mark Yonge, who loves the chance to escape his office to explore the hidden network of freight-only lines and heritage railways such as ours. He was accompanied by his new driver, Anthony Duke, who had just recently jointed the company.
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Staff from Avondale and the MNR pose in front of the sprayer. Left to right: Chris Pearson, Rick Cousins and Andy Axten (MNR) with Mark Yonge and Anthony Duke (Avondale). 9th June 2004. Photo: Alan Cooper |
Normally we avoid operating days, but with ideal weather conditions, and both Avondale's and our own workload, we had no choice this year. With the long summer daylight hours we can get away with it as the sunlight does not fade until 10.30pm on a clear day.
I learnt that the type of soil makes a big difference, which explains why some parts of the line suffer from weeds and vegetation worse than others. Damp cuttings and areas with clay under the soil attract more moisture and thus more weeds, whereas sandy soil areas stay more clear and attract different varieties of plant life. Mark gave me a dozen names for odd looking weeds that I've often wondered about, but the chemical we use is in fact a variety of chemicals one for each of the different types of plant we were likely to encounter.
Overall, though a long, hard and somewhat tiring day, it was an enjoyable day too, and it's very pleasing to see the vegetation dying down. Once this autumn's flailing is complete, the track side will look quite presentable.
Over 100 members attended the AGM in Dereham Memorial Hall. Before and after the meeting members were able to see photographs and plans for the building work as well as a DVD produced from a cine film of an excursion from Norwich in 1978.
The Vice-President, Horace Wilkinson, read a message from the President, Lord MacGregor, who was unable to attend. The Chairman, Steve Cushion, then talked of the achievements over the last year and the plans for the future. The election of retiring officers returned both Steve Cushion and Len Elston, with Chris Cheney joining the Board. After the formal business was over the membership was given the opportunity to ask questions.
Earlier in the day, some members had a tour of the station before boarding a coach for a meander through Dereham and the countryside, escorted by Steve Cushion, to see the results of the work at Yaxham Road and Neatherd Road crossing cottages, before heading for Hoe to see the proposed site of the new station. The tour also took in County School and North Elmham stations. On return to Dereham, a salad lunch was served on the train.
By Paul Mobbs and Owen Stratford.
We spent Saturday at Thuxton. The remaining sleepers were filled in before lunch and we then started on the vegetation in the cutting to the south of the station. Two strimmers were in action taking out fresh Elder growth and rough vegetation on the lower slopes of the cutting. The remaining people followed on behind, killing the stumps and raking up the mowings.
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The team pause briefly from their mowing to allow the train to pass. 6th June 2004. Photo: Matt Goodrum |
Once again back at Crownthorpe, we were in action on the rough scrub on the inside of the corner. This clearance is necessary to maintain the line of sight around the curve. We cleared back another 100m of scrub. This time we were working from the bridge southwards to join up to the previously cut work, leaving the thickest part until last.
The vegetation at Wymondham end of the cutting at Crownthorpe was the focus of the P-way gang's attention. The work involved grass cutting and the removal of small scrub together with the disposal of the cuttings.
As the summer sun starts to heat up, the track must be kept stable as the rails expand with the heat. Therefore it's important to keep the ballast shoulders in good order to prevent lateral movement. The P-way team spent the day at two sites, Watering Farm bridge and south of Thuxton shovelling and moving ballast to the sleeper ends to reform and grade the ballast shoulders.
Vegetation clearance at two sites has been the focus of late. So the P-way gang where back to scrub clearance on the down side cutting at bridge 1676 and clearing away and disposing of previously cut scrub at bridge 1677 at Crownthorpe.
By Roy Malyon.
The fencing team were in action in Dereham Station today. We have installed another 10 posts in the fenceline on the north side of the main entrance. Once again, we had to dig the holes with the Hilti hammers, as we could make no headway with crowbars.
Good progress is being made with Dereham Station Front fence and 65 posts have been positioned so far. We have completed the bit along the front to the water tower gate and have 4 more posts to do where the old wire netting is beyond the gate, plus 4 near the main entrance.