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Latest News: Archive
April 2005
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Latest News: Archive
April 2005
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By Owen Stratford and Matt Goodrum.
We began the day by drilling the remaining holes to take fishplate bolts. Once that was completed, we also finished off the lifting and packing of the point at the north end of the site.
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The track panels have been fishplated together. Photo: Matt Goodrum |
There were a number of tasks to complete today. We began by fitting the fishplates. This was quite a tough task, as the accumulation of rust on the bolts' threads made them rather stiff. With generous applications of grease and plenty of effort, we got them done up. The point at the north end was then filled in with ballast from the large pile nearby, and the final rail was screwed down on the southernmost point.
We spent today working on the north end point on the Wymondham run round. After the glorious spring weather of the last few weeks, we were somewhat surprised to wake up and find a good dusting of snow over everything! Fortunately the sun came out and melted it and we could get on. The diverging closure rail was drilled and fixed down and then its partner was gauged and screwed down. Because of the way that this point was recovered, this necessitated cutting in a closure rail. By the end of the day, this point was at last complete. Also on the loop, the sleeper spacings on half of the panels were attended to and missing fishbolts inserted.
With the weather much improved back at Wymondham, today was spent assembling the panel of track that completed the loop. We had to move two 60-foot rails up from the south end and turn one, not an easy task when the fences are 45 feet apart! We needed these in order to enable us to use the junction fishplates that we have for the Flatbottom to Bullhead rails. These rails were inserted, fishplated up and cut to the correct length. There still remain a few odd jobs in order to run the ballast next week, but provided that we have sufficient help then this should happen by about lunchtime. We also brought down some of the signalling equipment.
We had a good day at Wymondham working on the loop today. We took the ballast train to Wymondham. Once on site, we started off by keying up and packing the first panel off of the north end point. The remaining sleepers on the flat bottom panels were spaced. We then proceeded to run a light locomotive (31 235) along the siding to bed in all of the rails into the baseplates. This proved satisfactory and so the hoppers were then run through the loop and the stone dropped. After dropping the hoppers back out onto the mainline, we sharked the new ballast. (A Shark is a ballast plough that evens out the dropped ballast.) Some preparatory works were also undertaken ready for the following week, before we all returned to Dereham after an extremely satisfying day.
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Left photo: Loading ballast at Dereham. Right photo: Ballast train at Wymondham. Photos: Matt Goodrum |
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The team building the Wymondham run-round loop. The loco is standing on the newly-laid track. Photo: Owen Stratford |
Today was spent preparing the south end of the Wymondham Loop in preparation for next week's ballast drop. The missing rail was transported from the north end of the site, cut to length and installed. The check rail was also fitted up to it. There were a lot of problems replacing a broken chair on the common crossing, as everything held itself together and did not want to let the new chair slot into place. After a lot off fiddling and hitting things in just the right way, it finally came together. We still have to insert a couple of sleepers before we can run the ballast next week. Meanwhile at the north end, the S&T fittings were arranged and some of the assembly started. The facing point lock and rodding in the 4 foot was installed. The point drive connection and crank was also fitted and positioned. We readied the connections on the ground frame: next week we have to plant the ground frame and join it on as well as drill a few more securing holes into the cranks already positioned.
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Ballasting the loop. Photo: Owen Stratford |
Today was spent completing the south end of the Wymondham Loop. We inserted the last three sleepers and drilled and screwed down the last rail. We then spent a lot of time packing under the sleepers. Finally when everything was inserted, we ran the Class 31 into the loop and ran round the hopper train for the first time. We then dropped and 'sharked' the remaining ballast. After a hard day it was gratifying to see the loop completed and functional at last. There remains a lot of fettling in order to complete the loop and the signalling still has to be installed.
We spent today boxing off the ballast at the south end of the Wymondham Loop. This involves spreading the heap left after dropping the hoppers into all of the beds, and clearing excess off of the sleepers. We had a small gang today, but the fresh ballast is relatively easy to shovel about and so a reasonable amount was achieved without having to work too hard. We also installed the hand point on the south point and greased and oiled everything up so that it all works nicely.
When we installed the loop, the digger left a small pile of ballast that could be re-used. Today's main job was to shovel it onto the shoulders of the new track, enabling us to extend the headshunt a little further towards the junction. While we were there, we also replaced a short rail that had a fishplate in an inconvenient location.
By Terry Mann.
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Horace awaits restoration. Photo: Terry Mann |
Horace has now been parked beside the Norwich Road end of the Goods shed as a resting place to perform his restoration. Now that our efforts in constructing the water tower are coming to an end work is starting on Horace with more vigour, the first items being hoist rope and pulleys, jib and wheel brakes.
The hoist rope has been manually wound off the drum and unthreaded from the jib, pulleys and securing points and stowed in the goods shed for cleaning and lubricating. Inspection of the top jib pulleys and bushes shows some have seized and are preventing correct operation of the upper limit switch. Most securing bolts have now been freed off and the next step is to completely remove the pulleys and pivot pins for overhaul on the ground. Once these items are out of the way the front half of the jib assembly will be de-rusted, cleaned and painted.
Work has also started on overhauling the wheel brakes but the size and shape of the stub axle securing nut has defeated our efforts at removal for the time being.
By Roy Malyon.
Steve Tweed and Roy Malyon spend much effort at this time of the year hand-spraying many areas that are not covered by the Avondale machine that sprays the whole line - usually in May or June. Steve has started the huge task north of Neatherd Road including North Elmham yard and County School. Roy is working south towards the mainline at Wymondham.
Areas that we try to cover each year surround all the platforms, bridges, crossings, signs, catch-pits, behind residents' gardens, beside adjacent footpaths and anywhere that anyone considers is a visibility hazard. The problem is that we have to co-ordinate progress with our availability and the weather, which needs to remain calm during spraying and then dry for at least six hours after application.