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Latest News: Archive
December 2007
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Latest News: Archive
December 2007
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By Owen Stratford, Trevor Brackpool and Paul Mobbs.
The original plan for today was to lift and pack the track. Unfortunately due to the Santa Specials train preparations a crew could not be rostered. As a result we decided to use the day to make progress on the second siding in Dereham. We prepared two panels and then shunted the crane forwards so that we could attend to the tie in at the yard entrance. Progress then continued down the siding for a further two panels before we decided that this was a good point to end the day. The flatrol and MLV were also then shunted across into the siding. Before the siding is brought into regular use, we will need to lift out a slack in the track immediately behind the points. We also took a quick trip up towards Yaxham in the morning to pack a dipped joint that needed attention.
The P-Way gang finished back-filling the sleepers north of Garvestone that were changed earlier this year. In spite of the arrival of the rain by mid-morning, we were able to finish the job. We then proceeded to help with digging out the dirty, muddy ballast by the crossing gates that some of the crossing keepers have kindly been cleaning out for us.
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Clearance in Danemoor Cutting. 22nd December 2007. Photo: Alex Neale |
Four of us turned up at Hardingham today. We had another area of back-filling outstanding towards Thuxton. This comprised around 40 sleepers. We had a fairly relaxed amount of work and completed in good time.
A small party spend today trimming the bank back behind the new point rodding run in Dereham. The purpose of this is to help keep the roddding clear of vegetation and to create a safe path to walk along.
We spent today at Danemoor, by the road bridge where the B1135 road crosses the track. With Barry wielding his new chainsaw, we made steady work clearing along the up side in the cutting working south with a few people working in front cutting away the small scrub. We had a good fire to consume all of the material that we cut and managed to tidy up around 80m of the bank where the road runs alongside.
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Newly-installed cranks. 23rd December 2007. Photo: Barney Stratford |
We were having another signalling day in Dereham today. The purpose was to start preparing the cross-track rodding run, where it changes to run along the up cess and eventually back to the signalbox. Three cranks were placed onto the prepared benches and the end connections joined onto the point channel rodding. We then prepared and placed three stools across the track and joined a further few lengths of point rodding onto those. In the afternoon, a few people continued digging the bank back behind the rodding run to form a walkway.
Today was our annual post-Christmas vegetation bashing day. We had selected a new area to be done this year, working south of Garvestone level crossing. We had a terrific gang which totalled 20 people, with the arrivals and departures throughout the day. We were also fortunate to welcome three new volunteers, and one came suitably equipped with chainsaw, qualification and all of the protective equipment for which we were especially thankful. I think that it is fair to say that we would not have cleared half of the amount without this. We also had a nice relaxed pace of work with plenty of time to chat and catch up.
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Cutting Trees. 29th December 2007. Photo: Owen Stratford |
We started off by clearing working north from the power lines and also disposed of some previously cut and dumped trees under the power lines. Two fires were soon roaring away and before long, lighting a third was necessary due to the sheer amount of wood that was cut. We completed at the north end by cutting with clippers through a blackthorn thicket. The opening out of the whole area and improvement to the lineside is very noticeable. This should help the track to dry out and also give our passengers a few seconds worth of pleasant views as they run past. A big 'thank you' to everyone who helped.
In preparation for the next phase of tree cutting on the embankment south of Thuxton by an external contractor working for the electricity board, we placed redundant sleepers along the tops of the embankment. The shoulders disappear straight down the side here and there is no cess along this point. We were worried that the tree felling would result in ballast being displaced down the slope. The sleepers were placed into position, having been trollied up from the recent resleepering from Hardingham, and then two stakes were driven in in front of each one to secure it.
We are working with the local electricity board and their contractor to clear the trees away from the adjacent power lines at Thuxton. The contractors are clearing everything right from the track to the fenceline and taking the logs away. The up side had previously been cleared by a local timber merchant, while the current work aims to clear the down side.
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Before and after. 19th July 2002 and 19th December 2007. Photos: Owen Stratford |
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By Gary Hall.
We completed the removal of the dead tree in front of the station, before continuing some clearance in the area near bridge 1707. We transported three full trolley-loads of wood back to the station and stacked it along side the line. Meanwhile, a new gate was partially hung across the orchard drive. Unfortunately we were not able to free off one of the gate hinge bolts so it could be moved up to its correct position.