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Latest News: Archive
August 2010
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Latest News: Archive
August 2010
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9466 at Hoe. 29th August 2010. Photo: Toby Rawlings |
In a repeat of last year's trip Dennis Howells' Pannier Tank 9466 steamed up to Hoe after the last passenger train of the day. However, this time it was able to go further than any loco has ever been on the MNR - up to bridge 1701. A temporary parapet fence at the previous underbridge, which had blocked the line until now, has been replaced, allowing running on rails that had not seen a train for over 20 years. How far it will go next time depends on your help either by volunteering or sponsoring a sleeper.
By Matt Goodrum, Toby Rawlings and Gary Hall.
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Renewed sleepers. 1st August 2010. Photo: Toby Rawlings |
The Northern Section team tried something different today near Bridge 1701, replacing every sleeper within one track panel. As part of the Sponsor-a-Sleeper scheme, every track panel is numbered consecutively from the previous crossing. Of the 18 sleepers in the 26th panel north from Hoe LC only three were in reasonable condition so we took the opportunity to use yet more of the spare sleepers from Thuxton kindly donated by the Southern P-Way team.
The easiest method is to jack out the rails and move them to one side, clear out the old sleepers and contaminated ballast before laying in the new ones and return the rails: this saves sliding each sleeper in separately. We also changed a total of six sleepers on the ends of the two adjacent panels. After carrying out a little jacking and packing we returned what good ballast we could find from the material removed earlier.
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Digging out a catch pit. 8th August 2010. Photo: Toby Rawlings |
Four Northern Section volunteers soon finished off the catchpit clearance work left over from our July working parties. The next task was to rod through the pipe which runs under Bridge 1697 where an excavated broken section is flooded despite the following catchpit being clear.
Finally we headed to Hoe and the short section of cutting either side of Bridge 1701. Assuming there was once a drainage ditch along the Up cess there should be a pipe running under the bridge. We dug a trench to try to locate this but without success. Laying a new pipe has therefore been added to our rather long to-do list.
With an extra pair of hands from Simon, who spent the whole week volunteering on the railway, Alan and Toby completed a few little tasks in the Northern Section. The first was to backfill a small underground chamber associated with the former crossing keeper's cottage at Hoe before clearing vegetation around Bridge 1700 where we plan to install new fencing.
Friday was spent moving materials between Dereham Station and Neatherd Road Cottage, while in the afternoon several trolley loads of cut vegetation were taken across Swanton Road in the pouring rain. With so many houses backing on to the railway north of the station the nearest safe place for a bonfire is 3/4 mile away, which means a lot of transporting and opening of gates. At Swanton Road the southwest gate needs lifting and carrying: any donations for new gates would be gratefully received.
Four Northern Section members turned in to seven by the time we completed installation of a 40 meter southern extension to the drainage pipe though Northall Green Cutting. Despite being one of the highest points on the railway the track flooded here last winter due to water from a field drainage ditch. While our excavation had begun back in April there was still a lot of digging to do, only for the trench to be backfilled after inserting each 6 meter section. A new catchpit was also installed, made from a larger diameter pipe stood upright, with holes being cut to suit.
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Left photo: Installing the new catch pit. Right photo: The new cess drain. 15th August 2010. Photos: Toby Rawlings |
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Graham and Matt from the Northern Section have been busy installing a new parapet fence on bridge 1700, just north of Hoe Level Crossing. The bridge itself only has a low wall (up to rail level) and for the safety of anyone walking along the track a fence was constructed when the line was purchased. However, trains could not then physically fit past and so a new design, moving the fence to the very edge of the bridge, has now been erected. The drilling and fixing of the uprights to the bridge was not an easy task and further work will be required to complete the job but at least trains can now pass by.
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Left photo: The old parapet obstructing the structure gauge. Right photo: The new parapet fence. 22nd August 2010. Photos: Toby Rawlings |
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The new road-rail digger. 29th August 2010. Photo: Toby Rawlings |
Several Northern Section volunteers turned up to help jack and pack the track south of the station in order to take the weight of the new Road-Rail Vehicle. Meanwhile members of the County School group used the machine to move the new signal post and level crossing gate posts before pulling out redundant fence posts. The afternoon was an opportunity for a barbecue and some enlightening discussions.
By Trevor Brackpool, Owen Stratford and Roy Malyon.
Owen and Richard had a 'taking stock' day today. We started off in Dereham going around our stores collecting up signalling parts that we still required to be taken to Thuxton to install on the loop. Having found most of the things that we needed, we then decamped to Thuxton with a couple of cars full. In the afternoon we completed the remainder of the wiring up of T21 signal on the up platform, connecting it to the ground frame, installing cranks and wheels, and adjusting it to give the correct travel. The bands on the arm repeater circuit controller were then set and after installing the relay into the cabinet, this circuit was checked for correct operation. We also took delivery of a colour light head and fitted the first keylock mechanism to the down side latch post.
In the evening, we returned back to Dereham. We had to remove the bay signal and load onto a wagon ready to be re-installed back at Thuxton as T4. Unfortunately this is a consequence of chasing a tight deadline. The hole around the signal was supposedly prepared for us. The pitiful 6 inch scraping of the soil however was woefully inadequate to lift out the signal and after digging down another 5ft around the post and attaching the crane, we lifted the post out just before it got dark. The post was loaded onto a wagon ready for Saturday.
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T4 signal being installed. 8th August 2010. Photo: Owen Stratford |
PW/S&T were back at the regular haunt. We started off by taking the works train and crane back down to Thuxton at 8am. Once on site, testing of the signalling circuits continued all day, with the focus being on the lever lock circuits and timers etc. We also dressed (fitted the spectacle plate and fittings) signal T11 for down direction movements in the up loop over the level crossing. After completing the hole digging and waiting to take a short possession at lunchtime, we also installed the signal T4 on the down loop by the level crossing. This was craned in complete from the wagon and backfilled. The signal was then bagged and covered to prevent it being observed by train drivers until it is commissioned, since it is on the running line. Meanwhile Roy and his gang mixed concrete and poured the two colour light signal bases at the extreme limits of the loop. On the level crossing, the roller and keylock gate bolt was installed. This was all adjusted and by the end of the day, we had our first interlocked gate working.
In the late afternoon and evening, the circuit controllers and lamps for the two newly installed signals T11 and T4 were cabled up and hoisted into position on the signals. T4 was set up with 11 signal waiting for the next working session to complete with dusk stopping works for the day.
Once we had tidied up it was pitch black, except for the satisfying glow from the signal and gate lamps.
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T11 signal fitted out. 14th August 2010. Photo: Owen Stratford |
Another signalling day at Thuxton was the order of the day today. Trevor and Owen started off in Dereham with a shopping list of more 'wants' to be taken down to Thuxton, including two signal ladders that took some manourvering into the guards brake on the train due to being about 10mm longer than the space available between the door frame and end wall of the coach!
We then decamped to Thuxton where fitting-out was ongoing. Barry was doing battle with a couple of colour light signal heads. We needed to extract the transformers and lamp proving relays out of a two aspect head to fit to our three aspect that had been stripped. After several hours and considerable cursing over the impossible location of several nuts, it was finished. We attached the mechanical connections to the base of the last two signals T4 and T11(balance weight and crank) before laying out the wire run back towards the ground frame. The arm and spectacles were also fitted to T4 signal and the circuit controller adjusted to repeat the arm back to the signalling. We had to return to Dereham to pick up a couple of ladder brackets which were promised to be sent on but never dispatched and then fitted the ladders and heads to the colour light signals T2/9 and T23 in the evening working around the fish and chip supper. The new heads were covered to hide their indications from approaching trains. By the time it got dark, the south end home signal had an illuminated red aspect and the north end one was just beaten by the setting sun.
We completed the last of the mechanical signalling connections at Thuxton over these two days. The two down direction section signals (T11 and T4) at the level crossing were wired up to the frame - one one each road. We also shortened the up side gate ready for completing the gate locks and fitted the equipment to the gate. On Monday evening with the crane in use we installed the concrete latch post for this gate and also lifted the feather onto T9 signal. On Tuesday the last wiring up to the colour light signals was completed and all of the block shelf equipment fitted to the frame.
S&T were at Thuxton. With the newly erected shed over the ground frame watertight, the illuminated diagram was installed and wired up. All of the new equipment was oiled and greased with split pins fitted to all of the various components. The last of the testing was completed which took up most of the day and after the last service train we took possession of the line and ran a loco around the loop under the operation of the signals.
Once again at Thuxton, PW returned to track work in order to complete a few outstanding jobs. We split into two teams. One crew installed the new speed limit boards before moving on to ballast work. We trollied up 8 trolley-loads of ballast towards the level crossing, placing them in isolated low beds. Meanwhile the second team brought up sleepers ready for next week's task of installing a new accommodation crossing deck. After this was completed, they set about continuing the job of planting signals. Whilst all of this was going on, the signal post telephones were completed on T2 and T23 signals at the extremities of the loop.
These two days saw us carrying out various operational testing having completed all of the static testing and first train testing inside of a possession previously. It also gave us the opportunity to begin the process of equipment familiarisation for the signallers, who need to know the signalbox, its procedures and how it functions. We also showed the trainees how to deal with various scenarios and finished with a phone protocol exercise.
A portable office has been delivered to Wymondham Abbey, where a temporary power supply has been set up and commissioned. The installation consisted of a 16 amp socket and approx 5m of cable wired in to the fuse box, a black 13 amp 3 pin plug and approx 10m cable with 16 amp plug for the existing wooden hut/meter cabinet, plus 15m of cable to fill the gap. The whole setup has been PAT tested.
Moving to Dereham Goods yard, we carried out some preventative work on the new crane. The big rust hole in back was covered using a panel found in scrap aluminium skip. Another temporary cover was made to fit where a door is missing, material again found in the scrap skip. These jobs have been done to keep the worst of the weather out of the innards of the crane until we can carry out a full restoration. The contactors have been inspected and all contacts need to be re-profiled.