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Latest News: Archive
March 2011
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Latest News: Archive
March 2011
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By Matt Goodrum, Toby Rawlings and Gary Hall.
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CIG ventures north. 6th March 2011. Photo: Toby Rawlings |
After a delay in getting the Works Train ready and loading the new sleepers we headed off northwards with the Class 50 and CIG unit in tow. Given the shorter working day and a relatively small turnout we managed to replace 39 sleepers, our thanks go to P-Way Trevor for his help drilling and screwing. Both "Mad Hats" were in use today after yesterday's "engineering trials" down south - these sleeper boxes have actually been paid for by a Northern Section member and should save a lot of trial and error at locations where we have to break up the bed, such as Bridge 1699 last November.
Two members spent the morning at North Elmham level crossing continuing the work started two weeks ago to clear mud from underneath the crossing gates and the flangeways across the road. This should aid drainage of the crossing (which is often flooded over the winter) and therefore reduce the amount of resurfacing required. We then took the five small wicket gates from Neatherd Road level crossing to Dereham Station for a good wash down, removing several years of accumulated dirt.
An excellent turnout into double figures meant that we were able to burn all the previously cut material between Hoe Level Crossing and the next bridge (1700) then move on further north. Meanwhile Rob continued to fell trees on the site of the proposed Hoe platform and we also put the railway's new pole saw to good use before rain stopped play at three o'clock and we retired to Dereham station for a well-earned cup of tea.
Today was the Probation Service's final day clearing scrub in the Northern Section, having made a huge difference over the winter, especially around Bridge 1699. Over the summer they will move on to drainage and ballast work before improving sites around Worthing and North Elmham. Thanks go to the MNR volunteers who have helped in supervising NPS recently.
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Near Hoe in 2004. 13th August 2004. Photo: Owen Stratford |
Near Hoe in 2011. 16th March 2011. Photo: Toby Rawlings |
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Clearance at Northall Green. 20th March 2011. Photo: Toby Rawlings |
We managed a turnout of ten at one point today, clearing trees from either side of Northall Green Bridge 1695, and we needed most of that number to get one rather stubborn tree to fall. We also cleared up most of the mess created with several bonfires and are now in a good position to go north from here next winter.
Four volunteers spent the morning on a few fencing projects south of County School Station. First off we repaired the short section of fencing southwest of the level crossing which had recently been vandalised. A trip down the line with the trolleys allowed us to repair the permissive footpath fence near Bridge 1707 before collecting several original fence posts from the dyke on our return.
After lunch Ray and Ian cleared and burnt some scrub from along the footpath north of the picnic area. Meanwhile Harry and Toby cleared out the P-Way Hut where, amongst the junk and cobwebs, they found several DMU seats. The flange-ways over the level crossing were also cleared out, this being one of those jobs that need keeping on top of when we get a spare moment.
By Trevor Brackpool, Owen Stratford and Roy Malyon.
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Resleepering in Whinburgh Cutting. 5th March 2011. Photo: Owen Stratford |
A healthy-sized gang and some better weather for a change, turned out to Whinburgh Cutting to replace sleepers today. We were delivered by train and set about the 30 sleepers already on site. We made steady progress with the target achieved by early afternoon. We also trialled a new tool, henceforth to be known as the "Mad Hat". This is short(ish) for "Manual Handling Avoidance Tool" - well almost. It is a sleeper profile sized box and is dragged under the chair before fitting the sleeper to prove that it fits and saves lifting the sleeper in and out. After completing the changing, we split in two, with one gang digging out the last 12 sleepers at Yaxham and the others backfilling those already changed. As is often the case, we had to top up the low beds around the new sleepers. Finally the temporary speed restriction was shortened back to the limit of today's work.
With the help of some Operations Department staff, we transported 12 track panels from the stacks at Wymondham and placed them out onto the dug-out track bed at Thuxton to extend the runoff spur. Once again the rail-crane was in use at both locations, firstly to load then to unload and locate the panels. Each time the crane had to be set-up for 'working' mode at each site, and then setup for 'travel' mode to become part of the train for moving between the two sites. This involves engaging or disengaging the traction motors and spring dampeners, which as it's all manual (i.e. no hydraulics) is rather an involved affair.
The Southern Section team spent the day digging out sleepers just south of Dereham. The track in this area is in extremely good condition, so we'd never got round to changing the few rotten sleepers here before. By the end of the day, we'd prepared about 45 for changing. It was the first hot day of the year, and you could see the track shimmering.
P-way spent the day shovelling excess ballast from off the track at the river Tiffey bridge near Wymondham and onto the shoulders. This is one of the long-term tidying up jobs after a ballast drop and sharking in the area from some time ago. As this is on concrete sleepers it is a low priority as concrete sleepers don't rot like wooden ones would. After a long day's work we managed to tidy up around 6 chains worth of track.