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Latest News: Archive
May 2011
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Latest News: Archive
May 2011
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The Mid-Norfolk Railway is pleased to announce additional visiting locomotives for its two major events in May. Courtesy of Electric Traction Ltd, British Rail Blue 86 101 will be in attendance for for the Drags and Rescues weekend. The AL6 type is synonymous with the Anglia Region, hauling express services between Norwich and London for many years, and during the Ipswich tunnel blockade were dragged past the southern end of our line at Wymondham. This is the first occasion that an 86 has been dragged in preservation.
In addition to this, former South West Trains rescue loco 73 109 will be visiting for both the Drags and Rescues event and the Southern Region weekend on 21st and 22nd May. This will work alongside our resident 'ED' 73 210 and will be doing what it did best, dragging a southern region EMU unit around. It is understood that this is the first passenger working of this loco for many years.
Do not miss these two weekends of events both of which will see ground-breaking services for preservation.
By Matt Goodrum, Toby Rawlings and Gary Hall.
A good turnout, including the key P-Way members, allowed the Northern Section to change another 48 sleepers beyond Swanton Road level crossing. Of the 227 earmarked in this area (the first 32 track panels) only 53 now remain. While we saved time laying out the new sleepers in advance, we were also slowed down by digging out the few sleepers that we had missed.
The Northern Section were able to get into clean and grease the joints between Norwich and Neatherd Road level crossings today, completing all 24 sets including those in the run-round loop. Unlike those further north these plates had been tackled by P-Way several years ago which helped our progress today.
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Twisting sleepers round to remove them through the four-foot. 13th May 2011. Photo: Toby Rawlings |
While today maybe unlucky for some, one Northern Section member decided to finish off the remaining sleepers in the loop at Norwich Road level crossing. As all five were grouped together the easiest option was to turn them 90 degrees and pull out from the four-foot. Also, however many sleepers you wish to change you still need a vast assortment of tools, in this case having to be transferred from the Hanger via a luggage trolley and then a track trolley.
A very small turnout of just three Northern Section volunteers meant output was down today with only nine sets of plates being cleaned and greased between Bridges 1695 and 1696 at Northall Green. Hopefully next week will be a different story when we continue northwards.
The Northern Section gang continued northwards through Northall Green cutting cleaning and greasing joints that have not been treated for at least 22 years. The team of five managed to get through 19 sets, almost taking us to the halfway mark. Only another 76 sets to go.
A good turnout of five Northern Section members enabled more of the track south of County School level crossing to be jacked and packed. Further work is required to finish this task but good progress was made today over the worst dips in the embankment, where the river originally ran before being diverted during construction of the railway.
Graham, Toby and Tom from the Northern Section came out on the Bank Holiday to finish preparations for next Sunday's sleeper changing towards the summit north of Dereham. 53 old sleepers were dug out or checked while the same number of new sleepers were laid out from the lineside stacks. Those sleepers which have already been changed were also sorted out for other uses.
By Trevor Brackpool, Owen Stratford and Roy Malyon.
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The CIG and 73 near Wymondham. 21st May 2011. Photo: Owen Stratford |
Trevor and Owen attended to a cracked fishplate in the Garvestone area and marked out 23 sleepers for changing next to Garvestone Level crossing before heading north to join the Northern Section gang. Meanwhile, Barney was carefully burning dry wood that had been stacked up on the lineside near Yaxham. With the ongoing dry weather and the imminent visit of steam locomotives, this posed too much risk of a damaging fire if it was left lying around.
The Southern Section team returned to Whinburgh to carry on with the work that had been curtailed a fortnight ago by the extreme heat. We filled in the remaining sleepers and shortened the speed restriction back to Yaxham level crossing. With some time left over, we also tidied up some of the old sleepers that we had previously removed from the track.
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Barry, Arnold and Trevor Brackpool digging out sleepers. 28th May 2011. Photo: Toby Rawlings |
With the PW team depleted by holidays and operating the signalbox, only Pete and Owen were around today. We took the opportunity to carry out a measurement inspection of the line. We started off at Wymondham and measured static track gauge and cant at every chain (80 chains in a mile) covering the first six miles before we decided that we had walked and bent over measuring enough for one day. We also measured clearances to bridges and platforms on our way through as well as noting down works required as we progressed. Having reached the six mile post, a brisk walk to Thuxton enabled us to catch the 16:30 train home again and sample a bit of CIG/73 action.
Our final round of sleeper-chainging scheduled for this year will be just north of Garvestone. We spent the day digging the rotten ones out, vocally supported by the next-door sheep!
The Wednesday group continued with clearance of overhanging branches and burning of materials already cut half a mile north of Garvestone gates. The plan is to clear the lifted section of the track-bed from where the last Christmas Bash ended and then work north cutting the remaining overhanging branches.
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Craning the wooden parts of the signal box into place. 12th May 2011. Photo: Bill Collins |
In order to ensure that Thuxton passing loop could open on time last September, we built a temporary hut to house the signalling equipment. This hut can be seen standing next to the level crossing. Meanwhile, a permanent signal box is being built next to the hut. Yesterday the crane and all the woodwork for the box were moved to Thuxton. Today, we took possession of the line and reassembled the kit of parts across the running lines, glued and screwed it together, and lifted it onto a bed of cement on the top of the brickwork.
Very many thanks to all those involved with a very successful day. We finished by 3pm, well in time for possession to be given back so that the locos for the weekend's gala could come off the main line at 4:30. A special mention for Terry Mann, the crane driver, whose skill in lifting and manoeuvering the delicate (and very expensive) assembled woodwork was a joy to behold.
As part of a £50M scheme to upgrade the National Grid cables from Norwich to the otherside of King's Lynn, contractors have today placed safety netting under the wires as they pass above our track just south of Yaxham.
As the National Grid powerline crosses our track at quite an angle, the scaffolding towers to hold the netting in place are quite lengthy structures and it required 39 steel cables stretched between them to support the netting.
It is expected that the netting will be in place for approximately six months as eventually the number of electric cables on each pylon will be doubled.