Packing ballast Broomhill plainline - 11th February 2025

For mid-week, a big squad met at Broomhill,

unfortunately Georgie too quickly re-cycled the previously spent ballast back into the four foot using the JCB, sighting boards in position and track jacked up apparently 10mm high to allow for compaction and a 15mm cant, as apparently it is the tightest curve between Aviemore and Forres. 

We reluctantly left the warmth of the Porters Room, our first job to spread the ballast into the right places!

Then the hard slog came - clockwise me, Martin, Fergus & Angus simultaneously packing the ballast under each lifted sleeper, high rail first then back along the low rail, move jacks, sight  level & repeat, not sure Georgie was too impressed when she observed that we had managed to lift the track off the jacks with our obviously over exuberance! Eventually we where done literally and Mike & Iain had also pulled in all the pandrol clips. We left Fergus with Georgie doing a bit of slewing as it was getting dark....

Thanks to all that attended - track fit for traffic again.    

 

Broomhill plain lined - Week ending 8th February 2025

Mike reports with below photos - Wednesday 5th saw a small squad meet Broomhill

another 16 sleepers pre-drilled and PAN11 baseplates fitted, last of timbers removed using Colmar and Fergus in JCB.

Ballast cleared out, hopefully to the correct level, using GPS (a.k.a. Georgie) controlled JCB & the high-tech laser sighting boards !

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Scene at start of a chilly Saturday 8th Feb

and by mid afternoon!

Fergus further reports with above photo - Rails dropped in, fishplated and outside pandrols hammered in! (Pan puller missing) fun was had with the closure rails......

Thanks to Mike, Fergus, David, Andrew & Michael showed up after lunch