Snow clearance of points - 13th January 2015

Todays PWay was meant to be getting materials ready for the weekend at Boat of Garten headshunt. 

 

Instead a lowloader eventually took away the privately owned Austerity No 60,I believe to Morpeth, a considerable amount of snow clearance from the points had to be done first.

 

 

And once they had gone it snowed rather heavily, so sourcing the said materials became difficult, so the Class 27 and Brake Van after more clearing of points, lock bars and signals departed to the River Dulnain to retrieve Wagons and our Messroom BG.

 

 

Class 27 last seen propelling Brakevan towards Broomhill and beyond.

Mike and I decided we best head home over Slochd Summit before dark.

 



  



Rails on Ballintomb side - 3rd January 2015

On Saturday the largest squad this year! including a couple of welcome new faces, levelled to an approximate grade, the freshly dropped ballast and positioned 23 concrete sleepers and laid out four 30 foot temporary rails.

 

The loosely assembled track was left for completion by the following days squad on the Sunday.

 

 

Thanks to Ian Stanworth for info&photos.



 

Preperation for Rails on the otherside 2nd January 2015

 

 

As only described in last entry, decking boards raised and turned, still to be cut to size and secured to bridge. Height of ballast ramp not really noticeable in this shot.

 

This morning Vic the Builder assisted by John, finished off the rough and ready but effective ballast retaining wall, just in time!

 

 

As between service trains, Georgie managed to relocate the Road Railer from Boat of Garten to worksite and shuttle back and fore unloading a few tons of ballast, previously stored in the above wagon.

 

 

As the Sun goes down and the temperature drops even further, job nearly done for the day.....



 



More Bridge work 20/21st December 2014

 

First task on Saturday was the clearing of snow and ice from the Down platform at Boat of Garten, finally proclaimed safe once the first packed Santa train of the day had arrived.

                             

 Thereafter the small squad proceeded to the River Dulnain. Now that the rails are on the Bridge the approaching track was ramped up to Bridge Rail Level, by packing of the ballast under the sleepers and finally all tidied up. I believe there were some aching under used muscles located subsequently - you deserve a guilt free extra mince pie over the festive period!

An old view taken just under a year ago, showing the route to Grantown.
  

A fresh squad on the very wet Sunday- cut out, lifted and turned the temporary wooden decking boards, so that they are now on top of the cross members running parallel to the running rails.

 

Apologies for lack of photos during work - inclement weather and short daylight hours, will try and add some later of what the small but very hard working squads achieved.

 

Mike sent in this unattributed, even more historic photo, looking towards Grantown sometime prior to the lifting of the track by the looks of it.

I thank you all for your support (armchair included) and wish you all a Merry Christmas and hope to update you on PWay activities in 2015.

 

 

 

 

 

Bridge Work - 7th December 2014

A wintery scene greeted us today.

 

On Friday the ballast retaining wall was built by Victor, our friendly Builder assisted by John Wood.  On the Saturday the squad backfilled the ballast against it and the last two concrete sleepers were dropped in, the Base plates with yellow plastic ferrules and rubber pads were positioned on the bridge.

 

   

I think I am right in saying that the rails have a 20mm Cant, spacer plates just visible below base plates,

photos above and below.

 

 

Above looking towards Broomhill no doubt another ballast retaining wall required here in due course.

 

 

Today our own self propelled rail crane picked up the previously positioned 60 foot rails and gingerly propelled them into position.





 

 

Above the second pair of rails dropped into position.

 

 

Then a matter of fishplating up the rails together, pulling in the Pandrol clips, checking the gauge, drilling and screwing down methodically whilst again checking the gauge and alignment of rail.

 

 

You may well ask why the Crane had to go so far over the Bridge?

 

 

 

A  rare Celebratory posed photo, pretty much concluded the Cool days proceedings!

 

 

Progress on extension 15&16th November 2014

On Saturday the 15th the planned PWay was cancelled as it was the AGM of the Strathspey Railway Association, with a special DMU  trip up to the River Dulnain to view the work on the bridge, almost 50 members travelled with a good proportion getting off to have a look and Mike gave an explanation of what has been done and what is still to come.

 

 

Meanwhile further up the line, Chris and Davie carried out a survey of the proposed additional extension up to the caravan park at Grantown. photos and explanations below courtesy of Chris.

 

 

We were using a piece of kit called a Trimble VRS which uses GPS and Mobile internet to give co-ordinates and elevations. During the survey we picked up various locations such as the old solumn, fence-lines, top of cuttings/bottom of embankments, any structures and spot levels in the field. We came up against some issues with the GPS coverage, caused by the deep cutting and the dense tree coverage, this slowed us down but we completed it by Sunday lunchtime.

This survey will allow 2 previous surveys to be merged into one big survey. There was a survey carried out by Bear Scotland (circla 2008) for the Gaich tunnel works and a survey, by a company called PAL ( late 1990's), which was carried on behalf of the Highland Council in the area at the back of Mackellar's workshop down the Council Depot/Lorry park. The combined survey will now give an overview from the Gaich Tunnel site up to the Caravan park.

 

 

Sunday saw Georgie and Stuart assisted in the afternoon by Chris and Davie make a start on putting in the longitudinal timbers on the bridge.

 

 

Trimming the timbers first for an exact fit.

 

 

 

Applying bitumen, the steel needed a helping hand to get dry first!

 

 

 

2 down a good number to go.

 

 

 

 

Who knows by the end of next PWay weekend, we may see the rails in position.....

 

 

 

 

 

 



MSP and Ballasting 1st 2nd November 2014

 

Saturday saw a long length of Measured Shovel Packing, 240 feet close to mile post 89, below is the Pway train ready to leave Boat of Garten (fire lit in mess van) later ballast was dropped and tidied

 

 

Information and photo courtesy of John Wood

 

 

 

Above is a likely long term lineside feature, it is a length of rail that is in secure level storage in roughly the right place until it is required, possibly when the Rail Welders come back. 

 

 

On the Sunday another hopper full of ballast was carefully dropped on the Drumuillie straight, unfortunately the Sun was on the wrong side of the photo, for an action shot!

A good sized squad tidied the ballast and the day was finished off with MSP at a number of joints close to Lynchurn Number 1 Level Crossing as below. (Muscle Man was driven from Broomhill to Boat for future use)

 

 

We were blessed with good weather the whole weekend, long may it continue....