More minor sleeper refurbishments Boat Yard - 13th September 2025

As can be seen from previous Blog posting, there were a fair number of concrete sleepers that didn't make the grade for our own mainline future use, 

so a good number were purchased from KJ Bownes of Worksop, already refurbished - even so Georgie wanted the nuts loosened, oiled and re-tightened - to ensure fit for purpose (changing individual sleepers when on mainline is major hassle!).

Thanks to David, Jeremy, Fergus, Richard, Michael & Mike who assisted after his track inspection & supplied info/photo  

 

Aviemore Wheelset storage - 30th August 2025

New Running Shed crossing and switch essentially complete, bar a lot of drilling and screwing down and packing, slewing

as pictured by Keith Holyland Friday afternoon.

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Saturday saw the Squad again meet at Aviemore but it wasn't the expected worksite location.

Old Speyside Platform loop has been removed by Georgie, after many volunteer back breaking hours of dismantling it into it's component parts and re-utilising most at Running Shed worksite. 

To compensate for the loss of track to store wheelsets and bogies, Georgie cleared and levelled a suitable area

and Martin, Mike, Fergus and a new face Jeremy quickly set about utilising the already secondhand concrete sleepers that weren't possible to refurbish. 

HS2 its not

but it won't stay exposed for scrutiny for long!

Aviemore Running Shed Track - ending Saturday 23rd August

By 1600 Friday - Switch & Crossing roughly in position.

Later on, an evening PWay train ready for departure.

By Saturday morning Georgie had train unloaded

And some of the bigger bits have come from a lot further afield than

Boat of Garten! (maybe there will shortly be 10 "roads" at Aviemore?)

Saturday saw Mike, Jeremy and Michael set out the new L1,s as above, retrieve fifty AS1,s via the green wheelbarrow! And drill forty hardwood sleepers slowly as they lived up to their name!

Thanks to all that attended & Ryan, Mike for photos and info.  

 

Aviemore Running Shed - progress on Track

Georgie has done a lot of prep work to get the requisite materials to Aviemore, her aim is to get it completed in 10 days! - to achieve this Fergus and Alex (Stonemason) are being utilised on a fulltime basis - Many thanks to them.   

Waybeams secured in place, If I remember correctly the late Hamish Mackay's funeral collection monies, which were kindly donated by his Wife - went towards the purchase of the many new L1 chairs ready for their final resting place.  

Progress by 1600 Wednesday.

 

On going concrete sleeper refurbishment

 Back at the start of the year we were donated track panels by Network Rail from sidings on the West Highland Line. Georgie's aim is to refurbish enough good concrete sleepers (546!) for us to replace the ageing wooden ones on a 1/4 of a mile of track towards end of Dalfaber straight, over the closed season this coming Winter.

Below brief outline of the process -

Dab of track lube

Unscrew sufficiently to check if any pad still exists (some are horse hair) between chair and sleeper using power tools thankfully!

"Gentle" persuasion for those nuts that are seized, usually three strikes of hammer cracks them free or shears rotten bolts! 

New rubber pad inserted if required, by deftly lifting chair.

Another dab of lube before tightening nuts up again, those that will not loosen or bolt spins below sleeper or other reason as deemed by Georgie are condemned (yellow X) for future use in sidings. 

Thanks to Richard (photos) Mike above (info) Andrew, Georgie and the Station Master who kindly supplied cold tins of soft drink as it was a roasting day.    

 

Change of scenery/task near end of line

Saturday 24th May saw an extra PWay day (away from the fishplate oiling of late)

Having previously been flailed, the short siding near the river Dulnain, was further attacked with loppers, bowsaw and battery chainsaw, to get it back into a useable state for occasional use.

Thanks to Iain, David and Ian for efforts, info & before/after photos. 

 

An extra day squeezed in completes two projects - 14/15 March 2025

An extra PWay day was arranged for Friday and thankfully a big squad responded.

 

Location - Broomhill Loop, task - install Trap Switch.

Beds dug out, fishplates removed and not least the notoriously difficult to remove elastic spikes (thanks to Fergus) 

Sleepers/rail removed (by machine) bed lowered by an inch

to accommodate thicker timbers, some of the squad were detailed to retrieve all scrap materials from the North end of Loop. 

Meanwhile Mike and Ian (above) filled with concrete, their previously constructed shuttering on the four legs of the watertower at Boat of Garten.

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Saturday saw a smaller squad continue in warmer weather

Above John on rail drill and Andrew exercising!

The finished product, fishplate securing it Out Of Use, until such time as through running achieved beyond Broomhill and it would effectively become a siding (S&T would need to connect it all up and obviously move the Stop board!) 

Thanks to Mike, Michael, Roddy, Angus, Martin, John, Andrew, Iain and special mention to Fergus, Ian and myself who survived two consecutive days under Georgie's leadership.