Wednesday 22 April 2015

Boat of Garten Headshunt - 18th &19th April 2015

 
 With beautiful sunny weather, the very old track forming the headshunt at Boat of Garten, was dismantled and lifted in 20-30 foot panels. Believed to be Great North of Scotland Railway circa 1890, with rails 60-75lbs per yard and chairs are spiked into the sleepers and have wooden keys. I think Strathspey Railway got it donated from Longmorn Distillery in the 1970's, below is a photo at the start of this protracted project February 2013! 


 

and a close up of a rather worn fishplate, which were a sod to unbolt.
 

 
The trackbed was broken up and levelled
 
 
and between trains, under the control of the Signalman, the 360 machine was used to sling the new concrete sleepers roughly into place
 
 
and then lining up using a bar, muscles and what turned into be a very tangled rope! 
 
 
Rather fortuitously the old track now stored below, is likely to continue its incredibly long Railway Service, on its old GNSR stomping ground at Grantown East Station, to support two Camping Coaches as part of a planned Tourist development by Revack Estates.
 
 
Both projects to continued........

 
 
 
 
 
 

Monday 13 April 2015

Re-Sleepering/Timbers Aviemore 4th April 2015

Good sized squad on Easter Saturday meant that three timbers could be changed at the South end of Aviemore Station,
 
 
 
You would think that the Easter Bunny would have put on High-Viz and dug some holes for us!
 
 
and then onto Road One (closest to River Spey) at the Engine Shed where three sleepers were changed and re-gauging took place on Road Two.
Thanks to John for the info and Mike for the photos.