Re-placing Baseplates - Broomhill - 19th September 2015

 

Smaller squad than usual, due to the Strathspey Railway Company Annual General Meeting brought beautiful late Summer weather, I was envious!

 

 

 

Here Angus, Stuart and Andy before they do battle removing elastic spikes, from the normal baseplates, to replace them with the L C type, every third one on high rail and both sides at the joints. In an effort to prevent any gauge widening issues in the future.

 

 

An L C baseplate closest to joint, from this Blog exactly one year ago!

 

 

A welcome break as 46512 "runs round". In total about 600 feet was completed with the old baseplates being re-used, to replace the broken ones (over exuberant use of the hammer during attempted spike removal) during our major re-sleepering exercise of recent times.

Thanks to John Wood for photos and info. 

 

 

 

Re-sleepering continues - 5th & 6th September 2015

A decent squad of 8 continued un-spiking, changing and repacking sleepers yesterday

 

 

Above left, Andy McClintock and Neil Howie crouching (arm anonymous!)

 

 

 

The field opposite a new calf was born, will leave the video nasty out! Thanks to John Wood for info and photo. In all about 30 sleepers were readied for today's gauging, drilling and ballasting.

 

 

Today was Andy McClintock's Birthday (a young 78!) so we gave him a relatively easy job, above and fed him with cake in the afternoon.

 

 

Not many cows today, although plenty of trains gave us a welcome break as it was roasting, here the class 31 hauls the service train back from Broomhill as

 

"The Strathspey Clansman" Sunday Lunch Dining Train (which I believe was fully booked) had the pleasure of Steam haulage as usual.

 

 

Got to mention Bruce Buswell who hails from "East Somerset Railway" extreme right, who did a grand job boxing in the sleepers with ballast and Kevin Morris (walking away from camera) from Big Railway PWay in the Leicester area. Your presence much appreciated,  thank you Guys and safe journeys all the way home. 

 

 

And one final train, to try and catch us out was a special actually heading to Broomhill to collect passengers from "Motor Mania" in Grantown on Spey. In all I guess maybe 30 sleepers were completed but emphasis was on quality not quantity!