Fishplate Oiling continues - 28th April 2016

The paid staff have continued with fishplate oiling completing to Broomhill and started from Boat of Garten towards Aviemore. Today a good squad of us met at Boat of Garten to sign on and collect the tools.

 

 

Having stabled overnight the Royal Scotsman, hauled by our class 31 diesel, was awaiting the arrival of our Steam service, so it can continue on its tour of Scotland by accessing the mainline railway at Aviemore,

 

 

where the GBRf Class 66 is stabled overnight. (Above good photo was actually taken last week by Mike Tough)

 

 

 Anyway I digress, we started at Kinchurdy Level Crossing after welcoming Roger (far left) a new Volunteer and chatting to Dave (far right) from the PWay on East Lancs Railway who is on his yearly holiday in the Highlands, with a day or two spent with us.

 

Progress was so good that by the end of the day, I had miscounted the quarter mile posts and we actually completed one and a quarter miles, which must be an all time record!

Well done and thank you Guys. 

 

 



Tullochgorum - Croftnahaven fishplate oiling - 16th April 2016

Mid-week Stuart and Georgie had used the Jacker-Packer to lift and pack about 3 x 60 foot lengths of track near Tullochgorum over bridge. Our first task was to hand pack the sleepers that the Jacker-Packer could not access due to the fishplates.

 

 

The first train to pass the "off-rail" Jacker-Packer was sensibly cautioned to ensure that there was sufficient clearance.

 

 

Subsequent trains passed at the line-speed of 25 miles per hour.

The next task was to tidy up the ballast of the formation  

 

 

and finally do some minor slewing of the track using the track jacks,.In this case slewing from left to right. Due to the good volunteer turn out this was all completed in time for lunch, which we had trying to shelter under the bridge from the wind, snow and hail. You would never guess that from my photos but it was a bitterly cold day (photos in snow don't come out very well).

 

 

We came across Bob, Track Inspector, but without the required combined hammer/spanner - he said he couldn't find it! On time today Bob, but minus the tool he needed!  He caught the correct train so he could walk back to Boat of Garten. We donated him our heaviest spanner!

 

 

 

   After lunch fishplate oiling continued at a great pace and three quarters of a mile was completed by the end of the day, followed by a long walk back to our cars - minus our heavy spanner!