Re-Sleepering starts in ernest - 24th March 2018

Mike, Jim, Roger and Georgie had another extra day at the PWay. Meeting at Boat of Garten Yard, after looking at some building maintenance issues and

 

 

admiring the pristine private Charter Train which was stabled in the Up Platform,

 

 

which our own immaculate Class 27 had hauled in from Aviemore very early that morning.

 



 

At Aviemore the two superbly restored Mainline Class 47's were stabled, ready for the return working South on Sunday.

 

 

To save the long walk to the worksite, Georgie taxied the gang in her van, through the gated forestry tracks to near the Summit on Granish Moor.

 

20 sleepers were replaced (only 130 left!) but are yet to be screwed down ..the intact sleepers left maintain track integrity. Some of the sleepers to be changed are 9 ft long & date from LMS days ie are maybe 80 years old.

We all had forgotten what hard heavy work pulling wet old sleepers out is but the sun unusually shone and work was interrupted a few times by Caley 828 hauling the first service trains of the new season. We were dazzled by the freshly cleaned & polished paintwork of the carriages (a few from the PWay had helped the Carriage & Wagon Department with this work recently)

 

Thanks to Mike for all the info, Ryan Munro took the first photo and the rest are Mike's.