The second being lengthened so it could take the check rails, crossings and closure rails, as the Mossend bound (4D47) Eddie Stobart / Russell's train departs, having dropped off containers full of Tesco's Christmas treats and now leaving with containers loaded with Norbord wood in them.
An attempt to document the activities of the Strathspey Railway permanent way department
Tuesday 22 December 2020
Early Christmas present from Network Rail - 21st December 2020
The second being lengthened so it could take the check rails, crossings and closure rails, as the Mossend bound (4D47) Eddie Stobart / Russell's train departs, having dropped off containers full of Tesco's Christmas treats and now leaving with containers loaded with Norbord wood in them.
Sunday 20 December 2020
Aviemore & Grantown worksites progress - 15th & 19th December 2020
My thanks to Georgie McNair and John Sinclair of the permanent staff for helping to round up the components from Morley's and the Lodge and for transporting them to Grantown, and to p way volunteer Graeme Dougal for helping with the erection of the fencing"
(I think this is the land recently purchased from Highland Council for the nominal £1.00, I feel sure it will be reported in full in the next Strathspey Express - Members Magazine)
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Saturday 19th saw a rather depleted squad continue re-sleepering at Aviemore, heading towards the Headshunt.
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Sunday 13 December 2020
De-Fencing & Re-sleepering continues - 12th December 2020
Even though a number of the Gang called off through various injuries, a good sized squad turned out on a cool drizzly/damp December day, to continue re-sleepering in Aviemore Yard.
Georgie also bought us an early Christmas present in the form of six brand new "Bulldog British Heritage" shovels - only to increase productivity!
Driver Martin doing some oiling, photo from John who was on light duties, with Fergus our Fencer seconded to dismantling the fence where Georgie was working with the JCB (bottom photo)
The up concrete base of the old Speyside Station footbridge is considerably more extensive than we would like, talk of having to hire a "pecker" to be attached to the Colmar behind Mike, to attack it, to reduce the weight (lets hope the other one is not as big below ground)
Sunday 6 December 2020
Miscellaneous snowy PWay works - ending 5th December 2020
Last Saturday in November - Ian Stanworth reports and thanks the hard work from the squad of Kevin, Angus, Jim, Martin & Roger managing to change 16 sleepers until 3pm when it got very chilly and the light faded. Georgie had yet again to fill in the pot holes in Aviemore Station Car Park and then spent more quality time with the JCB preparing the trackbed for the new track to the Running Shed site, as seen below
Sunday 22 November 2020
Track alterations Aviemore Running Shed - 21st November 2020
An experimental 0900 start as currently brighter in the mornings, even Graeme managed to rise at the crack of dawn, alas Georgie (the boss) pitched up at the usual 0930 by which time it was pouring with rain, Angus aka "Stoker McPhail" had by this time got a good fire going in the van. We eventually braved the elements, once the stabled vehicles had been shunted out of the way,
Jim and me clamped the points out of use for number one "road" at Aviemore Engine Shed, as it was being disconnected, to allow work to commence on laying new track towards the anticipated new "Steam Running Shed"
allowing re-sleepering to continue, mid-week Georgie and Fergus had re-ferruled a good number of the chairs, so we thought plain sailing but we could not get our portable generator started, rather dejected we we returned to shelter in the Mess van to discover, the fire had also died!
Stats - 8 pairs of severely corroded/buried fishplates removed, un-keyed & un-screwed 180 chairs and removed by hand, sleepers as above. John and Angus will I suspect have a few aches and pains today!
Above scene as the light faded.
Thanks to all mentioned and John for his photos and stats.
Monday 16 November 2020
Re-sleepering continues & Turntable work concludes - 14th November 2020
Another good turnout in wonderfully benign November weather, tools loaded onto rail trolley and pushed towards turntable line,
unfortunately third set of trailing hand points were set against us and no one noticed until CRUNCH! Wee minor derailment - swiftly rectified as above.
Also Ian and John (not often you see him lying down on the job!) stretched & fixed chicken wire over the decking of the turntable, hopefully to reduce slipperiness
and finishing off with a job that John loves - painting! - on an oil based wood preserver.
Many thanks to Andrew, Angus, Kevin, Mike, Fergus, Ian, John and Georgie & Steve.
Saturday 7 November 2020
Re -Sleepering & Spey Lodge Level Crossing - 7th November 2020
Largest turnout of P'Way Volunteers in a longtime.
Here the gauge was too wide even for our liking and a tie-bar was the solution, with Angus doing the business.
Saturday 31 October 2020
Aviemore Turntable - 31st October 2020
Today's task was to rectify a bit of a safety concern, some of the wooden decking boards on the Turntable at Aviemore had become life expired sometime ago and had been removed as below
which at least made the danger obvious. As it was not a main PWay Weekend few brave (daft) souls turned up to endure the forecasted stormy weather - John and Roger set to removing some more suspect rotten wood, whilst Ian and me loaded up the flatrol with more than enough planks
Progress was swift using an array of John and Ian's modern tools and yes the weather was horrible! Octogenarian Roger measures up, Ian ready with saw and John on deck - Lunch was had soon after and on resumption the sun appeared.
Thanks to all involved and let's hope its landing on the Engine Shed Office is a good omen for the future. Photo by John Wood.
Sunday 18 October 2020
Aviemore footbridge & Re-Sleepering - 16/17th October 2020
Friday saw our 12 tonne Rail Crane in action, lifting the old dilapidating Great North of Scotland footbridge, originally from Longmorn (as below photo shows) courtesy of Douglas Gray/ Graham Maxtone Collection
It linked the island platform at our old Speyside Station from about 1978 until 1998, when we moved into the current refurbished mainline station.
On Saturday PWay squad commenced digging out of the sleepers (130 in total) that Georgie had justifiably marked, if below is anything to go by!
Between the turntable and the headshunt at the other end of the yard.
Helped by John,(Graeme smiling again), Angus, Ian, Andrew and Mike took the photo under the hopeful rainbow from the turntable.
Friday 2 October 2020
Re-sleepering Aviemore Mainline Link - 19th/20th September 2020
Small but productive squad eventually got going, as the tools had to be conveyed to the worksite via Georgie's truck from Aviemore Shed.