Recent Broomhill Improvements - 2nd/3rd April 2021

Recently Broomhill Loading Bank has finally been rebuilt.

The wall which had been built to suit light traffic above long ago for horses & carts, perhaps some timber traffic had failed to cope with the Railway’s mobile plant working near the edge above it, it being the storage area from which ballast is loaded on to wagons by the JCB or Colmar Road Rail Vehicle.

It was established the wall comprised of a thin face of granite maybe 9 to12 inches thick which was not tied to a more roughly built granite rubble wall behind.

The face was removed, the rubble cleaned back to leave a 9 inch gap & steel rebar was drilled into the rebuilt face & the wall behind the void filled with longitudinal rebar & concreted full height.

The original granite copes were reused & steel rebar drilled into them & linked in a reinforced concrete beam behind recessed below the wall to ensure the copes will not be disturbed.

Consideration was given to doing it all in reinforced concrete but the final fine appearance in rebuilt 150 plus year old granite justifies the method used by professional Stone Mason - Alex Walker to whom we are very grateful.

Thanks to Mike for info/photos.

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This year we have cut down a lot of trees that were required to be removed for the continued safe running of the Railway, consequently John and Ian decided to redress this Eco imbalance by purchasing & planting a good number of bare root trees around Boat of Garten & Broomhill Stations.  

Good Friday & Saturday saw some of the PWay squad assemble at Broomhill Station.

Roger watering and Angus surveying his skills hammering in of the stakes, to support the plastic tubing that Mike acquired. 

100 bare root beech planted to form hedging along the fence

a further 25 assorted trees were planted around Broomhill Station.

Thanks to John (& Partner) and Ian for purchasing and planting, with Roger, Angus and Mike assisting. 

Many thanks to https://www.munros-nurseries.co.uk/

on the Black Isle who supplied all the saplings at an affordable price, with some thrown in for free.

At the other end of the line, it is believed that Justin and Angus replaced fishplate bolts at Aviemore Shed and Fergus, Martin and Kevin's (favorite job) - digging out ballast for replacing 17 sleepers close to the Signal Box, with Georgie continuing to lay out sleepers for new work (no photos as yet)    

 Thanks to John for info/photos