Maintenance at Boat of Garten - 29th December 2021

Yesterday saw an extra midweek day squeezed in, enroute by car it was a balmy 3 degrees Celsius at Slochd Summit but on arrival at Boat of Garten it was a chilly minus 5!

Ground too frozen to complete the planned re-sleepering, so Georgie got us to re-ferrule and renew the screws, where the old wooden ferrules had disintegrated. Above Peter tries the proper tool - waste of time!

The forecasted rain came suddenly through the bright sunlight

and instantly froze, coating rails, chairs and sleepers with a treacherous coating of ice.

 

The North end of the Up Loop was completed, flattening in the process all the re-chargeable batteries of the wrench, so Georgie and Mike got the petrol Bance into action, to screw down. Bob showing Peter the preferred ferrule removal tool - the handle of the sleeper nips, although both promise a more modern power tool solution would be better....

 Ian and his daughter were on lineside clearance duties - reclaiming from the undergrowth the buffer stop of the headshunt and Plumber Jim was checking for frozen pipes and burying the exposed pipe at end of Dock (photo in earlier blog)

Thanks to all that attended.

 And to finish off 2021 a short clip from Peter - a pity a few of the orange Army got in the way but without our monumental efforts over the year, scenes like this would eventually become a thing of the past.

Wish you all the Best for 2022

 

Boat Station Re-sleepering continues - December 2021

 

Saturday 4th December saw the visitation of a ScotRail/Branchline Society Charity Railtour from Edinburgh.

The headboard was eventually allowed to be fitted at our old Speyside platform

and terminated at Boat of Garten Up platform. Fortuitously there was a large P'Way squad to clear snow/salt platforms and similar at Broomhill as our steam Festive service was also running. As our intended worksite was somewhat occupied, another tranche of sleepers were pre-drilled in the yard, close to the warmth of the messvan!

A mid-week day saw a small squad, level off the recently dropped ash to form a cess near Broomhill, above the before photo, too dark by time we finished, likely to be at this site again soon enough.

I think last weekend a lot of digging out of sleeper beds was achieved as well as slewing, and yesterday in cool damp conditions the Up platform line was re-sleepered.

Leaving approximately only ten on the Down line to change, as can be seen the stonemason continues to improve the platforms, weather permitting. We welcomed a new member of the gang that Kevin conscripted - Iain.

Thanks to all that attended during the Month too numerous to mention and wish everyone a Merry and Safe Christmas.