First Week of 2022

To start New Year off - 2nd of January - Ian and John assisted Georgie in a surprise P'Way day. John reports and photos -

"Trench dug, 16 condemned concrete sleepers laid out on their side to provide a small retaining wall to provide a ballast shoulder and a better grip, line/ballast keeps tramping towards signalling equipment. 180 feet of excess ballast re-purposed and laid to provide 50% of the new shoulder. 

 

A lot of digging was done by hand, Ian and John both knackered by mid afternoon."

Three days later our mid-week P'Way was cancelled due to the white stuff above, our Stone Mason has not be able to progress for the same reason, the pink sheeting is a weather proof membrane.

Myself (above) Mike and Roddy had forewarned the Carriage & Wagon Department that their warm shed was now our destination. The set task was to heavy clean the interior of the above coach, we finished quickly enough to also externally clean the newly installed double glazed large windows (now spotless). Mike also managed to re-screw down the anti slip strips on Aviemore Station Level Crossing. We may well be back if the weather doesn't behave. 

Saturday the 8th saw a good sized squad rendezvous at Boat of Garten and due to the likely seasonal weather Georgie had already organised a short P'Way train - 

comprising class 27 diesel locomotive 

a "Flatrol" wagon with a vast array of power tools courtesy of John & Ian and the recently refurbished LMS Brake Van, which by all accounts now has a super almost self lighting coal stove that blasts heat!

 Mike  reports and photos - "we did a bit of trimming at Boat of Garten near the water crane then off to Dalfaber, across the crossing up to Spey Lodge and cleared below the telegraph wires except for some overhanging branches from neighbours trees at Dalnaby which were left to maybe get their consent.

Then after a late lunch we set off to mp 85 & did more as far as the estate crossing ..the chainsaws of all types were great   ..branches were left to be taken up by the Road Rail Vehicle grab & chipped ..weather fine, still light until 1615 so a longer day than of late."

Thanks to Mike, Martin, Ian, John, David, Kevin and Georgie who all worked very hard.