MSP concludes work at Boat of Garten Station - 22nd January 2022

 

The unseasonably mild January weather meant that trackwork could continue.

First job of the day was to re-slew a length of track at the South end of platform 1 in Boat of Garten. Both sleeper ends were dug out, the platform end loosely filled with new ballast and the track slewed using jacks. The ballast was then tamped to avoid the track springing back. The jacks were removed, ballast tamped again and the length tidied.

After lunch the worksite moved to the North end of the platform for some Measured Shovel Packing (MSP), measurements taken using the sighting boards (alas no photos)

and marked on the chairs in chalk, cross levelled to other rail, then each alternate "bed" between the sleepers dug out to the bottom of the sleeper approximately 18 inches either side of rail. 

Track then jacked up, leaving a sufficient gap under the sleeper

then the prescribed number of canisters, full of small "chippies" are measured out onto a special shovel, 

and carefully spread (packed) under the entire width of the sleeper 18 inches either side of rail. If done correctly each canister should lift the rail 1/16 of an inch after bedding in.

The following links might show the process in L.M.S days

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1MnK68Se-g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-v-5Uf1PVs

Then drop jack and onto next bed to repeat, once complete just a case of filling in the beds with ballast and tidy up, hopefully concluding the Station trackwork at Boat of Garten for the time being.

Thanks to Mike, Angus, Kevin and especially Ian & John who supplied info/photos and Fergus as he loves MSP so much!