Sunday 27 August 2023

Miscellaneous tasks progressed - 26th August 2023

Saturday saw another extra P'Way day semi planned - plan A was to continue fishplate oiling from where Fergus, Michael and Richard had finished off two weeks ago - which was amazingly more or less the start of the 1/2 mile Kinchurdy relay (which we had been told to skip for now as newer stronger fishplates are planned soon) alas the rain was too heavy for the task and I did not want the dirty fishplate oil sloshing about in my car anyway! Plan B was to go and dig out the remaining 15 sleepers at the South end of the Relay, so Mike, Peter and myself set off to the Kinchurdy P'Way hut where the required tools were handily stored.


From the car we could see the new chimney pot now in situ and we looked forward to shelter from the rain and getting a roaring fire going, unfortunately the hut was locked and despite hunting all around, the elusive key was not found, the builder of the chimney was blamed as above (inscribed in the cement)
 

I drove back to Boat of Garten and scavenged the required from the Toolvan and by the time we were about to start digging, the first train was on us! Sleepers dug round, time for lunch, in the rain! Afterwards we set about doing a bit of ballast tidying where we had finished off previously, by 3pm we had had enough and headed back to Boat of Garten, 


where Mike wanted to paint the platform edge coping stone that he had replaced earlier in the week but he got carried away painting the ramp as well! 


Opposite us we found Ian, Fergus and John with his vast array of power tools extending the screening fence to hide the Royal Scotsman's new sea container, John supplied the above finished photo and his quote "roughest build i've been involved with in a long time" - looks fine to me, anyway thanks to all that attended.

Monday 14 August 2023

Welcome rapid progress Kinchurdy - 14th August 2023

Lampitt Rail Services have again intensively been changing sleepers for us at Kinchurdy, thankfully only leaving 42 for our squad to tackle, (I have borrowed the below photo from their Facebook page, where other photos can be found of their excellent work) can only thank them for their hard work, it would have taken us Months! 


Saturday 12th August saw Georgie, Ian, Angus, Martin and a new volunteer - Richard from Helmsdale meet at Boat of Garten and headed straight to Kinchurdy, over the day, much to Georgie's satisfaction 27 sleepers were dug out and changed and the remaining ones being on the transition ramp - can be done at our leisure.
 
Thanks to all that attended this big push forward,


which must have continued on Sunday - with Georgie probably removing the dead sleeper before dropping and spreading ballast, as Mike took this photo today, on another of his of recent many track inspections, so much so he has had to buy another pair of boots this year!


 He also spotted at the same locus the above chimney pot


which just might fit! Hopefully get some heat from the fire this Winter.....