August PWay 2015

 

 

The lack of recent PWay Blog update does not mean that nothing has been happening on the PWay, quite the contrary, just that I've been on holiday!

 

Re-sleepering continued on 1st of August, with a creditable 28 changed until the drill bit got blunt. The following PWay weekend Saturday -Georgie was on holiday and a large squad managed to dig out 50 plus sleepers to beyond Tullochgorum overbridge once the heavy rain stopped, above Martin Macleod left and Jim Clark "resting" for the camera.

 

 

Norman Cameron heading under Tullochgorum overbridge towards Boat of Garten on his Track Patrol from Broomhill. Thanks to John Wood for the photos. 

 

 

On the Sunday there were only two of us, so we decided to continue freshening up the concrete mileposts between Boat of Garten and Aviemore. Above Andy McClintock as 46512 speeds past (hence blurring, honest) This consisted of scraping of the old flaking paint, liberally applying the white concrete masonry paint, let us hope the paint lives up to it's 25 year guarantee!

 

 

Some easier to find than others, above is the 86 mile post, which we will definitely need to chop down the surrounding vegetation when we come to repainting the numbers black.



Spot re-sleepering 89 3/4 mile post - 4th July 2015

 

Very heavy rain on the drive from Inverness did not bode well

 

 

but by the time we got the tools to the site and the first train from Aviemore (46512 unexpectedly tender first) had passed the weather began to clear up.

 

 

Jack up track, lift base plates, remove what's left of old sleeper, dig out bed and above replace with new sleeper. (Angus could have managed but I wanted John and Neil in photo)

 

 

base plates back in, drop jacks

 

 

Then team two lift and pack sleeper 

 

 

gauge checked, for drilling above then hammer in the spikes, tidy ballast REPEAT..........

 

In total I believe a credible 28 completed which takes us to "Fishermans Crossing" 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 



Start on spot Re-Sleepering from 89 3/4 mile post - 20th June 2015

An excellent turnout again meant in theory - "many hands make light work!"

In practice it was a different story but good progress was made through teamwork.

 

 

One team dug out all the ballast round the sleepers to be changed, which we started with great gusto but soon learned to pace ourselves and

 

 

 

the other, tackled the unenviable task of removing the elastic spikes from the base plates, using the spike puller and increasingly, not so gentle persuasion from a large hammer hitting down on the plate to try and free the spike. During the day a hammer, a spike puller and a number of base plates were destroyed with a lot of huffing and puffing along the way.

 

 

Service train approaches Lackgie level crossing, an Osprey was also allegedly spotted over the River Spey, entirely possible as Loch Garten RSPB Reserve only mile and half away as Osprey flies! Sorry no photos on this occasion but we are likely to be re-sleepering for some time as there are only166 to replace...........

 

 

Boat of Garten Headshunt recommissioned - 6th June 2015

Good to see some "new" faces in the squad - Steven who returns after a 30 year break! And Angus who hopefully, is still "Jim's friend", after Jim convinced him to come along.
Whilst the Headshunt has been disconnected the opportunity was taken to do some re-sleepering in the yard and yesterday morning our squad was large enough to split in two.

 

 

One squad drilling, screwing down and gauging the already changed sleepers, notice the light rail, wooden keys and some very old rail chairs. The other squad cutting and dropping in the remaining rails at the buffer end of headshunt using the JCB (360 Road Railer still sick).

 

 

Mike thinks he spots a rather inaccessible lost golf ball, to add to his collection

 

 

but alas, no, a baby woodpecker!

 

 

The remainder of day was spent packing and tidying up the formation. 

 

 

 

With the odd welcome break, look closely and you can see the G clamps holding the fishplates securely until the rail drill is mended. Notice where Fergus finished off doing a very neat job of creating the Cess (walkway) a few weeks ago. Meanwhile Georgie was reconnecting the Signalling equipment, it's now finally ready for traffic again.

 

 

  



Dining on Strathspey Railway - 17th May 2015

 

As it was my better half's Birthday I could not make the PWay, however I still managed a trip to the Strathspey Railway and took her and a couple of friends to try out the new Dining Experience, in the form of Sunday Lunch on board the exclusive 1pm departure from Aviemore.

 

Pauses near "summit" of the line to admire the view

 

My Starter

 

My Main

 

 

and of course Dessert, followed by Tea or Coffee, which I didn't imbibe in but had a Malt instead, on top of the reasonably priced bottle of wine meant the rest of my photos a bit blurry!

 

 

So I returned today, to take some external shots of the experience, above approaching Broomhill with the River Spey in the background.

 

"Running Round" at Broomhill, just as well lamb is not on the menu!

 

 

And, for those that wish, a look on the footplate or just stretch the legs a short break at Broomhill.

 

 

Before the return journey to Aviemore, a leisurely satisfying way to spend a Sunday afternoon, with good food. (Railway Volunteers get discount too!)

 

more details can found here - http://www.strathspeyrailway.co.uk/dining/ booking is essential.

  



 

 





 

Boat of Garten Headshunt elusive gap - 16th May 2015

 

With a large squad  much progress was anticipated, however it wasn't to be.

 

 

The Royal Scotsman awaiting the arrival of first Steam service from Aviemore, now crewed and hauled by Strathspey Railway resources to Aviemore.

 

With another surprise Class 47 at the rear, apparently acting as a stabling brake as the previous day a fault occurred with a hydraulic handbrake necessitating the removal of the offending vehicle, between Perth and Dundee, I think.

 

 

Anyway back to the P'Way, we replaced a number of wooden sleepers towards the just in shot Buffer End, with the intension of lifting the final pair of rails in, drilling holes at the cut railends so they could be fishplated up, job done. Wishful thinking! After many years of trouble free service the Rail Drill broke (still being investigated) and the not so reliable 360 Road-Rail Machine played up again and unable to lift rails!

 

 

So a start was made on packing and levelling the Headshunt towards the buffers. 



 



 

Good progress was made with this by the end of the day and all that remains is tidying up the Cess and "10 foot" area between Mainline and Headshunt and of course filling that elusive gap!.........

 

 

Signalling & Telegraph progress April 2015

Visitors to Speyside Signal Cabin will notice the addition of three S&T cabinets at the foot of the steps. They may be ‘new’ to Aviemore Speyside but they actually date from the 1950’s and were recovered from Perth Yard a number of years ago. They are therefore just as much part of the 1950’s railway scene as our Class 2 Ivatt 46512 and the BR Mk1 Coaches

 

The work started in earnest in early March with the usual precursor to most S&T work – digging holes!  Cable ducts had also to be diverted to pass through the bases of the new cabinets. The original plan had been to install two cabinets, one for signal lighting / signal box circuits associated with the Key Token instruments and one for the associated batteries. However on checking the length of the previously installed power feeder cable from the Roy Hamilton Carriage Shed it was realised that the power case would need to be further away from the signal box than was originally intended in the S&T Plan. This problem was solved by installing the third cabinet, which although not needed now, can be regarded as advance works for the eventual re-instatement on the Speyside Passing Loop. The power cabinet is the one with the “oven” on the side to house the 230/110V transformer.

 

While the ground preparation was underway a trip to Boat with the Association Ivor Williams Trailer rescued another cabinet using the JCB for the lifting operation. Back in Aviemore, once the ground preparation had been done the cases were lifted into place using the O&K 360 machine. As usual with any civil engineering work there was a degree of “adjustments on site” to get the cases to “line and level”……P-way jacks have many uses!

 

 

 

 

Volunteers and staff who contributed to this endeavor were : - D. Dow, S. Muirhead, G Ritchie (above) G. Sutherland with G. McNair and S. Vaughan as machine operators.

Thanks to Graham Sutherland for photos and Stephen Muirhead for the words.