More fishplate oiling - 30th April 2016

I get the impression the Squad are keen to finish fishplate oiling fast, as Jim, John, Angus and Mike continued in the sunshine.  

 

 

Above almost perfect symmetry, although I notice Angus is cheekily out doing Mike in the number of stripes worn. (photo by John Wood)

 

 

Due to the inaccessibility of the worksite, a bit of a walk from even from the SpeySide Way where this photo was taken by Mike (maybe S&T Dept should bury their wires! what do you think Mike?) In total three quarters of a mile was completed.

 

 

Talking of jobs completed, this is the new Coal Bench extension in action.

 

 

  

 



Fishplate Oiling continues - 28th April 2016

The paid staff have continued with fishplate oiling completing to Broomhill and started from Boat of Garten towards Aviemore. Today a good squad of us met at Boat of Garten to sign on and collect the tools.

 

 

Having stabled overnight the Royal Scotsman, hauled by our class 31 diesel, was awaiting the arrival of our Steam service, so it can continue on its tour of Scotland by accessing the mainline railway at Aviemore,

 

 

where the GBRf Class 66 is stabled overnight. (Above good photo was actually taken last week by Mike Tough)

 

 

 Anyway I digress, we started at Kinchurdy Level Crossing after welcoming Roger (far left) a new Volunteer and chatting to Dave (far right) from the PWay on East Lancs Railway who is on his yearly holiday in the Highlands, with a day or two spent with us.

 

Progress was so good that by the end of the day, I had miscounted the quarter mile posts and we actually completed one and a quarter miles, which must be an all time record!

Well done and thank you Guys. 

 

 



Tullochgorum - Croftnahaven fishplate oiling - 16th April 2016

Mid-week Stuart and Georgie had used the Jacker-Packer to lift and pack about 3 x 60 foot lengths of track near Tullochgorum over bridge. Our first task was to hand pack the sleepers that the Jacker-Packer could not access due to the fishplates.

 

 

The first train to pass the "off-rail" Jacker-Packer was sensibly cautioned to ensure that there was sufficient clearance.

 

 

Subsequent trains passed at the line-speed of 25 miles per hour.

The next task was to tidy up the ballast of the formation  

 

 

and finally do some minor slewing of the track using the track jacks,.In this case slewing from left to right. Due to the good volunteer turn out this was all completed in time for lunch, which we had trying to shelter under the bridge from the wind, snow and hail. You would never guess that from my photos but it was a bitterly cold day (photos in snow don't come out very well).

 

 

We came across Bob, Track Inspector, but without the required combined hammer/spanner - he said he couldn't find it! On time today Bob, but minus the tool he needed!  He caught the correct train so he could walk back to Boat of Garten. We donated him our heaviest spanner!

 

 

 

   After lunch fishplate oiling continued at a great pace and three quarters of a mile was completed by the end of the day, followed by a long walk back to our cars - minus our heavy spanner! 

 

 



Switches & Crossings Maintenance - 19&20th March 2016

 

What are Switches and Crossings? I hear you ask.

 

Above a very simplified diagram.

 

Put simply they guide trains from one track to another, commonly known as points. The Maintenance of them is basically loosening all the nuts and bolts, oiling and re-tightening them, this stops them seizing and ensures they are all tight.

 



 

The opportunity was taken to oil all the fishplates, as there are that many, as well as the slide chairs at the switches at the same time 



 

In the distance an army of Orange could be seen coming our way to assist, alas no, they were Photographers, photographing our train they had hired for the weekend, which did a number run pasts, so they could get the perfect shot.

 

 

Over the weekend seven sets of points were completed from the Home Signal in distance above to the Signal Box, which is a lot of nuts and bolts, some easier than others!

 Thanks to Ian, Norman, Andrew, Neil, Mike, Angus, plus Georgie and Stuart.

 

 

46512 makes an unexpected appearance just as we were getting ready to start on the Sunday, it was the Photographic Charter again.

Coal Bench Aviemore concreting - 18th March 2016

This morning was taken up with positioning the remaining sleepers, levelling and compacting the base and putting in the reinforcing steel mesh to the correct depth. 

 

Above Fergus admires our handy work just before an early Lunch, not quite finished Lunch when Ritchies of Aviemore arrived spot on time.

 

 

 

Spreading the concrete with shovels was hard work but fortunately there were many willing hands.

 

 

 

Screeding relatively easy here (not so sure if Ian agreed)

 

 

Slightly more challenging here, although Victor the Builder came along with his rake, made it look easy. John at this end of screed and definitely Stuarts better side facing the camera!

 

Opportunity to try and clear some of the scrap wood and stack suitable wood on pallets, for lighting up the Steam Locomotive, which is turning on the turntable through the heat haze, for a Photographic Charter Train tomorrow.

 

 

Job nearly done, plastic tape was used to cordon off any unintentional trespassers!

 

Thanks to all that helped today- Ian, Mike, John, Fergus, Victor and Jim Clark checking up on progress. A small squad would have struggled, even though I still suspect many aching muscles tomorrow and thanks to the Strathspey Railway Association for funding the 10 cubic metres of concrete. 

 



 



 

 

 



Coal Bench Aviemore - 11th&12th March 2016

Having consulted the in-house Members' Magazine Strathspey Express to try and recall when we poured the concrete for the Coal Bench floor at Aviemore, amazed to discover it was November 2013, anyway it has been an outstanding job since then to lay a concrete apron to the platform edge and now also extend the back wall, which I think was a more recent decision.

 

 The steel beams were originally acquired second hand for the proposed Carriage Shed mezzanine floor but apparently surplus and now seem to fit the bill almost perfectly (anyone got rusty paint!)

 

The not fit for purpose concrete sleepers are re-used for permanent shuttering.

 

 

John Wood hammering in a peg, to prevent any sleeper movement during the pouring of the concrete, scheduled to be soon.

Thanks to the many who helped (out of sight from Stuart Vaughan's camera)

 

 

 

Pan 11 Near Broomhill - 5th March 2016

First train of the day approaches worksite.

Having very recently been donated 20 "Pan 11" baseplates by Network Rail, we put them to good use on the sharp curve coming out of Broomhill (believed to be tightest between Aviemore and Forres) A couple of years ago we used them on the outside high rail of the curve at the joints, to prevent any long term gauge widening of the track. This time we used them approximately every fourth sleeper in between, as below, having removed the elastic spikes, base plates, re-drilled and screwed down.

 

Stuart using the "Pan puller" not the usual worker/watcher ratio honest!

 

 

Clip onto the red Pandrol Clip

 

 

and pull

(one job where using a bigger hammer wont work)

 

 

Job done,

 until Georgie says "tidy up the ballast a bit Boys" couple of hours later 

We were Done in!

 

 

And last Train of the day pulling away from Broomhill.