MSP Rail Joints Croftnahaven - 16&17th July 2016

 

This Weekend saw small squads, guess people are away on Holiday.

Saturday- Ben, Roger, Stuart and after fixing a door at Aviemore, Mike, did Measured Shovel Packing of Rail Joints, slewing and tidying of ballast in the vicinity of the Croftnahaven No 1 Level Crossing.

 

 

This is the second Level Crossing to be visibly named, the first, was Tullochgorum, when Andy McClintock advised me not to give up the day Job! Don't think this one is any better, so if there are any budding stencillers out there, please let me know. I intend to do the UP Side only, as they are protected from the sun and prevailing weather, also hoped to put on an Ordnance Survey grid reference but mislaid all the readings from GPS.....

 

  Returning from Broomhill the Sunday Diner passes "Croftnahaven No 1". Stuart and myself continued with yesterdays work, today

 

 

the ballast wedged under the baseplate, front left is for another day....... 



More Painting at Aviemore

 

Rather decrepit Stop Board, protecting Aviemore Station, before 

 

and after Painters got their hands on it, looks like they have joinery skills as well!

 

 

The Level Crossing Gates at the other end of Aviemore Loop, in the background is the repainted one almost in Signal Red.

Thanks to Colin Frost and the Gang for the work and the Photos.

Aviemore Station Painting and "Line Inspection" - 18th June 2016

The Ellon Painting Squad led by Colin Frost, start the undercoat, using the bespoke scaffold (as per last Blog) to paint the Aviemore canopy facia.

 

 

 

Photo taken by Norman Cameron, during his last Track Walk Inspection

 

 



and by the end of the day the other end of the canopy! Well done Guys.

photos taken by David Crosley.

 

 

The main event was the Annual PWay Line Inspection/Do from the comfort of the Watkinson's Trust LMS Saloon (it is available for private hire, fortunately we got it for free!) where a few "libations" were had and for the first time ever, we were served soup and a sandwich by a charming young lady from the Railways Caterers. Maybe the Caterer slightly underestimated how hungry "line inspection" work can be!

 

 

 We had a leaving card and collection (350 Canadian Dollars raised) for Norman Cameron as he is emigrating to Canada with his Canadian Wife. We also gave him at little expense, a book on Canadian Railways, donated to the Railway at some point! to whet his appetite for his new life. He gave us a short thank you speech above, in which we learned that he has been Volunteering in the PWay squad since 1973!

 

 

Here Norman wears, the first to be presented - 30 Year, Long Service Badge

 (yes we know he's been here more than thirty years but its the highest we have! and we thought postage costs to Canada might be a bit steep)

Anyway thank you Norman and we wish you and your Wife Marlyin all the very best. 

  

 

Group photo in glorious sunshine at Boat of Garten almost concluded, I hope very enjoyable day had by all.

 

 

New Departmental Wagon - 13th June 2016

As mentioned in this Blog a few weeks ago, Colin and the Ellon Gang Painters must have come up with a plan in their local Pub on how to access safely our inaccessible platform 3 canopy facia at Aviemore because on Monday, Speyside Scaffold from Aberlour came to the Railway to erect a bespoke scaffold.

 

 

 

 

 

Which was securely clamped to an old "Sole" wagon chassis and suitably certified. 

 

 

 

Which surely is one of our more exotic additions to our Departmental Fleet of wagons, all be it temporary as the intension is to start painting this weekend, weather permitting.

Thanks to Mike for Info and photos.

 

 

 



Tidying Ballast Tullochgorum - 4th & 5th June 2016

As Georgie was on last day of holidays. On Saturday Stuart was in charge and the task was to tidy the ballast near Tullochgorum overbridge, where we have been using the Jacker Packer on midweek days.

A good sized squad made quick work of the 6 lengths asked for, possibly aided by Stuart buying the squad ice cream (take note Georgie!) to cool them down in the glorious sunshine, once the earlier mist had lifted.

 



 

 Left to Right Jim Clark, Andy McClintock, Angus Macphail, Roger Snowdon and Andrew McCracken.
 

 

Before Stuart, Myself and Andy headed to Tullochgorum to continue with ballast tidying today, I took a quick snap of the Class 27 deputising for the Class 31 on Royal Scotsman duties at Boat of Garten, as the 31 has oil problems.

 

 

Later the Diesel Multiple Unit made an unexpected appearance, transpires the Class 27 may have had turbo problems. Anyway PWay work continued albeit at a slower pace, due to the heat and we finished a bit earlier than usual.

 

Fishplate Oiling final chapter and Painting - 21st May 2016

 

Good big squad on Saturday, including our Membership Secretary Bill Johnson from near Thurso and Ben Tyrell from Blairgowrie (with the shades on)

 

 

The Mainline was completed right up to the boundary with Network Rail, the last stretch beyond the platform end pedestrian crossing was long overdue. Then it was a case of doing the run round loop, carriage shed yard, the head shunt, engine shed access road and turntable siding, just leaving the engine shed yard still to be done, hopefully today.

 

 

Above Ray Kenyon left, Colin Frost, Dick Davis discuss the "50 shades of pink" commercially available,(more like two though) with Mike Tough.

 

 

Colin and part of the Ellon Gang have since spent 12 days refreshing the paint work at Aviemore Station and a grand job they have done!

 

 



 leaving the not inconsiderable canopy facing untouched at present, apparently pending an essential Ellon Gang meeting in their local Pub, to plan how to safely tackle it!  

Aviemore Jobs progressing - 9th May 2016

Over the weekend a good distance of fishplate oiling was achieved, thanks to Volunteers - Roger, Fergus and Bruce, finishing up at Dalfaber Level Crossing.

 

 

Mike (appropriately dressed), Bruce and myself continued on the Monday, possibly the hottest day of the year thus far.

 

 

 

 So hot that Big Davy felt sorry for us and served us Afternoon Tea on a tray Lineside from the Spey Lodge, where he had been assisting Jim Clark in finally commissioning the standby oil central heating, thanks to Graham for the above photo.

 

 

Even further up the line at Aviemore Station Colin Frost and his team are doing a bit of repainting

 

although the Forth Bridge springs to mind Guys!