Stone Blowing Kinchurdy - 18th & 19th November 2017

 

About a Month ago we started work on an approx. 100 yard section of track, just beyond Kinchurdy bridge see PWay Blog of 21st October. Since then Georgie has dropped ballast on the Track "shoulders" and on Saturday a large squad created the "up cess", tidied both shoulders and dug the holes so that stone blowing could commence.

 

 

As we had an increasingly rare "Possession" of the line (no service trains running) the Tool Van and temporary Mess Van were able to be stabled at the worksite for the weekend. 

 

 

Here Georgie is sighting and instructing Mike to jack up the track to the right level and Andrew is doing the same, using the crosslevel as a guide, so that both rails are on the jacks to exactly the required height.

A number of years ago the PWay Squad Volunteers clubbed together to purchase the brand new Stone Blower which is simply a petrol driven air compressor with an air hose 

 

 

to the above attachment, which Andrew is steadily feeding the small crushed stone ("chippies") into the hopper and the compressed air blows it into the space between the sleeper and the old trackbed. The aim is to completely fill the void so that when the jack is removed the track sits solidly on its new foundations. 

 

These simplistic few words make it all seem easy! But we all found those small muscles that we didn't know even existed were exercised.

As punishment for not getting the Mess Van fire to light first time, we put Andy above left, on to the wheel barrowing of the chippies, thus only being subjected to his Glasgow patter intermittently!   

 

Thanks go to Andrew, Andy, Angus, Ben, Ian, John, Les, Mike and Roger over the weekend Georgie seemed satisfied with the end result.



Leylandii removal Aviemore Station 3rd - 5th November 2017

 

A row of 60 leylandii trees had been planted long ago along the edge of the car park at Aviemore station, the section now in use by main line Scotrail passengers. 

After consulting with our neighbours in Dalfaber Road, who had been complaining about these trees, we organized a team to remove them.

 

  before

 

and after photo to set the scene.
 

A number of hurdles had to be overcome, not least closing the car park for the duration of the work, a task skillfully completed by Graham Sutherland, who blocked off bays during the week as they became vacant, leaving only four cars parked by Friday, which we were able to work around. The recent courses attended by our chainsaw operators is now also paying dividends for the railway, as these tasks can now be done safely and expediently. 
 



 

Brashing done, to ease access for felling.

 

So on Friday a team of ten commenced work, with Ian and John operating the chainsaws and Graham and Big Davie driving trailers to provide a continuous shuttle carting the brash to the burning site. The work continued on Saturday morning with Ben now also operating a chainsaw, while Ian was preparing for the Strathspey Railway Association AGM.

 

 

Ian giving chainsaw TLC or having a well earned rest

 

Loading one trailer

 

 

And unloading the other onto the fire

 

 

Not much more smoke than a steam engine!

 

 

 

John Wood assisted by Nick Courtier & Jim Hardy with strap for more accurate felling.

 

 

 

Colin sweeping up

 

All 60 trees were cut down to a height of about 2 foot; this to provide a marker for the parking cars, and all the brash was removed and burnt in the yard near the coal bench.

 

 

 

Job well done-all that remains of 60 trees.

 

As a welcome break we attended the AGM in the afternoon, before continuing with the work later.

There are another 12 leylandii further along by the coach park, but time constraints meant that by the  Sunday only the Ellon Team of five were still working, so we cleared broom from the area, and cut the lower branches off the leydandii to provide improved light and views for the adjacent houses. 

Another job for the New Year.

Thanks to Ian Stanworth, John Wood, Ben Tyrell, Mike Tough, Neil MacQueen, Davie Dow, Graham Sutherland, Ray Kenyon, Jim Hardy, Dan Courtier, Nick Courtier, Colin Frost.

 

(Words from Colin and some photos from Ray and Neil)

 

PWay Maintenance - Croftnahaven 7th October & Kinchurdy 21 October 2017

There was a good turn out but only Georgie, Ben, Roger & Mike ventured out onto the track where between mp 91 & 91 1/2 (Croftnahaven) various routine maintenance tasks were dealt with. Other essential things had to be done however by the others. Those outside enjoyed a pleasant Autumn day in a peaceful spot 

 

 

Above -Digging out below the high rail sleepers ..this was dug out maybe 30 mm & left to settle

 

Also present were Ian who assisted Ian Stokes a Volunteer who was digitally surveying the yard at Boat for a site for a storage shed Strathspey Railway Association are planning to progress. Ian also had to assess tree clearance needed at Aviemore Head shunt & was then with Neil Howie who appeared with a former work friend also Mike & they got into the faulty jacker packer & it seems the problem has been found & the machine will be in action soon. Valuable spares were retrieved from the other machines & taken inside where 2 almost new rail saws obtained by Davie Dow from a railway yard in Glasgow were spotted & admired .. well done Davie.

 

The track work included clearing ballast from below around 10 sleepers at mp 91 1/2 on the up rail to get rid of a horrible hog in the up rail top. By the end of the day the trains had got the rail back to level & this was lightly repacked & left to bed in further.

Afterwards & without Andy the expert measured shovel packing (MSP) tin man we did MSP at maybe 10 joints & dips around the curve & got a well done from the boss.

 



 

An out of focus Roger focussed on getting chippings to the MSP points. 

Thanks to Mike for the above information and photos.

 

 

Yesterday's P'Way saw another calm dry Autumn day, the location very close to Kinchurdy Bridge and the task was to dig out the sleeper ends to start the improvement of the drainage, above Mike in foreground, then Fergus, Andy and in the distance Martin Macleod fortuitously filling in a gap in the Track Inspection Roster (Lennon his high viz dog off camera but thanks go to both of them for this vital task)

 

 

 

and renew the ballast shoulder which was previously dropped in the "four foot" (between the rails)  Ben with a grape full of fresh ballast, Andy brushing the dirt off the sleepers and Georgie trying to tidy up our efforts on ballast shoulder and level cess. 

 

Last Down train of the day passes over Kinchurdy Bridge and thanks to Fergus for clearing out the steps down the steep embankment, making it an easier walk down to our cars after an exhausting day. 

 

 

 

 

 



Painting and Bo'ness Trip - 23rd & 24th September 2017

 

 

As promised Reg Stanley above and Bruce Buswell below, painted the recycled platform copings and sleeper stop at the well end of the turntable at Aviemore, they also painted the granite blocks that guide road vehicles safely round the exit to car park. Reg continued with painting the base stones to the new sign by the turntable (I am sure the fruits of Reg's working holiday will take sometime to spot around the railway)

 

 

Bruce thought it was "an act of geological vandalism" obliterating them in white masonry paint!

 

 

828 departing Aviemore with the Sunday Dining Train 24th Sept.

Above photos and info all courtesy of Bruce.

 

 

Saturday 23rd saw a number of us from the PWay squad (above) get a guided tour of the extensive site at The Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway. Many thanks to our guide Steven Ramage (above back right) who gave us our behind the scenes view and threw in a visit to the on-site Museum of Scottish Railways (well worth a further future visit), we then returned to where we had had breakfast, the Station Café for a cheap wholesome lunch before using our Strathspey Working Members Passes for a trip up to Manuel and back, washed down by a beer or two. All in all a worthwhile day out.  

 

 

 

 

 

 





Silted up Level Crossings - 16th September 2017

 

The good sized P'Way squad met at Boat of Garten, loaded the appropriate tools into Georgie's van and proceeded to Lynchurn No 2 Level Crossing. Where for sometime now water has been running off the main A95 trunk road, down the short dirt track onto the Level Crossing, depositing a considerable amount of silt contaminating the ballast, which all had to be dug out by backbreaking shovel. This is the second time that I recall having to this at this location, plan is to use the JCB to dig ditches to hopefully prevent a reoccurrence.

 

 

Andy, Andrew, Ben, Roger and Mike (left to right) pose for Iain Ross at Lynchurn No 2. (I suspect fresh ballast will be dropped after ditches dug) The squad then went onto Croftnahaven No 2 level crossing to repeat the process and coachscrews inserted to keep the flangeway clear, alas no photos as what seemed like the remnants of hurricane Irma! forced the squad into the palatial barn to shelter.

 

Ian and John tried to mend the Jacker Packer at Boat of Garten North Yard and then assisted some of the Ellon Squad tidying scrap there.

 

On Sunday Andy, Bruce, Fergus and Georgie put in flangeway screws in Lynchurn No 2 and finished off tidying up, possibly also the cess at Aviemore Station loop.

 

Yesterday Bruce was painting with Reg Stanley (who is up for two weeks "Holiday", so best not standstill for too long when Reg is about!)

 

Thanks to all those that attended and for info/photo.

 

 

Aviemore Turntable Sign & Fishplate Oiling - 30th August & 2nd September 2017

 

 

The original sign was well past its use by date.

 



 



 Ray Kenyon and Colin Frost painted the supports first over the 24th & 25th of July.

 

Whilst PPS Glass Fibre Ltd of Inverurie (they also did the Roy Hamilton sign) fabricated the wooden former, encapsulated in fibreglass, with raised acrylic letters.

 

 

This was delivered at 1030 Wednesday 30th August, with the help of Colin Vaughan driving the Coal Loader, it was lifted into place, held in position with nine fixing bolts and the job was successfully completed by lunch time.

 

 

 

The Team on the day, left to right - Colin Frost, Jim Clark, Ray Kenyon, Andrew McCracken and Mike Tough (who took the photos)

 

We are deeply indebted to Colin who paid for the fabricated board, letters and delivery costs as a kind donation to the Strathspey Railway Co. 

As Colin says "it should never need further attention in future - weather permitting!"

 

 

Today the P'Way squad continued fishplate oiling from 92 1/4 milepost towards Broomhill, after Georgie found us some more oil. Above left to right Roger Snowden, Roddy MacPhee and Ben Tyrell with a busy Broomhill Station in the background, the three coaches came from Cruise Maritime & Voyages cruise ship Columbus berthed at Invergordon for the day,

 

 

hopefully they appreciated the great weather and scenery, we were hot & bothered and too busy trying to rapidly finish off fishplate oiling, for the season

 

although Mike Tough had time to gaze for safety reasons you understand! 

 

 

 



Milepost Vegetation Clearance - 14th August 2017

Today Myself, Ian Stanworth, Mike Tough and Andrew McCracken had a midweek PWay day. We set off walking from Boat of Garten towards Aviemore in pouring rain, the plan was to strim and cut the vegetation round all the quarter mileposts and improve the sighting at Level Crossings enroute. As time went on our tools let us down, one loper was useless and one saw broke 

 

and the vegetation just got thicker and thicker in the form of broom, which seems to have taken over the lineside in places. Above Andrew rediscovers the 86 milepost, whilst Mike and I tried to dispose of the cuttings as best as we could but had difficulty keeping up with the prodigious output of "Machine McCracken"!

 

 

Looks like the grass snake? had the right idea sheltering from the constant rain under one of the fire beaters.

 





At the end of the day Andrew (the "lineside forager") got his reward - chanterelle mushrooms apparently.