Work in Progress: Thursday 20th February

Half-Term week!

The railway is open all this week and Roger Bye has once again sent us this weeks Thursday Gang report.

1. & 2. It was a day of dramatic weather change today. In the morning (photo 1) the track crew decided chat and tea in the Mess Room was preferable to getting soaking wet and cold but emerged after an early lunch into improved weather (photo 2) to continue the work on the transhipment siding.

3. Hard work by volunteers on Tuesday had resulted in the manufacture of the remaining rail plates and also their installation.

4. The rail needed to be cut to length. Here's Martyn using a disc cutter for that purpose.....

5. ... before supervising the clamping of the drill to the rail so that ...

6. & 7. & 8. ....the holes required for the fishplate bolts could be drilled.

9. After cutting and drilling the rails, they were then bolted together and screwed to the sleepers. There is still some ballasting and packing required to complete.

10. 11. & 12. Phil, Geoff and Barrie continued to work in the (warm and dry!!) Paintshop.

13. John and Peter were working on machining new pins and bushes for part of Axe’s valve gear...

14. ... and nearby were the new home-cast replacement sections of LYN’s brick arch. The originals had to be removed for the recent boiler inspection.

15. LYN’s smokebox was also receiving attention. Guess which one of three has not been in the smokebox?

16. Despite the atrocious weather, trains were running today in the care of Dave, Malcolm and Bob....

17. ..who all disappeared into the murk as the train left Woody Bay.

18. & 19. The Tea-Rooms and coal fire will be a welcome sight for the visitors who brave the weather today.

20. Surprisingly, winter sunshine lit up the last train of the day.

Text and photos by Roger Bye