Back on Track After Flood Setback!

(Saturday 23rd January 2016)

Today was the day that marked the Society being back to where it was after Storm Eva delivered a blow in the form of a flood, thought by many to be the worst in living memory. However, the hard work of the dedicated work teams paid off, and today we were able to start looking to the future again.

Most of the work today was proprietary work, getting things ready for a few tasks in the coming weeks, re-furbishing a stop block, transporting platform edging stones from storage onto the platform ready to go into position, and the exciting prospect of laying the track into the platform for the first time.

As this proprietary work was going ahead, a work group was also begining the work or re-instating the sleeper wall that seperates the ballast and the cess along the headshunt.

Of course, much of this work required the helping hand of the JCB, which did a sterling job on the day.

First job of the day for the JCB was to spread the ballast sub-bed ready for the track and the stop block. It was also decided it was necessary to drop some 'maintenance ballast' on part of the already laid track ready for the long process of lifting and packing.

Above two: In these photos you can see the process of dropping maintenance ballast.

Then, the JCB was required to begin moving a number of the platform edging stones from storage to the platform. This is in preperation for work on the platfrom to re-commence in due course.

Above Four: The JCB was used to lift and move the edging stones.

Finally for the JCB, the task of moving the stop block. Unfortunately, time and nature beat us in this final task, as darkness had fallen just before we finished moving the first half of components, and the heavens had decided to open, so it was decided to move the first half, and leave the second for another day.

Above: As can clearly be seen, darkness had caught up with our progress. Here the JCB is moving one of the largest pair components of the stop block, the main running rail.

More photos will follow in the next update, of the progress since this day.