The Plan ( Plan may not survive first contact with the enemy...)

We have alluded to various nefarious schemes within the pages of this blog, so it seemed prudent to describe what they are and a rough timetable for the completing of them. Plus it gives a good idea to everyone we are not standing still. Sitting down with tea maybe, but I digress....

This is the overview for  P/way's plan of work for the next few years. Barring any emergencies and other foul ups of course! We break down our job in heavy duty mainline repairs which we take care of in the winter, and other jobs that can be got on without demanding a total engineering possession, which is marked as summer but is generally any time other than the closed period.

1. Winter 2015-   Parkend pointwork installed to reconnect the good yard. Still waiting on the final plan regarding type of points and the general layout before starting work. Hunting flame cut holes will also feature in this job. Timber and ballast will be main costs.

2. Summer 2016 - Whitecroft Loop as far as the crossing. Slewing the Up line away from the platform and to relay the Down line to passenger standards. We are going to use the rail and sleepers that are there already. We have got to take it up and lay a good bed of ballast under it before replacement. Luckily the main cost to the railway will be ballast as we have kit for this coming out of our ears.

3. Winter 2016 - Bypass crossing to the Bracket signal at Lydney Junction. 372 sleepers are needed into order to relay this section. We plan to relay this in FB rail on concrete as we won't have to touch it again for a good while! We have bought 237 F27 sleepers to use here plus we plan to use the SHC sleepers we have on the curve by the bracket signal.  Again ballast is going to the main cost.

4. Summer 2017 - Whitecroft North.We hope to put in a point north of Whitecroft crossing so that the loop can be used. We have either a C or D FB point to go in here to cut down on wear.. Costs will be timber and ballast (again....)
 
5. Winter 2017-   Goatfield curve. We will need to replace the screw concrete sleepers that are getting wide to gauge. This will be done with standard concrete through bolted chaired sleepers depending on necessities for track circuiting.

6. Summer 2018 -  Undecided as of yet. Ideas on a postcard!

7. Winter 2018 - Norchard Low Level. This will involve relaying the low level platform and loop in BH concrete sleepers to replace the wooden ones there. They are getting a tad ropey!  As there is no track circuit on either road we can used the stack of BH sleepers at Tufts.

8. Summer 2019 -  Parkend and beyond!! Travellers Rest? On the provision we've done all our major to-do list above, I see no reason why we can't crack on with extending. We have the trackbed to the road as well as a fair quantity of basic p/way material. Onwards and upwards!

If this sounds of interest to you p/way minded people out there, please don't hesitate to drop us a line on here or through the DFR, we would love to have you onboard!

Timbers! And a soggy bed....

Apologies for the few updates on here to those who follow us. Life has been intervening for the chaps who throw updates on here. However, we have another for you delectation!

Thursday saw us working in the glorious sunshine at Parkend on the set of points entering the station limits from the south. It was a little earlier than expected for us to working at the is end of the line. (The next big job we will be cracking on with as has been alluded to in the past is that of reconnecting and relaying the pointwork leading in to the goods yard.

However things are rarely so well planned in real life!

Due to an S+T issue, we pitched in to help, and on investigation discovered that the sleepers of this point  were a little bit ripe. Luckily it was spotted and emergency tiebars were deployed in the usual fashion to hold the gauge until it was possible to get the last of our spanking new point timbers up from the junction for installation this Thursday.

It was discovered that the leaking watertank in the embankment above the track had been leaking for years, something that has been rectified. Unfortunately this resulted in a rather soggy bed. This combined with the hard packed ash ballast underneath the stone that remains from when the railway was working succeeded in keeping most of the sleepers decidedly damp and ths creating an ideal situation for rot! A new drain is planned along the foot of the embankment which is hoped will solve any waterlogging issues.

Essentially it was very straightforward job of sleeper changing here, lot of jacking, digging, sliding, and belting (Judicious use of Gord with 'Big Bertha' here). A basic job overall but with loads of musclepower being deployed and anyone who has had to pull back ballast for any length of time will sympathise.

However, a brief word with our head of Civil Engineering and all round good egg and powerhouse, Mr Jason Shirley resulted in not only the ballast ends for the sleepers to be replaced cleared quickly and easily with his 360 digger, but it was discovered we could use said digger to extract the rotten sleeper quickly and easily as well as using it to push the new one in. Needless to say it saved a serious amount of blood. sweat, tears and swearing.

  Ballast shifting made easy.

 Tiebars, new sleeper, and those infernal screw jacks!

A practically complete job, until we buy a few more timbers....

Apologies for the sepia-esque quality to the photos, my camera phone is held together with sellotape...
 

A delivery!

Excitement!

Today we have received the last load of one or two (Read 237.....) F27 concrete sleepers. These were acquired from the relaying and doubling work on the Ebbw Vale line. They were being stored at the old mine site in Crumlin where our intrepid Mr Alpin spotted them. Following negotiations which ebbed and flowed like billy-o. Rob was able to arrange to have these delivered directly to Lydney Junction. (At one point it looked like we would have to collect them ourselves, which would have made life interesting to say the least!)

Arriving at Lydney. Photo courtesy of Rob Alpin.

Although these are not for immediate use, they will go to join the modest amount of these sleepers we already have. The intention is to use these to replace the final length of timbered track in the mainline between Lydney Bypass crossing and the gantry signal just above Harbour Rd crossing. Its hoped barring any major setbacks we should commence relaying this section in winter 2016. So pencil it in your diaries now p/way fans, we'll need any help you wish to give us! 

Failing that, should you wish to sponsor a sleeper to ease the financial burden on our team, they are £5 each. For anybody interested please contact us through this blog, or contact the DFR on 01594 845840 and leave your details, I (Ed) or Rob will get back to you as soon as we humanly can.

Cheers!

...Eddy Grant who?

A good group were in today; and I had some materials to shift for the Civil Engineers so we decided to rock down to electric avenue. Well in this case Tufts Junction where cables maintained by Western Power Distribution (WPD) cross the valley.

After a little fun with the Geismar and a plan going into action Rob consults Oli, Gordon and Ed about my madness.

We went on to Middle Forge - I don't normally do selfies but we had the mad idea of moving sleepers on the trailer - we found that we can manage at least ten 8-foot timbers easily with no problem of slipping to a stand.

Yet another wet day!

Well our weather is usually predictable when outdoor jobs need to be done - if the weatherman says its going to rain - then it rains and if the weatherman says its going to be fine - then it rains.

Luckily it was only an hour but when it came it was thick and fast - at least it dampened the dust down and took the humidity out of the air; preventing us from becoming the Dean rain-Forest Railway!

Rob and Keith were about doing odd jobs; collecting up components and conducting the line inspection. I had the comfort of the signal box and managed to capture one of our diesel locomotives No. 5622 "Don Corbett" being taken for a proving run in Norchard Low Level.

A Wet Day!

Well a good gang was formed and the weather turned out beautiful (or at least for the first hour or so - thank you Gordon for jinxing us!). The Geismar was pressed into action and the time was spent replacing fishplates and fishplate bolts that had been highlighted in the routine line inspection.

Mike tightens up fishplate bolts with the nut runner whilst Gordon and Keith maintain watch, Rob provides the necessary foot stop and I'm behind the camera.

This productive day saw the completion of the tasks between Lydney Junction and Norchard (until the next line inspection anyway)!