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!

 

 

 



More fishplate oiling - 30th April 2016

I get the impression the Squad are keen to finish fishplate oiling fast, as Jim, John, Angus and Mike continued in the sunshine.  

 

 

Above almost perfect symmetry, although I notice Angus is cheekily out doing Mike in the number of stripes worn. (photo by John Wood)

 

 

Due to the inaccessibility of the worksite, a bit of a walk from even from the SpeySide Way where this photo was taken by Mike (maybe S&T Dept should bury their wires! what do you think Mike?) In total three quarters of a mile was completed.

 

 

Talking of jobs completed, this is the new Coal Bench extension in action.