Tuesday 30 May 2017

Weed killing and Holidays - May 2017

 
A couple of Months ago the Strathspey Railway Association funded three Volunteers from the PWay squad to go on a basic weed killing course, all three passed the rigorous exam and weed killer, pump dispensers and Personal Protective Equipment were purchased. The track itself was still done by our usual contractor on May 19th but the rest is being done solely by Volunteer labour - meaning a considerable cost saving for the Railway.
 
  
Here Mike Tough in his Weed Buster garb, does the Down Platform at Boat of Garten, Colin Frost and Ray Keynon raking up their bank strimming efforts in the back ground. John Wood subsequently had another go at the stuff higher up the bank.

 
The last PWay weekend was missing the above, whilst we did a week long Preserved Railway trip of Wales and England. Here getting an excellent V.I.P. guided tour round the East Lancs. Railway thanks to them and Dave Yeoman for making it possible.
 
 
There wasn't too much of this - Honest!
 
Seeing the above advert, in background for "Spooners" - which is the Railway Bar/Diner at Porthmadog, reminds me, that we had Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner followed by a few light refreshments all in the one day! - thoroughly recommend the place.
 
 Ian Stanworth may write up more on our trip, in a future edition of the "Express".
(John Wood took 2 out of the 3 photos, using his mobile "phone") 
 
 


Monday 8 May 2017

Morley's Mansion Rail instalment - 6th May 2017

Good turnout on another of recent beautiful days, the construction of a small rail inspection pit inside Morley's Mansion at Boat of Garten had been constructed by Georgie using predominantly old sleepers, fishplates and chair screws as below.
    
 
  The day started with filling in the track up to rail level in the centre of the shed and up to sleeper height in the 4 foot, and then carried on with moving rails into place ready for laying track in.
The Grantown on Spey railway station nameboard was found in amongst stuff at the back of the shed at the start of the project and is likely to be preserved here for some time I suspect. 
 
 
In the afternoon the weather was so good I took a trip up, to see how things were getting on enroute to my work. On arrival, all I was greeted with - where are the ice creams?
 
 
The concrete sleepers were then lifted into the sloping alignment up from the shed towards the running line, rubber pads placed, waiting for clips, biscuits and of course rails
  
 
Not our usual worker to watcher ratio, honest! Georgie giving a refresher course on how to clip up flat bottom rail.
 
 
Thanks go to Georgie, Ian (for info and above photo), Roger, Neil, Jim, Andrew and Andy. 
 
 
Whilst doing his track inspection John Wood spotted the above, being resourceful his own human fire hydrant wasn't quite enough.......so he had to go and get water from another stream.