Double Valentine

Today we have a double dose, work from both Tuesday and Thursday

Tuesday started with laying in and clipping up one more panel heading south.  In the first picture Glyn(n)s, Tom, Dave and Steve are on hand today and are about to start inserting the keys that have been laid out on the sleepers to the right.

Steve then gets to work on a fishplate, others came by foot, car and bus.

After the panel was completed work moved to the southern section where the team are spacing out the next lot of sleepers.  Glynn is off fishplate hunting as it is now open season and these little creatures need to be tracked down and rehomed.

Thursday started out with freezing fog.  "Anyone seen a railway round here?"
Glyn in the JCB positions more sleepers whilst, Glynn, Steve and Dave set out the positions to give the final nudge in to place.

Just an hour later and here we have found the railway and it is growing.  Pleasant sunshine as the team continue with tracklaying, here the first rail has been inserted and clipping up is about to begin.

Glyn, Steve, Dave and Tom about to perform the fully choreographed clipping up dance.  We are not sure that even the winners of 'Strictly' could work out a way to do it better.

After the clipping up it's time for an open air picnic admiring the track, weather and sunshine. Lunch alfresco you might say, though in Italy 'alfresco' is usually used to describe a prison sentence.

Here we are at the end of the day, the gap is closing.  If you look hard you can see Glynn standing on the final sleeper of the track panels heading south.

Before we can connect the two parts there needs to be some drainage work at the crossing behind Travis Perkins.  This will be completed shortly and then we can think about the golden bolt.

Thanks to Andy G for all pictures and to all the volunteers who turned up to help.

Until next time.