Tuesday And Thursday Gangs

Tuesday.

A light start to the day with only two sleepers to change.  Only two?  Ahh yes but they were two of the most difficult to get to.  In the first picture Colin sizes up the job and the access.  Maybe time for another cup of tea just to make sure.

After a fair bit of digging and jiggling around the sleepers have been removed. Dave, Noel and Colin are still standing whilst John checks and prays that getting the new sleepers in will be easier.

It's a wiggle and a squeeze and 'Jack' also comes to help as the last sleeper is coaxed in to position.  This photo shows how little space there was to manoeuvre the sleeper in to position.

And that's it, job done.  The two sleepers are in, rails clipped up and just some packing and minor adjustments to complete.

What's next then?  OK you need to shift that track panel built last week to the right.  After consulting the plans and setting out the alignment on the ground it was worked out that the first track panel of the centre road needed to be moved slightly.  Time for crowbars.  The yellow line on the ballast indicates the correct alignment of the centre road.  This is the before photo.

After some leverage with crowbars the alignment was declared good and time to move on.  Whilst we are here how about another panel of track?  I think that there is a rivalry between the teams as to who can find an excuse to lay track.  A very good thing as we have rather a lot still to do.  Here the sleepers have been laid and the iron men are about to help with the positioning of rails.

That's it, job done, another panel on the centre road, I shall have to have a count as to how many are still to go.  In the last Tuesday picture after a good days work the team head back to the shed to put everything away.

Thanks to all who came on Tuesday and to Andy G for the pictures.

Thursday

The regular Thursday sessions continue and a wide variety of jobs were tackled.  The (almost) Jones brothers and Alan took a trip to Llynclys to service a point ready for the operating season.

John continue in his 'workshop within a workshop' inside the suburban coach making replacement parts for the coach and finishing previously restored parts.  Here John is carefully preparing the next new piece.

Whilst the glue dries John continues with work on further panels.

Outside the Thursday Gang not to be outdone by the Tuesday Gang have to lay another panel of track on the centre road

That's number three by my counting and it takes us just to the end of the platform ramp, the next panel will take us between the platforms.  The first time that two lines grace the platforms at Oswestry since track in the station was lifted way back in the late 1960's.  Another success for CHR.

Alan P and Keith continued with the tamper/jacker packer.  Still a long way to go but progress is being made. 

Thanks to all who attended and to Andy G for the pictures.

Until next time