How do you get grown-ups to have fun? Well some thought that a few days adjusting the levels on the extension would be a good way of spending time. The following pictures record ongoing work.
Whilst we are waiting for the drainage works to start at the access crossing the team have been continuing to manually level and pack the already laid track panels. Assembling the track gives good visual progress but this is only part of the story. For trains to be able to run the levels need adjusting and the sleepers packing up to level, not forgetting to put in the cant on the curves that helps to give a smooth ride to our passengers. Guy N was out and about with the camera as the team, under the direction of CHR President Richard Jones, continued with work on the extension.
The raw materials for this work are ballast and muscles. Luckily we have a number of tools to help us and we are all looking forward to the introduction of the jacker/packer/tamper which continues to make progress at Oswestry. Already the unit has made it's first moves around the station but there are still a number of items which require further work.
On to the pictures. We start off with the tools on the trolley and the team move to the areas identified for action following a thorough survey of the levels
The ballast and tools are moved in to position using the go kart, you can also see the surveyors pegs marking out the alignment.
At the allotted place the team spring in to action, measurements are taken and levels confirmed.
Next the manual jack is put in to position to lift the rail until the desired position is reached.
The track is jacked until the bubble is in the right position.
We check and recheck as in the background the height-adjusted sleeper is given some extra ballast and work started on packing under the sleeper to maintain the correct position.
Andy G, more normally behind the camera is here starting work on covering the edges of the membrane that has been used under the track to combat weed growth in this highly vegetated area
More jacking and packing with Dave joining in on the shovel.
It's time for more raw material and this is brought up again by the go kart to be then placed where needed.
Andy scrapes away ballast from under the edges of the membrane which will then be flattened and buried under the ballast.
The track jack is wiggled in to position and with a few pumps the rail starts to move.
Lots of discussion and checking before everyone is happy
The membrane has now been covered and Andy makes sure that the ballast level is even.
With the sleepers held on the jacks the important job of packing is about to begin again after a test of the level across the two rails.
The muscles are being tested as the well practised team moves the ballast from the trolley and in to the waiting gaps.
The following is not Irish for I can not, it is the indications of where inclination on the curves begins.
As the shadows lengthen the final tweaks for the day are made, the last shovel full of ballast is dropped and it's time to head back to base.
This work needs to be repeated all along the extension to Weston but each panel completed is one less to do. A big thank you to all who participated and to Guy who took the pictures.
Until next time.
No comments:
Post a Comment