Tuesday Gang

Andy G sent the following report and pictures of work at Oswestry on Tuesday

"This Tuesday we had in total 9 volunteers turn up at the signal box. The plan for the day was to take on 2 elements of work. The first was to work at the existing rail head to get the ‘Cant’ correct for the transition from the existing line onto the newly laid line towards the Gas Works Bridge. The second was to continue working on the middle road. The work to modify the ‘Cant’ was done under Richard J's direction and was completed by midday. The work on the middle road was frustrated by the lorry that has been used to pull the 60ft rails into place from the North end of Oswestry platform not starting, despite all efforts and swearing at it. This meant that we didn’t have rails to make the next panel and because where the lorry is parked it blocked easy access to the sleepers to be used. The solution was to collect refurbished wooden sleepers from down by the existing rail head and bring them up to the middle road. 21 sleepers were brought up using the ‘Track Rat’ which is like a go kart that fits on the track and was used to move a trolley with the sleepers up to the middle road. All of this was done while the weather gave us sunshine hail and wind, often all at the same time. Not many pictures this week."

The fist job of the day was to test the tea.  The signal box made an ideal meeting point.

The important job of signing on forms part of the morning ritual. Note the sun shining through the signal box windows, once outside the team were treated to the full four seasons.

At the end of the day under a dark sky the extra sleepers had been moved in to position and the rails were waiting to be pulled in to position.

Thanks to Andy G for the report and pictures.

Until next time