Around The Crossing

It has been another very important week on the railway with the link up to the next part of the extension to Weston. Today we will look at a few pictures as things happened. Thanks to CHR Facebook for the first set of pictures. Don't forget to visit and like the Facebook page.  The link is in the top right hand side of this page.

We start with the sleepers laid out at the crossing with just 75 feet separating the two ends of the track.

With help of mechanical means the rails have been swung into position and the fishplates bolted up.

The next operation is to lay some first ballast to hold the sleepers in position. The ballast is from the piles of screened and rain washed ballast recovered from the trackbed. Here the hopper wagon is waiting to be loaded.

The team continue to work on the crossing. The screener is in the foreground, a most useful machine which has provided the ballast that will be used to lock the sleepers in position.

Once the rails have been bolted up the first ballast drop can take place. In this view from the bridge the loaded hopper is waiting to move along the track to the crossing just beyond the wagons.

With the bolting up complete the works train prepares to move south.

The first drop is complete and the works train is parked beyond the crossing. The ballast is spread in to position.

From the crossing the works train moved on along the already relaid line to the cattle creep with every chair and joint being watched closely. At the end of the run the proud team stay still long enough for a group photo. Well Done!!!

That now takes us to about one mile from Oswestry station with about another 3/4 of a mile to go to reach Weston.  There is still much to do before passenger services can reach this point. If you would like to try your hand at any activities related to the railway and it's operation pop along and see what we are up to.

Thanks to CHR for the pictures.

Until next time.