The club grounds undergo regular maintenance work, by a dedicated group of volunteers
Club Maintenance Works
Ground Level Points
It is intended to replace most of the track from the 71/4 loading area and steaming bay up to the tarmac road. The first phase will be to replace the track and points from the rear corner of the truck shed up to the turn table.
There are three tracks exiting the truck shed, and this point will feed one of those.
The preparation work is quite complex with regard to the first point, it requires two radii, one of 90 feet and the other of 50 feet. The radius of each rail was set to the required radius using the motorised rail bender, the rail being checked against a set of pegs set in the ground at the desired radius.
Two 8 feet boards are used as a jig to accommodate the length of the point. The sleepers were set to a CAD drawing by Stan. Vic machined (tapered) the ends of the moving point blades (approx. 54" long), these were set first to ensure functionality then secured together. The remaining part of the point rails were then set to the prescribed radii and secured. The cross over rails were set to gauge, cut to create the frog and again these were secured to the sleepers.
This is the first phase in the refurbishment of both track and point-work in the area of the truck shed.
Phase Two began in October ’19, with the construction of a new set of points for the section between the points for the turntable and the pathway. Completed in November '19, track was replaced together with plastic sleepers on the 'out' line up to the tarmac path, which has simplified the track in this area.
Phase 3 (2020) is now underway and includes two new sets of points and the re-setting of concrete stoops to the correct height, leading up onto the steaming bay. We have included an extra stoop and block wall so that the weight of locomotives are more evenly distributed. The correct profile track will then be fitted all the way into the steaming bay. A Laser level was used to obtain the correct gradient from track level to steaming bay raised track.
Replacing Sleepers - Ground Level Track
The weather and the years have taken their toll on our sleepers and wooden sideboards, so Alan and the team have started to replace the sleepers with plastic, to improve longevity, and the sideboards are being replaced. We just need to keep the moles at bay now!
This work is ongoing, starting with the worst affected areas.
Building a New Coal Bunker
In changing times, it was decided that we needed another secure place to store coal to increase our storage capacity.
A wider bunker was built alongside the existing bunker over a number of weeks.
Now it is finished, and full of coal, it was noted that it was a splendid team effort with brick layers, carpenters, concrete mixers, drillers and welders all working in unison. As time goes by it may prove to be a valuable asset.
