2015 March - Spring Outdoor Week Progress Report

Two turnouts, One straight and One curve


Spring Outdoor Week 2015 was more challenging than some but the availability of the new digger made it possible. The weather during the week was very kind to the gang apart from the 1st Sunday and certainly not as forecast.

During the week we dug out the back road turnout at Pendre and assembled an ex Trecwn turnout in its place. This turnout was installed at a lower level to facilitate future work in this area.

At Wharf the South Side Gang made good progress with the track beside Llechfan Hedge as well as refitting the turntable top outside the Gunpowder Shed. Various drain and service access chambers were also completed. The presents of underground services have delayed the installation of the turnout operating lever.

At Abergynolwyn opposite the platform and west of the station the lineside management team tackled overhanging branches, dead, rotting and wind damaged trees.
The turnout that gives access to the Guest House at Quarry Siding was dismantled and the formation dug out – availability of labour issues has meant that the installation of an ex Trecwn turnout in its place has been deferred till the long weekend later this month (21-23 March). All welcome.

On Six Bends at the rock face we dismantled, dug out and reassembled with new sleepers 13 lengths. (These few words does not seem to do justice to the work involved).
The complete renewal of sleepers and rail on Cynfal Bank has now progressed another 10 lengths up the bank. (Again the preceding few words do not do justice to the work involved).

All the digging out above was carried out by the railway’s digger. The digger was also used to empty the filled wagons at the disposal site. We could not have contemplated such an ambitious programme of work without the services of the digger. The gang therefore had plenty of energy left for all the other tasks on the list.

A small but perfectly formed gang laid a length of the north side hedge between 5 ½ -5 ¾ mileposts - make sure you admire their hard work the next time you travel up the line.
Drainage work was carried out in the Brynglas, Quarry Siding and Dolgoch areas along with the removal of a massive quantity, by both volume and weight, of leaves from between Dolgoch station and the up whistle board for Dolgoch. The removal of leaves continues to be a very important part of infrastructure maintenance. Build ups of leaves shorten the lives of the sleepers and makes routine inspections very difficult, time consuming and frustrating.

Other tasks included The Guest House benefiting from a spring clean, installing an information board at Hendy Halt, transporting a wind up information post to Nant Gwernol, making a start on filling in the ballast dock road at Wharf, preparing for a collection of scrap metal later in the month, painting wagon parts and lower section of the FR signal column for the museum and possibly last but not least some serious gardening in the drive and behind the lever frame at Wharf. Plus all the other tasks I have forgotten.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank again very much everyone who was able support Spring ODW 2015 in any way – out on the gang, gang welfare support (feeding), providing evening entertainment and or workshop support.

The gang statistics for the nine days are as follows 202.5 (192.5) people days given by 39 (43) different people, last years figures are in brackets.

Keith Theobald


Photos by Keith Theobald