Churnet Valley Railway General Discussion

Announcement #2.
https://www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk/news/culture-recovery-fund

#3 to follow on Staffordshire Day (1st May), #4 to follow behind. We may even let you all in on number #5 also

 

Link to announcement 2 seems to be missing

 

Just testing, making sure people do actually read what is posted lol

 

Here you go Neil


Culture Recovery Fund Awarded Round 2 - Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC

PS - hope you're getter better and will be around again soon.

 

Apologies for the lack of reports from CVR PWay over the last 4 months - Not been well enough. However now back in action. The last few weeks have seen us removing the ballast heavily contaminated by river silt from the bridge just above Froghall and replacing it with clean ballast on the running line. Still a good bit to do removing all the old ballast from where the up line was.
This week we were doing safety critical tree removal work on the Ipstones branch where roots have been blocking the drains regularly over the years.

 

Ah yes, Bradnop cutting, scene of many a PWay Foray.

 

Watch out for a press release tomorrow morning, where we will be announcing our program of events for 2021. It’s going to be a busy second half of the year for us...

 

Pway were out in force today with three teams - replacing sleepers at Cherryeye, removing base plates from sleepers at Froghall loading pad (one picture) and digging out the drain chambers at Whiston Crossing (beyond the loading pad).

 

Two Pway jobs today at Ipstones - clearing the vegetation at the end of the line above Ipstones, and above where weedkilling has been done, and replacing a longitudinal sleeper just below the loop at Ipstones. Sunny in the morning but it did not last.

 

Good to see the progress - Well Done the PW team!

 

Replacing sleepers this week in the Churnet Valley. Making use of an old, but wonderfully serviceable sleeper changer. Got about 50 sleepers changed in a day - just a few more than we have done by hand.

 

Pway were working on the second turnout for the new sidings at Froghall this week. Gauging, drilling and screwing.

 

Horrendously hot again, not ideal conditions for a bunch of pensioners battling with a brace of Bance drills. To cap it all, my MX5 decided to overheat on the way back, so I was double baked for an hour due to having the heater going flat out too.

 

Two Pway jobs in the last month - completing the keying and fishplating of the new #1 siding at Froghall

Replacing elastic spikes and chairs with Pan 11 baseplates and clips after ballasting and tamping

 

Trains have returned to the Churnet Valley for the first time in over 6 months.
https://www.churnetvalleyrailway.co.uk/news/2021-reopening

And the charity have got a new and improved website :
https://www.nsrailway.co.uk/

 

More work today by PWay replacing spiked baseplates and replacing with PAN11s and Panclips.
Only another couple of days on this job we hope.

 

PWay's job today was to replace some broken chairs at the turnout at the Leek end of the Leekbrook loop. First we had to find some chairs of the right design. Searching in the brambles at Froghall had not found what we needed but remembering that there was a turnout just down the Stoke line provided what we needed.

 

BR 5000 Mk 1 Tourist 2nd Open in carriage works, window rubbers replaced and outer body work repairs completed ready for undercoat.

 

More work for Pway this weekreplacing broken chairs in the tunnel and in the Leekbrook loop. On ordinary track it is straightforward but at a turnout where there are two rails being held by the same chair it can be much more complex.

 

PWay were in two groups today. Most between Podmore and Iron Bridge working on replacing base plates and clips. The small group had the task of installing the stretcher bars and lever box to siding #2 at Froghall. Some interesting woodwork required to get the lever box fitted and working into the sleepers. - Edit The pictures do not show it finished and working as anyone with a sharp eye will notice