Oswestry Update

More work and more deliveries. The painting of steel work by contractors is still ongoing, hoping for some less-cold weather to finish. Extra material arrives for the extension.

As ever details and pictures on the blog.
https://ilvaporista.blogspot.com/

On a slightly different track the first part of the process for takeover of the Oswestry station building has gone through. This is a long process which will eventually allow the trust to apply for funding for the renovation of the station building.

https://www.shropshirestar.com/news...takeover-of-historic-track-given-green-light/

 

I thought Oswestry station had already been renovated, under its listed status. Will this new work involve rebuilding the platform canopy and also the missing buildings on the other platform, hopefully?

 

The first renovation was to make the station watertight and prevent further decay. As with any historic building there is always work to be done and the next phase will allow for further improvements to be able to use more of the station building. At the moment there are only plans to relay the three lines and restore the down platform. Any plans for canopies and buildings are many years away. First we have to get an operating line which generates sufficient income for further improvements.

 

Edit: Double post

 

I had time off last week due to the Italian Bank Holiday so the updates are a bit later this time.

The good news is that the bridge contractors now seem to be off-site, planning for the relaying stints is underway and we should see some progress soon.

As ever details and pictures on the blog.
https://ilvaporista.blogspot.com/

 

More activity on the extension. The first length of membrane that goes under the ballast has been rolled out awating the fresh ballast. Concrete sleepers that will be used in certian locations have been moved in to position.
The contractors have now left. A few pictures of the cleared site are on the blog and I will post more when I get home with a quicker connection. Airport wifi speed is awful here whilst I wait for my last flight home after a week a long way away.

 

An important delivery yesterday. The Mk1 TSO which has been restored over many years at Llynclys was moved to Oswestry for the upcoming Santa season.
Although the experience of brake van rides is fun the railway is now moving up to an operational rake of coaches at Oswestry in preparation for the opening to Weston.

Work on the suburban coach continues in the shed and we look forward to the day when these two will be working together. Tony and the C&W team are taking the railway forward and there are always spaces for more people to become involved with coach restoration or funding the work.

As ever details and pictures on the blog.
https://ilvaporista.blogspot.com/

 

The first two loads of ballast went down yesterday taking us to the slab over the sewer. More ballasting next week. Photos will go up as soon as I receive them.

 

Photos of the fresh ballast and of the coach are now up on the blog.
https://ilvaporista.blogspot.com/

 

The nightshift have been in action and another roll of Terram went down ready for more ballast.

 

Saturday 1st December 2018 was a historic moment for the CHR project. The first departure of steam hauled coaching stock from Oswestry station platform since the mid 1960's. The TSO entered into service on the Santa Specials. Colin shared a video.

Elsewhere work continued around the site as we come to the end of a year of significant progress.
Details as ever at
https://ilvaporista.blogspot.com/

Once again thank you for all the support and thoughts this year, it really has made a difference.

 

For those on Facebook you can see some pictures of the ongoing ballasting. Scroll down for the latest pictures.
https://m.facebook.com/pg/cambrianheritagerailways/photos/?tab=album&album_id=989795057740701
I will update the blog this evening so that those that don't do Facebook can see as well.

 

At the close of play yesterday we had just under 1/4 of a mile of ballast laid. The New Year will see a big push to get the track down. What a good way to shed those excess pounds by coming along to help!

 

More ballast laid and graded/rolled to the final profile. The first 50 sleepers positioned and one rail pulled into place.
Details on the blog.

 

Entirely good and sensible to screen the ballast already there before relaying. What do you use to do it?

 

Here is the mobile screener, bought by the PWay team and overhauled. As there was double track before we can recover enough to create a ballast bed and box in the sides. Further back in the blog there are posts and pictures about the various bits of equipment we have to assist with civils works

 

Plenty of fines coming out in the screening and a good thing too, they don't do anything for the holding power vis a vis the sleepers or the drainage.
Do you know of anyone else doing this?

 

The fines are useful elsewhere, we never like to waste anything that can be reused!
I don't know of other lines that start from the same condition of remaining track and ballast bed, most start from just the formation.

 

This week we are only at Wednesday and already more sleepers have been positioned. An extra 100ft went down yesterday. I'll update again after the Thursday Gang have finished.

 

The chaps really seem to have got into the swing of it now - great to see the rapid progress.
Ray.