NYMR Winter work 2022

Well its started finally after a few weeks of prep and material delivery.

Track panels removed from the Goathland bridges that are getting replaced.
Scaffold delivered by train direct to site. Shame that the new bridges won't be following suit as I believe they are being delivered by road and placed with a big road crane. All contract work and with a limited access to site.

Elsewhere Rail has been offloaded at Grosmont ready for a rerail at Deviation curve by the MPD.

Farwath is our relay site this winter. Depending on the availability of sleepers and time available is how far we go. At the North end we take out the CWR Adjustment switch by Br 12 and relocate it at the South end wherever that might be. but hopefully at least the 10 mp maybe further. This section is the last remaining original BR installed track from 1954 and is showing its age. It was intended that Concretes would have been installed between Br 11 and 12 with Steels for the remainder, but we will have to use G44 concrete instead, as Steels are in short supply.

On Sunday we reduced the amount of fastenings on 35 lengths of mainly BH Conc sleepered track.
The work was to reduce the clips and fishbolts to a minimum amount and still allow crane working. This also included 200yds of Tiebars. All items removed were sorted into dumpy bags on the Flattrol ready for reuse, scrap or sale.

Will see how much more is done this week as sleeper deliverys are are still coming in, and then they need moving to site.




AS can be seen it was a bit chilly at 10.00 with the sun going down behind the hill about 12.00.



Removing clips, bolts and tiebars.

 

I never fail to be impressed by the amount of work the NYMR's small PW team get through. I believe it was seven people who stripped out most of those tiebars, keys and fishplates on those 700 yds of track this Sunday, as mentioned by Bryan. The plan is to relay some 1½ miles of track this winter, not to mention a substantial re-railing at Grosmont and all the support work required for the replacement of the two bridges at Goathland. That's some workload to take on.

 

First track panel removed today.
Dismantling the Adjustment switch then uplift the switch bearers and replace with 4 new timber sleepers.
Then rerail with new FB 113A rail (CEN 56 in new terminology) and clip up.
Everything North of Br 12 had to be completed before track removed South of the bridge so we could get the digger over the gap

 

Nice video clip showing the crane being prepared for the Bridge 24 / 25 lift.

 

Relay work is continuing at Farwath, but not at the usual rate. Normally 6 - 7 lengths would be easily acheived, but not his time so far.
We are using high tensile purple Pandrol clips as the standard red clips, apparently, are not suitable for the conditions here.
We are progressing but slower than we would like.

 

For us non-techie types, what is the problem with the purple clips?

 

I was going to ask the same question.

Peter

 

And what is the problem with the red ones?

 

From what I was told, so cannot guarantee the facts.
Pan e clips in red are low tensile and strain too easily.
Purple clips are a higher tensile grade and can withstand the loadings better.
However they are sods to install due to the greater stiffness.
As I say this is what I have been told. I will try and confirm.

We have used them at other locations on the NYMR previously and they were reluctant then.
Once they have been installed they seem to settle and can be extracted / reinserted for stressing ok.

https://www.rivval.com/Product.aspx?p=RP05065/29

 

Seems we have identified the problem.
We are using F28 -F29 Shallow depth sleepers on this section bought in from a dealer.
On examination it was found that a number of these sleepers are tight to gauge by about 10mm.
We needed to change at least 6 of them today from previously clipped up track.
Fortunately we have only surface laid the sleepers and not tipped any stone yet.

These sleepers will probably be getting returned to the dealer or sold as scrap.
Clipping up time has returned to what we would call a normal timescale.
1 rail clipped using 2 pan pullers in 20 minutes including any lifting.

 

About time for an update.

We ended the relay when we reached about 1400 metres.
That was down to how many G44 sleepers we had on hand.
All nw welded and clipped up.
Stone tipping next, with an initial 1000 tonnes ordered and will probably require another 1000 on top.
Tamping and stressing will then follow on.

On thursday we had a bit of a shunt around at Newbridge and had the 3 track machines, (2 x tampers and a Regulator) outside for a few minutes prior to start up checks and servicing today.
Once the relay has been completed we should be able to get back to our more regular wagon work and machine bodywork repairs paused since New Year.