KESR: Permanent Way Volunteers needed urgently

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Well, I've got a copy of LOLER in front of me, together with its ACOP. I'm obviously missing something as I can't find any mention of a load limit of 1 tonne if no safe load indicator is fitted, which is what you said.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not disagreeing with the fact that it is a requirement that a limit (safe working load) should be put on a crane/excavator but that limit is dependent on the design and stability of the lifting equipment and not an arbitrary 1 tonne. The SWL should be clearly marked on the machine for the operator to see.

I know that you're not trying to stir things up and it is right to have concerns when you see things going on that you wouldn't do or think are dangerous. In my experience the guys on the KESR are professional in what they do and I would think that they aren't being cowboys.

FWIW, I was professionally involved with lifting equipment and lifting operations for 25 years and have been a rail crane driver for a similar 25 years as a volunteer.

 

It has just been announced that, because we did far more than expected on the 28th Feb, the project is likely to be completed about 10 days ahead of schedule!

 

OK I accept you are working safely.
Just expressing concern.
Also any machine lifting loads of 1 tonne or more must be fitted with SLI or equivalent.
As drummed into me on various crane courses over the last 20 years.

 

Just been reading about this restrictive covenant in the beano. Why did the farmer attach this condition? Just curious...

 

I didn't say any of this out loud, but.........

It seems to be that the farmer suspected that the whole scheme to rebuild to Robertsbridge might be a pipe dream. As such, if the piece of land sat there doing nothing for years on end, I believe he would have wanted it back. In order to access further land that he owns, he has to cross the section owned by the RVR. As such, an occupation crossing has to be installed as part of these works. As it happens, he seems like quite a reasonable man, and I think his gentle prodding about the covenant was the shot in the arm that the project needed.

 

Friday the 13th isn't always unlucky. Thanks to an amazing effort that saw 20 people on site last friday, the new track has been joined to the Bodiam "headshunt". Ballasting will commence this week, and once the ballast is in, it is expected to get the Tamper in to level everything up. A big thanks to everyone who has helped, and watch this space for the next developments!

 

Does this work get the railway as far as the site of Junction Road Halt, and would a further LRO or whatever they are called now be required to actually operate (passenger services) over the new section?

46118

 

The rail ends about 150 yards short of Junction Road. The hedge on the side of the road is marked in centre right of this picture. It will be some time before any trains run on it, let alone passenger trains, but you will need to contact the RVR to get a better idea of timescales and the legal bits.

[attachment=0:3atxbx7e]End of steel2.jpg[/attachment:3atxbx7e]

 

Is that a lovely original telegraph pole in that last pic??

 

Yes, and it's angle has much to do with the sobriety of the lovely original telegraph pole installer. It was hiding in amongst all the undergrowth when the trackbed was cleared of trees and undergrowth. Prior to that, it looked much as the background does in KESBobby's pic. I am down there today, as the first of the ballast goes on, (and therefore the "first train" runs on it) and I will try to get some pics of the progress and post them later.

 

(Not the first passengers though...)

 

A fair bit achieved yesterday, but a lot more to do today.

Pics of the efforts are now up at http://jonedwards.photobook.org.uk/p56986270.html and subsequent.

 

Very nice, very impressive and many thanks for the pictures.

Did I see brand new bullhead fishplate bolts, and if so where did you get them from, please?

Tim

 

Who is going to tamp and line it?

 

We are very lucky in that we have two in-house Tampers. One is presently on hire to the Spa Valley Railway, doing a job for them. The other one will be used to tamp this, although to be fair, I am not sure when. We also have a Ballast Regulator, which will undoubtedly see service on the extension too..

 

The ballast regulator and tamper are on site and due to tamp/regulate today and Friday. The job has to be finished by Friday afternoon so we can put stock away before Branch Line weekend.

 

It was a good day out on Tuesday. Lovely sunny day and a chance to work over a bit of line not yet open to the passengers \/

10 lorry loads of ballast were dropped (then picked up and dropped - by hopper - again lol)

http://heritagetrains.fotopic.net/c1668741.html

 

Nice pictures, Colin.

 

The Rother Valley Railway has extended again! Over the weekend of the 7th/8th November, an additional few hundred hards of track were laid from the initial extension point, to a location close to the site of the former halt at Junction Road. In those two days, we managed to lay about ten panels, plus move the buffer stops further down. The ballast will go in at the end of November.

I will put pics up on my fotopic, and post the link later.