2016 November - Autumn Outdoor Week 2016 Progress & Thanks

Latest outdoor update


This year we split the Outdoor Week into 3 to avoid unnecessary clashes with equipment, wagons and line occupation. The heavy vegetation management week was first, then the normal Outdoor Week, followed by an S&T week.

Building work

Pointing Rhydyronen Bridge

Pointing Brynglas Station Building

Bridge inspection immediately east of Brynglas road crossing

Permanent Way

12 Lengths of re-sleepering on Brynglas bank.

Drilling sleepers approx. 280 sleepers for BS 50 & BS 60R rail. Laying the sleepers out on Brynglas Bank, at Winding House and 4 ½ milepost.

Removing the encroaching turf between 1 ¾ milepost and Cynfal Bridge which was impeding line inspections.

Further work on the heritage siding turnout at Wharf.

Loading every available wagon with the recently delivered sleepers, for drilling at Quarry Siding. The new supply of fixings was also moved to the Guest House.

Moving the sleepers that remained at Wharf clear of the museum engine move activities.

Accepting the balance of the sleeper order (100 sleepers).

Making the necessary rail cuts to convert the gauge of two of the ex Trecwn turnouts.

Sorting the displaced sleepers on Brynglas Bank.

Hedge Laying

At several locations between Milepost 4 and 4 ½ milepost. Along with further work at Six Bends on the last weekend. You will see the results of their hard work the next time you travel by train.

Drainage

Drain clearance and checks in the

Dolgoch

Quarry Siding

Abergynolwyn Station

On the extension

Digging out the south side drain near 2 ½ milepost

Vegetation management

Collecting together all the brash resulting from removing the damaged and rotten trees at Abergynolwyn.

Trimming the hedges at Wharf and Rhydyronen.

Using the flail to reduce the hedge laying brash.

Accessible ivy removed from Cynfal and Rhydyronen bridges.

Gardening work at Pendre.

Flailing in the Brynglas to Quarry siding section.

Track Maintenance

Some work was carried out at Nant Gwernol.

House Keeping

At Nant Gwernol, Abergynolwyn, Dolgoch, Brynglas and Rhydyronen the platform benches were placed under the canopies or in the buildings.

Museum and Engine Moves

Dismantling part of the coal dock.

Removing the platform road head shunt track panel.

Removing and storing the boarded platform sections.

Dry run of the museum door removal and replacing it with easy to remove fixings.

Site clearance.

Installation of safety barriers.

Unwrapping William Finlay.

Assistance as required with the removal of Jubilee and the Gas Works engine.

Assistance as required with moving Baguley 774 and William Finlay into the museum.

Removing the track panel that Jubilee stood on along with its slate waste ballast.

Removing and replacing the main museum doors etc. twice.

Levelling up the suspension on Baguley 744.

Moving William Finlay into the museum as far as it will go to give the door fitters room.

Placing the museums covered van into the green enclosure to dry out ready for painting.

A good hoover and sweep up of the entrance way after all the activity.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank very much everyone who took part in any way during the 10 day working period of the Autumn ODW 2016 – be it making sandwiches, delivering lunches, providing evening entertainment, delivering gang members and doing all the work. 32 (49) people gave 200 (248) people working days to the railway. (Last year’s figures in brackets).

Update by Keith Theobald

Photos by Tony McIlwrick