Along the line, and a look over a fence

Saturday out along the line

There's no money for any serious work at the moment, but we continue to do what we can within our limited means - there are always small jobs that can be done. We had two today, and did them both - once we got the blue Landie started.

The blue Landie has been in hibernation for about 6 months now, and we already knew the battery had gone quite flat. We cured that with jumper cables from the Telehandler, but you could tell that it was quite an effort. Eventually the old girl did come to life, so the next stage was to take it round to a volunteer's car and pump up the tires, which were seriously underinflated after all this time.

The little tire pump wasn't used to puffing something up to 50psi, and got quite hot! A lot of air goes into one of those big Landie tires.

The first port of call was south of Greet tunnel, where S&T reported two faults caused by earthing insulated fishplates. They should insulate, but weren't doing that anymore.

The first problem was to get to the site. We managed to drive up the new haul road from Working Lane, but further progress along the track was prevented by drainage works that had clearly started, but were in suspense. All the heavy tools were put into a barrow and manhandled a quarter of a mile, once in each direction. In between, trains came - two out today.

There is a large number of component parts to a set of insulated fishplates, and it was a real fiddle trying to get them all back together again. There's time pressure too, as we have to have a line block and somewhere a train is waiting for us to give the block back again.

Here Steve is fitting new bolts, as well as new insulators, to replace the older bolts with hexagonal nuts that were used there originally. Naturally the heads of the new bolts didn't all fit, needing some ingenuity with a saw until everything was nice and tight.

Here is why the circuit failed - the insulators were broken. So it was true...

Then came more heaving with the barrow, carrying not only the impact wrench but also all the spare parts, as well as a pan jack. Things that were more portable such as bars and keying hammers the others took by hand, but the heavy stuff was left to the most athletic among us - Steve, by a large margin! Sorry, Steve...

This nice and sunny day gave us a wonderful opportunity for this rare lineside shot of Dinmore Manor approaching the tunnel from the south. Sadly the air was still too warm to show much of the exhaust steam, but take our word for it, she was really chugging along here.

And then she dived into the tunnel. At just 25mph, but once it could have been at up to 70 mph! Can you imagine that? Well, we were once a GWR main line.

 

Then - for some, but not yours truly at the wheel of the Landie - it was a long trudge back down the haul road to Working Lane, where the cars were parked. 

 

No car sharing now, not allowed!

 

 

 

 

The next stop was Bishops Cleeve, where we were due to change the spring washers on the CWR breathers.

Again we had to let a train pass, before securing a line block to dismantle part of the breather.

This time it was 7903 Foremarke Hall, in charge of the second train today. Both trains looked reasonably well patronised, we were pleased to see. Lots of waving, like the old times.

Does that red notice really entitle us to demand £1000 from a trespasser?

Here is the first breather, the northern one. The tall trees in the distance mark the site of the former station. Interestingly, a row of centre drains is still there, always the case in a station, so that is a reminder of the past.

 

Here's the breather, in close up. Those grey spring washers are new, the old ones were compressed and so life expired. They help to hold down the clamp plates underneath, while still leaving them loose enough for the end of the CWR to slide backwards and forwards. That also explains the grease, liberally applied.

Very liberally, it quickly got everywhere, like a COVID virus from one person to another!

 

The new spring washers were tightened down by hand, and the pressure adjusted by means of the green strip, a little like adjusting the gaps on your points in the car with a cigarette paper..

Remember points? It's all electronic ignition now....

Last picture of the day - Dinmore Manor, just approaching the Pecked Lane foot crossing. On the right would have been the shunting neck for the goods yard, behind the camera. This scene has really changed, where there were just nurseries and an occasional walker is now two housing estates and a constant traffic of pedestrians across the line.

(Strange effect on the smokebox of 7820 - no idea how that happened!)

On the Usk platform

Your truly has been away these last few days on a trip to N Wales, looking 'Over The Fence' at several railways there.

Work on the Usk platform did not stop however, far from it. Just in time for this blog a portfolio of pictures of the day's work arrived, which you will surely appreciate, as this way we can keep you fully appraised of our return to work.

Here are our two champion brick layers, Paul and Dave. You can hardly see them behind the imperial blue brick wall, which has almost reached its intended height now.

John, on brick cleaning duty, seems to have enjoyed last week's hammering so much that this week he has come back for another bash.

This shot down the length of the wall shows Dave and Paul laying what looks like the last course of all.

The bull nosed edging brick also visible is just for show, to give an idea of the final height. It will be removed, and replaced with another with its 'nose' right up to the edge. If John can clean enough of them!

This shot shows that the chaps have already laid the penultimate course (fresh mortar can be seen) and are busy with the final one.

John will have been cleaning, alone, all day long. Probably sweating a bit too, as the guys will be looking round for some usable bull nosed edging bricks to use.

Behind him is the pile that is already available for use.

Here's the view at the end of the day, with Paul and Dave covering up their work. There's still a dip in the middle, where half a course is missing.

We know that there is a height difference too on the RH end between the concrete blocks and the top row of bricks, so that will need sorting out next week, before we have a go at the first of the edging bricks.

A look over the fence: Talyllyn Railway

Mrs. Blogger was keen to make a visit to N wales, to see Portmeirion village amongst other things. As a quid pro quo, we were allowed one or two 'Looks over the Fence' and shall share these with you. The first was the Talyllyn railway. This runs from Tywyn on the coast up a valley, and like many of its sister NG railways in N Wales, was built to fetch down slate from the hills.

 

 

This is the first sight you get of the lower terminus, at Tywyn. It makes a 'T' with the SG Cambrian Coast line, and it was here, after a 90 degree turn, that the little slate wagons were off loaded onto larger SG ones. 

These were taken to a nearby port for loading on to ships, or sent by rail to major conurbations.

 

 

 

The terminus itself is modern and at first sight looks fairly historic, but a second look shows several modern features which rather spoil the look. (for example, modern lighting and modern posts)

On the positive side, it was nice to be able to sit on the platform, enjoy a snack from the cafe and watch the comings and goings of your train.

To get the whole train into the platform the loco has to advance into the headshunt (the Cambrian Coast line impedes any further progress....) but to let itself out again and onto the run round loop, the rake of carriages has to be propelled back several feet. You can watch all this while munching...

 

 

Here is the train then in its departure position. Today's loco was No. 7 TOM ROLT.

Of course that immediately gave a link with the GWSR, as his widow lived at Far Stanley and her house backed on to our line.

 

 

 

 

 

Passengers had the choice of a warm compartment indoors, or for a cheaper option, a section of this open carriage, with dividing screens. We chose the latter, betting on excellent weather, which we certainly got, in spades.

 

 

 

 

Here's TOM ROLT, ready for the off.

We rather liked the exit from the station, straight under a narrow road bridge, and into a cutting leading to the main works at Pendre, the next stop. During COVID the train does not stop anywhere, but goes straight to the terminus, where you can get out.

 

 

 

This is the sort of countryside, very rural. There are sheep everywhere, sometimes mixed with cattle in the same field. We saw several instances of lineside fencing in original or replica slate slabs, which was very well done. 

The destination is somewhere in the distance, by the darker patch of hills.

 

 

 

In our open carriage we had a real feeling of being in touch with nature, as the train wound its way along the side of the valley, always at a certain distance from the (much easier to build?) bottom.

The train was well filled, given the distancing required in the open coaches. Each booking was identified with a named sticker on the appropriate compartment, easy to find for the passenger.

 

 

 

The original passenger terminus was Abergynolwyn, a little short of the village below of the same name. The tracks continued another 3/4 mile to Nant Gwernol, where there are lots of walks, including along this steep incline which led to a further flat section above, and then another incline to the final destination and reason for the whole railway, the slate mine at Bryneglwys.

 

 

 

 

If you're out and about in your car, check out Talyllyn lake a little further up the valley:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The view here is absolutely stunning!

The highest point of this valley is the site of the Mach Loop, the place where fighter jets come screaming past at ground level as they hone their terrain hugging skills. If you want to see this on film, search 'Mach Loop' on YouTube. 

The nearby Corris railway is behind the hill on the right.

Back at Nant Gwernol passengers can leave the carriages and watch TOM ROLT run round its train.

The loco has two enormous whistles. One is a replica from a larger locomotive, the other is an original hooter believed to come from an 8F.

The 8F hooter worked, but we felt that a bit more boiler pressure would have improved the sound. The driver was kind enough to try both for us!

The Talyllyn staff were a friendly lot, and on arrival at Abergynolwyn where there was a lengthy pause for refreshments, we saw that the footplate crew were well looked after. And so they should be.

This is a general view of Abergynolwyn, the main passenger station at the upper end, although not the last one (which is Nant Gwernol).

There is plenty of shelter under the large canopy, and a good cafe.

It is said that the terrain hugging fighters doing the Mach Loop use the station for target practice!

The train at rest at Abergynolwyn. Notice the little door at the back of the cab. That's there so that you can get your fire irons in and out, the cab is that small.

There are two trains in service, so coming down we met the up train at Quarry sidings. This is one of the Tattoo class saved from scrapping when the Corris closed, so today the Corris is building its own, a replica.

The Talyllyn got the thumbs up from Mrs Blogger, even with the COVID restrictions (no changing trains, no walking) we had an enjoyable afternoon.

On the way back to the hotel at Llanbedr we stopped to take this picture of the Cambrian coast, and one of the DMUs running along the line. It had come from Barmouth on the far distant shore, and was heading for Aberystwyth. That journey itself is surely also worth a try.