Barnstaple news.

Saturday at CRC

Our third day on site, and fantastic progress made (if we have to say so ourselves).

Last week we had timbers 41 to 29 laid out, and the crossing roughly laid in. This time that crossing was jacked up, and the long timbers underneath barred exactly into place, so that fixing holes matched up. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave then came in with the Milwaukee pistol sized impact wrench and put in the chair bolts one by one. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For a bit more oomph (but also weight) Dave changed to the heavy duty impact wrench.

With this crossing now in, we could determine the position of all the other rails. 

 

 

Some measuring was necessary, mind. We had a 50ft tape measure, but only needed 2ft of it.

PWay work seems to eat tape measures, a strange fact. 

 

 

 

Kev our digger driver then bought another bundle of  timbers, now getting a bit shorter.

But where was No.28?

Underneath, of course. 

 

 

 

 Here is the next lot of timbers laid out, enough to lay out the central closure rails.

Now with two closure rails roughly laid in. The straight road is bolted down first, then the curve (on the right) which will follow the holes drilled at Winchcombe.

12 timbers to go.... 

Lunch time saw us go topside, where it was very windy. No actual rain, but threatening skies. The race course had a race day, and we were encouraged to leave at 4pm, before the last race, otherwise we would be at the wrong end of a massive queue.

 

We were surprised to find as well that our white Ranger was suddenly completely surrounded by other cars, race goers that were using the railway car park. There were cars everywhere, while in the background loudspeakers blared increasingly shrill as a race progressed, only to slow down as the winner breached the finish line. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After lunch saw both closure rails bolted down - can you see what it is yet? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The final timbers were laid out, and Kev was able to lay in the switches, which we had positioned ready for this last week.

Excellent organisation ! 

 

 

 

All very interesting....

 

 

 

 

 

While the lifting of the switches was going on the rest of the gang stood to one side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the switches laid in (connected to the closure rails, themselves attached to the crossing) we could lift in the stock rails, those along the outside.

Then that was it for Saturday, our third day at CRC. We had to break a tiny bit early, due to the likely congestion after the last race. All the timbers are in, including the (unnumbered here) extra long ones that will seat the point motors.

The switches still need bolting down, and then the last pair of rails can go in, those holding the check rails (at the far end).

  

Oh, and a last request, can we have a new (solid) tyre for our PWay wheelbarrow, as it is now likely to fail its MOT test.
 

 

 

Monday on the canopy at Toddington. 

There was a small weather window on Monday, so we went for it and worked under the greenhouse. 

 

 

 As we will most likely only get a small window to have scafolding on the Broadway loop trackbed, we are trying to prepare as much as possible while still on the ground.

Neal spent Monday on painting the daggerboards for the fascia board. 

 

 

Yours Truly spent Monday on cleaning two of the three canopy support posts, so that they can be sent for galvanising. After a year under the greenhouse roof, they are now quite rusty.

Mid afternoon two of the three posts were ready for transfer to the loco shed. There Neal will weld on base plates and tops to the hollow posts.

This was the result of his painting at the end of the day. A vast expanse of daggerboards in undercoat.

Neal moved everything as close to the centre of the 'greenhouse' to limit exposure to rain. But Tuesday for example will see rain and strong winds, so our stuff will get wet again. 

 

 

Wednesday with the Usketeers

Two Usketeers today, as Dave had a bout of flu and stayed at home, very kindly offering not to pass it on to us.

The day started in the PWay mess coach.

 

 

 

There was a large crowd, gearing up to swap out the timbers at the Gotherington South turnout. Newbie Adrian joined us, previously a builder with brick laying skills - very interesting!

We were there to discuss our modus operandi for the platelayer's hut with Paul.

 

 

After left over and out of date mince pies (anybody else want a mince pie? Please?), and tea, we set off for the tunnel mouth, passing Walt with STEVIE in the platforms. We have bought a set of double nips for use by a crane. These are destined to allow STEVIE or a hired in 360 to lift heavy timbers for pointwork.

 

 

On site at the base for the platelayer's hut we made ourselves a barrow of muck, enough to keep Paul going all day.

 

Yours Truly made a second barrow load, this time of concrete, for filling in the bases of the broken concrete block wall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the barrow of concrete mix exhausted, this was the result. A small gap remained in the middle, but we were able to fill that with some muck left over by Paul at the end of the day.

Now we can put back the concrete blocks next week. 

 

 

 

Today was the day we could start on the arch over the fireplace. In the picture above Paul has built up two temporary brick towers to support the former that he made. 

 

 Once the former was in place Paul cut two bricks with an angle, to give a jumping off point for the arch.

Paul then carried on laying around the cut bricks, until, at the end of the day, he had laid five courses.

As he was having a rest, STEVIE reappeared out of the tunnel with a load of worn out timbers from the Gotherington turnout relay.

Sorry for the slightly hazy image. This was caused by cement dust in the pocket where we keep the camera. Making mortar is not a very clean business...

Walt in STEVIE paused briefly by us, to see if we wanted anything taking back, but we were OK really, thanks.

The pile of timbers on the trolley repesents five days of timber replacement work at Gotherington. Pretty good going, especially considering one day was a complete washout. 

 

 

Wednesday at Gotherington South. 

A large crowd of about 15 PWay volunteers set off for Gotherington, under a lovely warm spring sun. A great day for progress with the resleepering, and replacement of the central crossing section. 

 

STEVIE was soon at work with the new sleeper grab, as the rest of the gang started digging out, removing timbers, and inserting new ones.

A muttered complaint later in the day was that it was easy enough at the heel end where the timbers were short, but the work got harder and harder as they advanced towards the other end, where the long timbers were. Well, that's a turnout for you. 

 

Dragging the shorter timbers. Not so hard - for the moment.

In the picture you can see half the gang digging out in the background, and in the foreground the other half is inserting a new timber.

 

 

 

 

There is an awful lot of digging to be done, and we are under time pressure, as we are not allocated very many days to do this, before some services start again.

 

 

 

 

 A break was held under darkening skies, as clouds moved in momentarily during the middle of the day.

Brighter times were seen at lunch time, when the whole gang sat on discarded timbers to eat from their lunch boxes.

Gotherington station is in the distance - the loop was put out here at the request of the private owners of the station.

 

Another job was to recover the point motor with STEVIE, for overhaul back at the S&T base in Winchcombe.

 

At the end of the day, an excellent 10 timbers had been replaced. After 5 on the first day, and 8 on the second, the pace is clearly accelerating - well done that gang! 

 

A look over the fence - Barnstaple.

First, some admin news: The shareholders of Exmoor Associates, not having charitable status, voted almost unanimously to transfer its assets to its associate charity, the Yeo Valley Trust. The latter then changed its name to the Barnstaple and Yeo Valley Trust. Got that? The people involved are basically still the same, but EA's Ltd company structure wasn't fit for purpose any more, as no gift aid could be claimed on donations or share purchases, for example. 

 

The other news is brilliant, as over two year long negotioations have at last concluded, and the section through the North Devon Scouts camp has been purchased (without the scouts giving up their camp, and still able to continue their full range of activities).

The map below shows not only the location of the new 718m stretch (in yellow) but also how its fits in with (green) sections of trackbed that the BYVT already owns.

 

Source: BYVT newsletter

At point A on the above map the line crossed the river Yeo, coming from Snapper Halt. It then continued along the other side until point B, where it crossed the river again, entering the Collard bridge site, and the start of the long climb to the top of the moor. That is the section purchased.

Negotiations and the actual conclusion of the sale took a long time, and it's been 18 months since EA shareholders were first allowed a glimpse of what had then been agreed in principle. The photographs below are from that September 2024 EA shareholders' walk.
 

Source: BYVT Newsletter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This map, from the BYVT newsletter, shows a part of the continuously evolving trackbed situation in the southern half of the L&B. It is updated with every successful purchase. Note that the sections are not of equal length, but merely denote the different ownerships along the trackbed. The Scout camp section was No.9, between the two river crossings (both now gone of course). The scout camp remains in place, but there is now a route through it. Five more sections remain at the Barnstaple end, but from section 7 through to section 13 is now one continuous ownership run, if you exclude the two river bridges and a skew bridge (19) under the road.

The two yellow sections are also in 'L&B group' ownership, but technically owned by the L&B CIC (Woody Bay).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The layout within the scout camp is a long, drawn out site with an access road at one end, and a self seeded wood at the other. The access road from Collard bridge (no access for the general public) follows the river downstream for a short stretch, as the trackbed from Collard bridge nears from the other side.

 

 

 

Here the EA shareholder party, with members of the BYVT, have just set off into the camp.

 

The pictures show a mixture of the down, and the return journeys, so may have opposite orientations.  This was September 2024, remember.

 

 

 

 

 

A little further along, now on the return journey, the river joins alongside. The field opposite was bought by EA some time ago, and leads to Collard Bridge.

 

 

 

 

 

This weir is just short of the former bridge, at point B on the map. You can just make out the low embankment of the trackbed curving dowards the camera.

We were delighted to see an otter here ! 

 

 

 

 

 

The dark area on the opposite bank here represents the former abutments of the railway bridge. It wasn't a very large structure.

 

 

 

 

 

Looking back towards point B, there is a kink in the road where the trackbed, having crossed the river, is today taken over by the approach road to the camp.

Under the land purchase deal, this road will stay in place, and a new trackbed will run alongside, on the right. 

 

 

 

 

 

Taking a few steps back, still looking north towards point B. The new trackbed will be on the right of the road.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Now looking south, towards point A, further towards the centre of the camp, the new trackbed will be built up against the roadway, just to the left of the cones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking north again, a bit further along the old trackbed, now the approach road.

Scout camp buildings appear on the left. All the buildings are on the same (western) side of the road. On the other side of the road are playing fields.

Out in the open, approximately in the middle of the section. Playing fields on the right, looking upstream. The Yeo is out of sight on the right.

 

 A few yards further south, Scout camp buildings on the left, and car park. The hardened road ends here.

 

Another few yards to the south, still looking north towards the entrance, there is more car parking, and the trackbed becomes a rough track again. From somewhere in this area the trackbed purchased will revert to its former route, as the overgrown area behind the camera is largely unused by the scouts.

A forest path begins, curving towards the river. But here seen in the opposite direction, look north. This is the original trackbed.

EA shareholders venture down the path - what might lie beyond? By this time, in September 2024, a rough deal had been agreed, but it took another 18 months to get it signed. Deeds seem to be a recurring problem with buying bits of L&B trackbed. 

The river can be seen here, looking south. It meanders with several curves, but eventually returns to bisect the trackbed at point A

 

Finally the well beaten path stops, and turns down into the playing fields, and an archery practice area. The original trackbed continues on the right.

A temporary chain barred further exploration southwards. 

The grass gets deeper, as we pass southwards alongside the last playing field activity area. 

People start to disappear in the undergrowth, yet there is a shallow embankment along here, curving gently to the left.

The undergrowth, and self seeded trees since the 1930s, start to prohibit any rapid progress, and we bunch up as obstacles are negotiated.

Yes, this is the trackbed today, as we near point A and the missing bridge back over the river. Where is the abutment then?

 
Ah, finally, there is the abutment, and the river Yeo ! Not much to see here, but it's the end of the 718m new section. A single span steel bridge is likely to be built here. On the other bank is the section leading to Snaper Halt, already owned by the BYVT.

Detailed surveys and design work will now begin.

It remains without saying that the staff of the BYVT are on the hunt for other sections of trackbed, all the beige areas in the map above for example (there are two more sections of the map, with lots of beige areas). Several more are currently in various stages of negotiations. The BYVT does not have enough funds to carry out all of its ambitions at the moment, so if you find this sort of thing exciting, do make a contribution, with gift aid, using the details below:

The next meeting, with a trackbed walk, is on May 16th at the Chelfham GrowForward centre, and it is open to all. Might see you there?