Tamping

A Volker Rail tamper has been on the Railway for the last two days as part of a training exercise. The original plan was for them to spend three days with us, but crewing issues unfortunately cut the visit short. As ever though, we're extremely grateful for what the crew achieved for us.

The new loop at Leyburn was tackled yesterday using the lift and slew data we calculated on Saturday. The required geometry was achieved in the most part, albeit leaving the track very bare of ballast where the lifts were the biggest. We'll drop a bit more stone when we install the west points in November. The end result looks superb though, and it feels like we're starting to break the back of the loop project. The noteworthy milestone achieved however was two "trains" passing each other at Leyburn for the first time in many years, as the service train headed through to Redmire while the tamper was at work in the loop.

Today saw last weekend's mini-relay at Redmire tamped, this time using the on-board computer to design the optimal line and level.

We look forward to the next time our friends from Volkers come back to pay a visit!

The tamper also corrected a slight misalignment just before the switch fronts

The new loop looking much straighter!

New loop from the tamper cab. The points were also given a "squeeze"

Last weekend's relay now tamped

Go West!

With the works at Ainderby and Ladyfield all wrapped up, mid- September saw us head 20 miles west to the opposite end of the railway at Redmire. We delivered a short, 2x panel relay off the front of the flat- bottom points behind the Jonas Centre, for no better reasons than we had the rails, sleepers and ballast in stock, plus we needed some spare lengths of 90lb bullhead rail to remove defects with locally. The job was delivered over three days: one day's worth of vegetation bashing to create working space alongside, one day to deliver materials, rip out the existing bullhead track and dig, and one day to relay the new materials, tip stone and pack with the Robel hand tampers. The job was handed back to traffic ready for the weekend with a 5mph TSR in place, but we've got a Volker Rail main line tamper visiting for training next week which should put a really nice top on it.

West of the points towards the platform, we've made a start on yet more spot- replacement of rotten softwood sleepers fitted with pre-grouping chairs. Three in a row were changed around a joint, where the combination of vertical movement and poor drainage was causing wet beds.

Last but not least, we spent yesterday (Saturday) prepping Leyburn loop for tamping next week, including spreading the ballast we dropped previously, marking-up lifts and slews, highlighting obstacles etc.

Every job should start with a good bonfire

Completing the dig

First length of concrete sleepers in and fine-lined

Rails installed and all clipped-up

Ballasted, hand tamped and cross-levels checked. Good for 5mph until the tamper pays a visit

Slurried ballast dug out and new sleepers going in

New sleepers around the joint and backfilled with clean ballast

Incoming.....

This past week and a bit has been all about getting ready for today's incoming railtour off the main line. As well as visual track inspections and yet more cutting back encroaching vegetation, we had some long planned spot- resleepering between the River Wiske viaduct and Ladyfield UWC which we thought it prudent to get out the way first.

This was facilitated by a further delivery of nice new softwood sleepers which arrived the week before last from our supplier down in Lincolnshire. In total we replaced 66x life-expired specimens through what was a particularly poor and neglected length of track. A fair amount of winter firewood was also produced, with the brash disposed of on the usual roaring bonfires.

The charter traverses the eastern end of the railway

Return charter crossing the River Swale viaduct