25th April 2010

A glorious Saturday meant it was time to get the paint out. The Warehouse has had its cream top half repainted (with a sand down, prime, undercoat and top coat), as have the Ladies and General Room. We had planned to do the same to the bottom of the Warehouse but the new top coat is not what we ordered, although the label claims it is! We will have to go back and get the correct colour. We have just used the last cabbage from our garden but new seedlings are now being planted to restock our larder. We have also harvested the first of the rhubarb and very nice it was too.
Stephen has continued tidying up around the north end hut and the Community Payback people have finished the stone headwall alongside. Malcolm has continued manufacturing new bin cupboards using the second hand hardwood timber we have in store.
We had a visit from the railway’s tamper this evening as it goes off to tamp the track around bridge 30 overnight – the only time the PW can get out now until next winter.

18th April 2010

Well the daffodils are out and look a treat all over the station. Its been another weekend of steady progress on small jobs. We had a trip to Newtondale Halt on Saturday to collect the last remaining planks from the old platform deck. These are all for recycling at our station. Stephen and Brian have constructed a water butt cupboard, to hide the plastic tank from view, using some of the planks we have just recovered. Others have been placed near the camping coach turnout ready to act as a standing point for the point lever operator.
Elsewhere work has continued making and painting notice boards with help from John Bruce, the Goathland Station Master, on Sunday (some of the boards are for him!). The right hand pair of CCT doors now close properly following adjustment and the paint has been touched up. Tony 3 has welded our small marquee’s metal legs where they had been damaged in the winds last year and the final door catch for the CCT side doors. These have now all received several protective layers of paint.
On the cottage the back upstairs window frame has been cleaned down and repainted and the ‘new’ window temporarily fitted and secured for the week.

11th April 2010

Another glorious weekend of weather. The shelves are now fitted in the lean-to cupboards on Hut 5; the new replacement cottage window is in top coat and should be fitted next weekend; embankment strengthening has been installed for the hand point lever for the double slip; the right hand CCT end door is partially adjusted (lack of time); another section of the lowmac has been cleaned down and primed; all the platform lamps have been cleared of flies and the glasses washed; the running in boards have been washed and their backs given a coat of bitumastic; the level crossing gates have been sanded and touched up with new paint where necessary, whilst the new white gate has received the full works and a start has been made on making new timber litter bins using, yes you have guessed it, second hand timber!

9th April 2010

Easter week has been a continuation of the long weekend albeit with a reduced number. On the turnout point lever the long timbers have been supported and fence posts installed to provide a handrail due to the drop into the lineside ditch. The paddock hut window frames now boasts gloss paint following the earlier glazing; the paving to the rear has also been completed and the soil under the fence dug out so stone can be laid ready for the seats to be stored there. The lean to cabinets on the end of hut 5 now have their doors hung with catches fitted to secure them. The lowmac has had its top beam painted into BR early grey Engineers livery. Hopefully more of this side will be cleaned and prepared this weekend. A certain amount of aluminium and steel scrap has been weighed in as part of a ‘trip round the houses’ collecting, dropping off and visiting work sites. The latter was to look at a water tank which may be suitable for use on the railway. However power cables nearby may prevent easy recovery by both mechanical or manual means. The end doors of the CCT have been adjusted and partially rehung so they will close correctly. Our neighbour is undertaking some improvement works on his land. In conjunction with this we are rebuilding the rear of the coal house, which is on the boundary line, which will benefit both parties.

4th April 2010

Happy Easter! Good Friday was a good day for the station. Sixteen volunteers were working including the tea hut crowd. The gates near the Camping Coach have been constructed and hung; the timber stack near the CCT has been put away into our wagons; the new PW lean to is well underway alongside hut 5; the paddock soil heap has finally been spread, levelled and seeded; the gardens have been weeded and the roses tidied and the station approach road has been ‘widened’ by cutting back a lot of encroaching grass off the tarmac – it is now 2’ wider!
Saturday was more of the same with 16 again. Stephen and Brian slated and leaded the shed roof and Andy, Horace and Chris completed the Camping Coach gates and fixed the ‘Private’ sign. We also managed to cut down and remove to our burning site the lineside scrub north of the level crossing; widen the holes in the repaired corner hinge for the end CCT door; complete the grass encroachment works opposite the cottage; begin work to replace the rotten door frame on the SE side of the CCT and cut the surplus steel off the lowmac. We also had a visit to Pickering station to view the Bridges and Wheels art exhibition and discuss our contracting services for works at the back of platform 2 – spoil removal, foundations and canopy erection, plus track slueing and wagon exchange at the south end and the foundations for the new visitor signal box! Fortunately our services are spread over April, June and November but as usual all help will be gratefully received.
Sunday dawned bright, frosty and sunny. Numbers were up on yesterday – 19, helped by a pair of S&T chaps working in the signal box, carrying out wiring work for the HD link. Elsewhere we have commenced fitting the point levers to the double slip and headshunt turnout by installing long timbers and the lever mechanisms themselves. Dismantling work still continues on the CCT to confirm the amount of rotten timber requiring replacement and the new noticeboards continue to breed. This evening we disposed of the scrub we removed yesterday.
We're still here all week so feel to pop in and help, all are welcome.