After many false starts we finally collected a 30cwt yard crane from the North Tyneside Railway Museum, where it was surplus to requirements. It had originally been sited at Pelaw Goods Station in North Eastern Railway days. It was built by Cowan Sheldon of Carlisle and had a steel jib, instead of the timber one found on the early cranes. We arranged for a hi-ab of Archers of Northallerton to collect and deliver it to Levisham station. Thanks to Paul, the driver, it only took an hour to load and tie it all down on the lorry. It is now stored at our station awaiting the identification of a site for it. It does require an oiling and repainting but will have to wait for some dry weather.
Whilst the hi-ab was here a minor shuffle of the yard stores was undertaken, which has allowed all the hazel pence panels to be erected and the area looks much neater. Immediately in front of these panels the ground was a bit soft so has been dug out and filled with stone.
All our scrap has now gone into the scrap skip which has further tidied the area north of the level crossing. A new pair of gates has been fitted at the end of the Camping Coach fence. This will allow maintenance access to the line and yard.
The General Room seating has benefited from a coat of paint applied by Beth, who was not destroying something for a change!
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Sunday, 21 February 2010
21st February 2010
A weekend of contrasts. A nice, sunny, warm Saturday and a white, cold Sunday. The hut in the paddock has had its concrete floor laid and the duct for cables fitted. The concrete was mixed in our yard and then barrowed across. We have splashed out and bought four new wheelbarrows as many of ours are beyond help. If anyone would like to sponsor them they are available at £40 each. The hut has also had its window frames cleaned down and primed and a second coat of green stain has been applied to the sides. We have laid the paving along the front side and had planned to do the side on Sunday, but the weather put pay to that.
Sunday dawned frosty but dry. A 9am it started to snow, and snow, and snow. This continued until mid afternoon by which time 2” covered everything. The platforms required clearing before the arrival of each train to make it safe for passengers. Today has been an inside job day with the loft hatch architrave fitted in the cottage and our workshop has been tidied up. David has been wiring again under the signal box and getting very cold at the same time. Beth has been writing a booking office manual, and hasn’t destroyed anything this weekend!
Sunday dawned frosty but dry. A 9am it started to snow, and snow, and snow. This continued until mid afternoon by which time 2” covered everything. The platforms required clearing before the arrival of each train to make it safe for passengers. Today has been an inside job day with the loft hatch architrave fitted in the cottage and our workshop has been tidied up. David has been wiring again under the signal box and getting very cold at the same time. Beth has been writing a booking office manual, and hasn’t destroyed anything this weekend!
Sunday, 14 February 2010
14th February 2010
Happy Valentines Day! Its been a mixed weather weekend with occasional showers spoiling the days. Following the tidying up of the General Room ready for the first passengers of the season, there has been major progress on the new hut in the paddock this weekend. The precast concrete base sections went down very well on the type 1 base we had prepared during Saturday morning. During the afternoon, with a bit of jiggery pokery, we got the sides erected and bolted together. We even managed to get the first coat of green stain on the sides, helping it to blend in. The roof went on during Sunday and needed a certain amount of adjustment to fit. It is now awaiting better weather so we can apply a new layer of felt on top. At present a white tarpaulin is currently keeping it dry.
Elsewhere the timber has been removed from under the CCT siding and this will be sorted before going into our wagons. This has allowed the CCT and all the other wagons to be placed back in the siding.
Beth has continued her demolition duties this time on our worn out cement mixer which is now awaiting a scrap skip to take it and other metal away.
Community Payback have moved the surplus type 1 from the middle of the yard to the corner for us.
Elsewhere the timber has been removed from under the CCT siding and this will be sorted before going into our wagons. This has allowed the CCT and all the other wagons to be placed back in the siding.
Beth has continued her demolition duties this time on our worn out cement mixer which is now awaiting a scrap skip to take it and other metal away.
Community Payback have moved the surplus type 1 from the middle of the yard to the corner for us.
Sunday, 7 February 2010
7th February 2010
The last weekend without passenger trains until next January! We have got the metalwork fitted to the CCT now and all doors run properly. It is now ready to go back into its siding again. The siding itself has undergone a tidy up of rubbish and the long timber stored underneath has been placed to one side ready for allocating to new under cover stores.
Tony 1 has made a single size poster board and prepared the timber frame for a second.
The rotten platform trolley has been dismantled, the steelwork going into store and the ‘woodwork’ going onto the fire pile. The stores at the rear of the yard are now mostly screened by our hazel fence panels and much neater they look too. The Community Partnership team has spread and levelled the spoil over the site of the old black hut north of the level crossing. This area is now awaiting a delivery of ash to top it off. The large pile of general scrap is awaiting a small skip to take it all away.
The S&T have continued work for the HD link including making timber shelves for the battery back ups and new wiring under the signal box.
Don't forget that Weighbridge Teas is open again from next weekend (hurrah!)
Tony 1 has made a single size poster board and prepared the timber frame for a second.
The rotten platform trolley has been dismantled, the steelwork going into store and the ‘woodwork’ going onto the fire pile. The stores at the rear of the yard are now mostly screened by our hazel fence panels and much neater they look too. The Community Partnership team has spread and levelled the spoil over the site of the old black hut north of the level crossing. This area is now awaiting a delivery of ash to top it off. The large pile of general scrap is awaiting a small skip to take it all away.
The S&T have continued work for the HD link including making timber shelves for the battery back ups and new wiring under the signal box.
Don't forget that Weighbridge Teas is open again from next weekend (hurrah!)
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