Report Sat 18.7.2009

Dear all,

 

It has been a mixed bag of weather today. Some areas being damp at differing times to others.

 

The Idridgehay service happily bubbled along today and it was joined by a day with a driver plus guests.

 

 We were also pleased to entertain another Gentleman and guests for a Grice, sorry Drive a Diesel day. A few practice runs were completed to Gorsy Bank and back, with the LMS brake van in tow. After proving himself a most capable Class 20 driver the brake van was swapped for the 108 DMU trailer car. This was then used with the  Class 20 for a surprise birthday charter for yet another Gentleman. This ran to Idridgehay in the free lunchtime path and conveyed 33 guests.   After driving the charter train the Drive a Diesel guests then had a trip to Ravenstor powered by LJ Breaze.

 

It doesn't sound like much but all this took quite some organizing and took up the entire day.

 

We are also thankful for the sterling efforts of the Buffet Car staff who managed to sell everything! I think they could have sold the counter too had it not been screwed down!

 

The Booking hall and EVRA shop were also open and had an excellent days trading. I am sure both the Passenger Services Manger and our esteemed General Manger are going to be most pleased with to days takings.

 

All in all an excellent days work.

 

Regards,

 

John Stokes an behalf of Mike Evans

Friday 17th July 2009

Dear all

 

Not an entirely jolly day as it was discovered that water was leaking past the cylinder liners on Hydra which will require a detailed examination to see what can be done to remedy the problem and at what cost. On the up side L J Breeze has had an oil change which seems to have enhance the power and speed delivered. It has been a long, wet day for our engineers.

 

The IMT has had a varied day firstly shunting logs to the Car Park and then loading permanent way materials required at Shottle for the siding extension. These were later delivered to Shottle and eight sleepers were taken from Shottle to Duffield for a customer. This process gave an opportunity for a track inspection and a further look at a problem area south of Hazelwood. As a result Wednesday's team will be diverted to conduct emergency sleeper changing at this location. Tuesday's team will concentrate on adding a further panel of track to Shottle loop so that, after ballasting, we can relocate the crane there.

 

The IMT completed their day by using waste oil from LJB on the pointwork at Wirksworth until the rain finally defeated this process.

 

The Booking Hall managed a half day today and the Buffet Car was prepared for the weekend.

 

Martin

Thursday 16th July 2009

Dear all

 

A further day of earnest endeavour with the VCT heading for the deep south to be followed by the Works Train from Shottle. The VCT had an agricultural day encountering both sheep and cattle in their journeys. Taking all this in their stride a further 100 yards of clearance was achieved on the down (west) side of the line south of Hazelwood resulting in three large fires to burn the brash. They also managed to block off a "rat run" that has been evident north of Duffield with a little hedgelaying aided by material dumped in the area some time ago from the Duffield station clearance. The Permanent Way Team managed a further 10 sleeper changes and recovered a wagon load of logs.

 

DRE were in evidence at Shottle and have cleared the trackbed for an extension of the Shottle siding to the portals of the Mess Room located there. A buffer stop will be installed to ensure rolling stock is not parked within the building in a moment of inattention.

 

Further scrap has been revealed during the Shottle clear up and after the pleasant results from the last skip (£563) further energy will be put into realising our assets. This "free" money helps move the overall project forward and we still have to find circa £50k for the Duffield platform.

 

Good progress is being made by the lone fishing club member at the erosion sites and it has been amazing what one man and a shovel can achieve.

 

A charter to Ravenstor was run for Wirksworth Primary School this morning as part of their end of term events. On arrival at Ravenstor they marched off to the Stone Centre to return on foot via Black Rocks and the High Peak trail.

 

The cosmetic restoration of 11520 moved forward until the rains came.

 

Unfortunately the Booking Hall was unmanned today but we coped!

 

Martin

 

PS - I have been trying to get in touch with Martin Bromley for some time without success - he is the owner of several items of our rolling stock - does anyone know of his whereabouts?

PPS - Spoke to Albert Hill's wife today and he is still being assessed after his stroke - I have passed on our good wishes again

Wednesday 15th July 2009

Dear all

 

The British weather conspired against us again today but continued remarkable progress was made in spite of the downpours. The Permanent Way team inched ever closer to Duffield with 17 sleepers changed approaching MP135 3/4 and DRE used the Komatsu 130 to sort a great deal of pointwork stacked at Shottle to establish just what material we have on hand that can be used at Duffield. It is all now separated and the next part of the plot is to pair up the useful pieces and identify the bits with no further life in them. Most of this pointwork has been recovered over the last few years as we remodelled Wirksworth and removed the sidings on the Incline. This has served us well as to date we have not needed to purchase any of these quite expensive items but Duffield will certainly require at least one purchase to be made if the geometry is to permit Tornado to run round!

 

Back at base there was a mix of activities that involved Tommy having its pulley and new belts fitted. We still have a problem in tightening up a very large bolt on the crank shaft and I ask again for you to search your stores and garages for a thin walled socket of a size that is of the order of 2". Further research was undertaken into the oil contamination on Hydra and further investigation into this problem is scheduled for Friday.

 

Vince Morris was with us somewhat disabled by a sporting injury, he should know better, and engaged many of our visitors with tales of our endeavour. One couple enquired about our responsiveness to a Wickham Trolley rally. The answer was yes of course but the conversation turned to their home which was an old station. With a forensic approach we narrowed this down to Roden Mill or Fencote - try Googling - and it transpired they had attended the auction of Idridgehay which was derelict at the time. It's a funny old world.

 

The Logging Department have been concentrating on improving the internal security of their cabin for their selection of electric tools. The Booking Hall welcomed our visitors and the Buffet and Mess Hall received a make over.

 

Martin

Tuesday 14th July 2009

Dear all

 

The day started with the Works Train visiting the Car Park to load materials that will be eventually used at Duffield in conjunction with the headshunt pointwork. The consist then departed for Shottle and, after detaching some vehicles there, proceeded to the sleeper changing site south of Travis Folly. A splendid 24 sleepers were changed and fishplates were greased with the "railhead" now beyond the site of the high pressure gas main. DRE continued the benching work at Shottle North and the flail had a couple of hours working in the area of Postern Lodge as part of the preparation for the relay there the week after next.

 

The VCT tended to the down side stile at Willow Crossing and had a satisfactory clearance and burn of the surrounding area.

 

Back at base the Dream Steam Team fitted the piston slide rods to Ferrybridge No3 and work progressed on the sand boxes and ejector valves. The cosmetic restoration of 11520 moved forward and I was able to file some excellent wagon maintenance records prepared by Graham showing the good work done to this fleet over the last few months.

 

The Booking Hall was manned by the senior staff member today who encompassed road sweeping on the station approach and a pressure wash in front of the Booking Hall. I must say the new pressure washer is excellent and had to test it on my bike which had become quite dirty in yesterday's inclement weather!  Fred and Iris gave the Mess Hall a good clean and replenished the biscuit barrel.

 

Many visitors were received on what has been quite a pleasant day and were parted from a modest amount of cash.

 

A thorough investigation has commenced to establish the whereabouts of the Training Room vacuum cleaner and why it has been replaced by an inferior model. This is a most serious matter and when the culprit has been found he or she will be handed over to Dorothy for a very severe punishment.

 

To end on a sad note, we have been advised that Albert Hill suffered a bad stroke yesterday and is now residing in the Royal Hospital, Chesterfield. I have passed on all our good wishes to him via his wife.

 

Martin

 

PS The Works Train will start and finish at Shottle tomorrow

Monday 13th July 2009

Dear all

 

A pleasant day until the heavens opened this afternoon without a lot of warning. Nonetheless, with thanks to Graham, Neville and Tony, our departures went smoothly with the LMS coach first away on its journey to Shildon for exterior restoration and L49 followed this later in the day en route for Ruislip. These movements barely raise an eyebrow, a far cry from our first arrivals which brought out the Town.

 

The IMT together with a young offender and supervisor concentrated on an area between MP140 and MP139 to clear all stone and some mud off the sleepers. This effort together with earlier weeding and flailing has made this stretch as neat and tidy as we can get it for reasons that will be revealed in a couple of weeks or so.

 

The IMT then patrolled the Ravenstor and Gorsey Bank lines with no major defects being found. At the Maintenance Facility an investigation took place into the oil filters required by Tommy and Hydra. Routine maintenance of Hydra revealed an annoying oil leak and the prospect of contamination of the oil. This problem will have further attention towards the end of the week.

 

Recovery of the weekend roadside signs took place and at the end of the day the Works Train was assembled on Road 2 for a quick getaway in the morning. A gentle start was made on the cosmetic restoration of 11520 with the collection of some sandpaper from Stones. This project will gain pace through the week.

 

The Booking Hall welcomed a few visitors and a seemingly unending stream of telephone calls - none of which added to our financial wellbeing.

 

Martin

 

Progress Report Sunday 12th July 2009

Dear all,

A very happy day was had by all at the railway today. No cases of Swine
Fever we found to be affecting local journalists, and no MPs were found
to be claiming for 376 returns to Ravenstor. We were rather busier than
yesterday and the public pottered around the railway cheerfully, as well
as visiting the hanging gardens of Wasser for the Open Gardens weekend,
a success by all accounts, though we were initially taken by surprise,
for which the Passenger Manager has been duly whipped to within an inch
of his life. In between the whipping we dealt with a Day with a Driver
and a number of other tasks.

Our own cadets, in between gate duties, did a great deal of weeding,
which included the pulling of Ragwort from embankments all around the
station, yard and nearby areas, a weed which has been taken to the fire
site to be burned. The Nursery Path fence has been repaired as wear,
tear and wood rot had got to a section of it. A new combination locked
was fitted to the South Weighbridge. The wideway adjacent the incline
line has been mowed, or more accurately 2/3 of it has been mowed and a
mower appointed to complete it next week. A temporary banner has been
fixed to the Wash Green fence in order to catch the many hundreds of
visitors who approach the town from the Malt Shovel. Half the decals
have been applied to Tommy, the other half being strangely non stick.
Ravenstor Station has been inspected and a bench at that fine station
faulted for attention. A failed door on Iris has been remedied. The
class 117 has received further paint to its roof, in near perfect
painting conditions. Mr Lidgett had beans and pork sausages for his lunch.

All the best,
Anton