Civil's Week 2000

One gang was assigned to the Engineer's siding at Pen-y-Mount. The first task was to clear to extremities of the siding of infill and established weeds. This was tough going - this track had only been lightly laid in the first place.

Rick Beton

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Buried in the vegetation, a point divides the main part of the siding from the loading bay (so-called 'Red Dwarf') in the centre here.

After some hard graft, both parts of the siding were fully clear and available for use.

Rick Beton

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Although a little attention had been given to the siding to correct for negative cant, it lay as 'thrown together' nearly a decade earlier. As you may know, straight rails on curves prefer to become straight again. The result is a "thre'penny bit" curve like this.

We started from the point and worked towards the camera position using a jim crow to give the rails a gentle permanent curve.

Rick Beton

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After completing the first panel, it was lifted and its gradient reduced. Fresh "icing sugar" from the ballast wagon starts to give this panel a more finished look.

It was decided not to try curving the trap point, except for the very end (nearest the camera). Here, the rails are un-plated, showing the amount by which the gradient hade been reduced.

Rick Beton

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Sadly, our best efforts on the jim crow just were'nt enough for the next panel. Its rails were of tougher stuff. It's amazing what variability you find in second-hand stuff!

Undaunted, the hydraulic rail bender had an outing. Here, Pete (sitting) and Nick steady the rail whilst James and Nigel align the pressure rollers. Then Ben will pump away. Quite easy, really!

The observant will have noticed that the hydraulic rail bender is on the panel after the trap point, already curved by the time this photo was taken. Also, one might wonder why the Train Guard is in the gang! With Dave "Action Man" Gibbs, nothing is surprising!

Rick Beton

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A few minutes later, and the rail is already showing its new curvature. Ben has the important and strenuous job of stabilising the sleeper support with his weight!

Rick Beton

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Here is the completed work, the siding now has a satisfactory look. New ballast, and rubble infill to add toe weight to the embankment off to the left, should keep this siding well usable throughout the coming extension works.

Rick Beton

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A moment later, this wider view shows the siding (left), the platform road to the far right, and the station loop in the centre. The loop is currently used for engine run-around, although it will be used for through trains in future.

Rick Beton

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Whilst we were 'working' at Pen-y-Mount, we spent most of our time (allegedly) skiving off the hard graft to watch the RAF performing overhead, which they seem to enjoy whenever there is clear weather.

Meanwhile, on the ground, a kink in the trailing point gets some "seeing to". As is often the case, a few rotten sleepers needed replacing, then some levelling and packing finished the job. The box vans carry tools and a generator. Power tools make trackwork so much quicker!

Rick Beton

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Whilst I and a few others worked away at Pen-y-Mount, some magical spritely creatures had visited the buffer ends at Porthmadog station, where the old ballast had been very uneven, dirty and oily. Where had that old oily muck gone? The Icing Sugar Sprites had left clean new ballast and well-levelled track.

Gelert is spending the short lunchtime layover simmering quietly on the smarter headshunt.

Rick Beton

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Normal P-Way gangers would finish their high-calorie evening meal and be straight off to the pub to top up the calories yet more. Is it normal therefore to sit listening to the Archers, we wonder? Well, at least this much can be said about our excellent cafeteria - they have a very useful radio!

Rick Beton

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Ah! Here are the some of Icing Sugar Sprites. It turned out that fettling the ballast in Porthmadog station was just a diversion. What was really going on was some serious bridge demolition. Not the rail bridge, but its adjacent footbridge.

This bridge has been called Hoppe's Bridge for several decades and was constructed on the original abutments of the standard gauge bridge, built in the 19th century for the connection to the slate exchange siding.

Rick Beton

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Once the old bridge had been completely removed, shuttering went in for concrete to raise and level the abutment tops.

Rick Beton

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Mid week of Civil's Week usually means a site-seeing trip. This years was to the Talyllyn Railway again: a good day out. Our evening barbecue in the RED yard, was real hoot! Don't they all look so happy? Well, looks are deceptive!

The loco boiler on the right is surrounded by most of its other parts. It is Bagnall 3023, sister to Gelert.

Rick Beton

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General Manager and craftsman Ray doesn't like to appear in photographs, but at least here he has the upper hand for once on Nigel "Up Through Relief Fish" Hanwell, who is busily trapping himself between the new bridge timbers, it seems.

Rick Beton

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Some may say that being down a hole is the best place for Nigel (only kidding Nige, we actually mean down a culvert!). Suffice it to say he did actually manage to wriggle free and live to tell the story. At length. ;-)

Rosie and Jess are now well-trained onlookers and should be joining the P-Way gang shortly, where this skill is an important requirement. Mark (right) is of course an old hand.

Rick Beton

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The rubble dug out of the old bridge's fill took a gang just a few minutes to transfer to a wagon, from whence it found a new home (the embankment fill by the Pen-y-Mount engineer's siding was mentioned earlier). The new footbridge decking is taking shape.

Rick Beton

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Although some of the gang had already left, others had arrived. So here are most of the culprits, from left to right:
Ray, Mark "The Revd", myself (Rick), James "23", Andy, Pete "Steamhammer", Nigel, Pete "Scouser"
Alan, Steve, "The Ghost of" Nick, and Ben.

Andy Goodwin

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Looking towards Porthmadog station, the new bridge and fencing is almost complete.

Rick Beton

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A side-on view of the new bridge at Pont Hoppe.

Rick Beton

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