Spring Bash 2003

Spring Bash 2003 saw the beginning of excavation and construction works on the Pont Croesor Extension, after months of planning, ground clearance and fencing. The first phase is Pen-y-Mount to Traeth Mawr, near Portreuddyn.

This is the view north from Pen-y-Mount Crossing showing the haul road alongside Penmount Farm (which is to the left). As this photo was taken, the haul road had already reached about a third of the way to Cynfal Crossing, but the difficult Japanese Knotweed areas still remained to be tackled.

Rick Beton

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From the other end looking south, here is the first Knotweed patch, although the dreaded plant itself is looking remarkably innocuous at this time of year. A boulder behind Chief Civil Engineer Dave (on the right) will feature later!

Rick Beton

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The haul road is made simply from slate waste and will later form the sub-base for the ballast. Laying is a simple matter of excavating the topsoil, checking the cross-levels, spreading the slate waste, levelling it, checking the cross-levels, then rolling it firm.

Rick Beton

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Slate is currently stored at Pen-y-Mount. Here is Director and Sign Writer James showing that the elderly Whitlock excavator can indeed be persuaded to work effectively as a loader, filling the waiting dumper (which was on hire).

Rick Beton

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Spoil from the haul road excavation is segregated: normal soil is dumped in a heap mostly unseen off-picture to the right here. This will be re-used later as much as possible, or sold. However, the Knotweed-comtaminated soil requires special treatment: it is tipped into a plastic-lined 'Pit of Doom' where it will be covered and left to fester for at least two years, with nasty chemicals applied if needed. Some effort is needed to unload the dumper in a way that cannot result in spills of the contaminated soil nor damage to the plastic liner. Also everyone walking out of the Pit must brush off their feet to leave Knotweed root nodules behind.

Rick Beton

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Yep, the grin was a well-established feature of all the chappies. Here is the author enjoying the work and especially enjoying the plant operating training. There is an interesting knack to be acquired to tipping slate waste into an even carpet and thereby reduce the effort needed by the chappies with shovels in getting it level.

Mark Holden

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This boulder was large enough to give an interesting time to Excavator Driver Extraordinaire Professor Mark Hewden-Holden. It is left at the side for future generations of children to point at as they slip past in trains.

This is about the halfway point between Pen-y-Mount Crossing and Cynfal Crossing.

Mark Holden

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The Knotweed control required special measures for the plant machinery. Here the 360° excavator gets its tracks brushed off before it leaves the Knotweed-contaminated area. A sheet of geotextile is needed; we used this a lot when the dumper came onto the contaminated land to keep its tyres clean and avoid the palava of brushing off.

Mark Holden

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Happiness! Professor Hewden-Holden and his (hired) 360° excavator. Several chappies were able to take excavator training, myself included. Mark, a regular volunteer, is the main man in the machine, having proved his careful touch to be just what's needed.

The tree behind has its own story - it was our base camp in blistering heat when first we tackled the thick vegetation and years of household rubbish that had to be cleared away.

Rick Beton

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Steady progress. Here I took this photo from the dumper in a moment of waiting parked, whilst the previous load was being rolled. Why do photos like this always seem to show people standing around? We all worked jolly hard! :-)

Rick Beton

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Mark's concentration is intense, but ths photo really shows the gradually advancing march of the haul road, the tree now some way behind.

Rick Beton

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From beyond Cynfal Crossing looking back, this photo was taken with a telephoto lens compressing the depth, and shows the work approaching the Crossing.

Two days after I had left, that's where it reached.

A later team will tackle the footpath and fence to be built along the left here, followed by progressing the haul road past Cynfal Cottage and out northward onto the Creassy Embankment (behind the camera here).

Rick Beton

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Honestly! You leave your vehicle parked for a moment and someone nicks the wheels! Well, actually they were removed for repairs to the parking brake.

This is the Mines Rescue Van. It serves as a small mess and shelter. Inside, it has bench seats and a kitchenette at the end nearest the camera. Hardly a glamorous vehicle, a considerable effort has been expended recently to make it nevertheless a useful workhorse to support the chappies working on the extension, some way away from civilisation. Hot tea is nectar!

The location is the R.E.D. Siding at Pen-y-Mount station.

Rick Beton

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The front of the R.E.D. Shed features in many photos, but here is the back of the shed recently cleared up to serve as a construction storage area. A short spur siding has been terminated by a wagon turntable. This needs fettling up and some track adding.

Rick Beton

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Another view of the area jokingly named The Gun Pit shows the main line (furthest from the camera) from Pen-y-Mount towards Gelerts Farm. Nearer is the back shunt road that leads to the coal dock, the ashing out pit, and the wharf storage sidings. Moel-y-Gest is the large hill that dominates the western approaches to Porthmadog.

Rick Beton

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Fettling up the turntable involved levelling and packing it and ensuring that the moving parts will continue to move for some time to come.

Rick Beton

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Here is the finished Gun Pit. Well, that is until someone else decides it could just do with a ...     :-)

Rick Beton

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Just when you thought the busy chappies should take a tea break, out came the shovels and jacks for a bit of levelling and packing at Pen-y-Mount station. And this was after large sections of the main line had been levelled and packed.

Rick Beton

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Russell at Porthmadog station, running around its train. Driver John Kerr is the Extension Project coordinator, whom you might like to contact if you are interested in joining in (John Kerr at whr.co.uk).

Or see the volunteering information page.

Rick Beton

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