Project Weekend 6/7 December 2003

This project weekend saw much of the footpath fencing completed. The plastic temporary fence is being put away, having fulfilled its role during the construction.

Mark Holden

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Inspection of the completed fencing. Note that the top strands are not barbed on the footpath fence; the outer livestock fences are topped with barbed wire.

Mark Holden

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Another important finishing-off job was the clearing away of the remaining slate waste. You may remember that the newly-built points were covered with geotextile, and then the area used as a slate waste store during the construction of the formation. With the formation completed, the points can be exposed once more.

Mark Holden

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Here is one of the two points. That's as much clearing as the machine can do - it will be finished off by hand over the coming weeks.

Mark Holden

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This is the space used as a temporary dump for topsoil, now cleared. On the right, the plastic-covered Pit of Doom still contains its mouldering legacy of Japanese Knotweed infected soil. Pen-y-Mount station is seen end-on here.

Mark Holden

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Meanwhile, at the far end, the earthworks for the run-round loop are being completed. The surveying peg near-right shows where the trackbed will later widen as the loop branches off right.

Mark Holden

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At the far end of the loop, a temporary topsoil pile has built up. The surveying pegs show how the loop will narrow here into the run-round neck.

Mark Holden

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Here is the temporary topsoil pile seen from the north. Dave Meller is at the controls.

Mark Holden

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Also almost complete, the farmer's bypass track has only a few metres left to do.

Mark Holden

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A quick roll...

Mark Holden

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... and it's done.

Mark Holden

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This is the south end of the loop, looking south towards Pen-y-Mount. This is the opposite view from the earlier one. The farm crossing you can see is a temporary one. A proper access crossing will have to be built here.

Mark Holden

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The loop is being rolled firm. Unlike the majority of the formation, the loop is being laid without slate waste. This is because it will have to be re-sculpted later when Phase 2 to Pont Croesor is completed and the temporary loop is removed.

Mark Holden

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Northward view at the same place, the southern end of the loop.

Mark Holden

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A similar northward view as previously (the southern end of the loop), but from slightly further south. This shows clearly how passenger trains will run into the left-hand line of the loop, with locos running around on the right hand.

Mark Holden

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Another northward view as previously, but taken from yet further south.

Mark Holden

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Another northward view as previously, but taken from yet further south. One this gentle left-hand bend, a small dry-stone retaining wall was required.

Mark Holden

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Another northward view as previously, but taken from yet further south. The gentle left-hand bend is just in the distance.

Mark Holden

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Another northward view, but taken from yet further south. Another gentle left-hand bend separates us from the previous view. Here is the vanishing-green volunteers' mobile mess, tucked into the Creassy Embankment.

Mark Holden

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