First, make sure you have the right kit...... Dave Hill shows off his most fetching wellingtons!

Chris Dearden

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A close up of Dave Hill's artistically decorated wellies...... quite how much work he did in them remains a secret!

Chris Dearden

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One of the first tasks was to remove the loop at Traeth Mawr. By the start of the week, this work was well underway. Here, the last panel of the loop road is removed, with the rails loaded onto the yellow rail transporters (also known as Roland Rats).

John Kerr

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The loop was relatively quick to be lifted. The sleepers and rails will be re-used for relaying the main line between Porthmadog (WHR) and Pen-y-Mount.

John Kerr

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A steam hauled works train was run at the start of the week. Gelert prepares to leave what's left of the loop amid gathering gloom - the weather and the gang's spirits at lifting the track they'd laid in summer 2006.

John Kerr

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The loop road now gone, the gang start work on dismantling the terminus road.

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One of the last rails from the loop is loaded onto the rail mover. Traeth Mawr Loop was built in different materials to the rest of the section, and was always intended to be a temporary fixture.

Tony Statham

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The last panel north of Farmyard Farm Crossing (LC119) awaits the arrival of trains from Beddgelert. One of the rail movers, known as "Roland Rats" sits in the foreground.

Tony Statham

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The ballast at Traeth Mawr looks awfully empty without the rails and sleepers. Indentations are all that's left of the twin tracks. When the railway is fully built through here, the width will be reduced because no loop is needed and the height will be elevated in order to pass over a new 'cattle creep' underbridge at the far end.

Tony Statham

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Traeth Mawr Loop is no more. The gang return towards Porthmadog, their work done...... until they return to lay the permanent track northwards?

Tony Statham

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The Autumn Bash gang at Traeth Mawr: L-R: (Standing) John Holmes, Dave Hill, James Hewett, Nigel Hanwell, Nick Cutmore, Peter Jenks, Graham Harrison, Mark Holden. (Sitting) Bob Washington, Richard Warren, Chris Wilson

Tony Statham

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The last sleeper is removed from Traeth Mawr Loop by a celebratory Dave Hill (left) and Richard Warren (right)

Tony Statham

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The last train load of sleepers leaves Traeth Mawr for now. These are all wooden sleepers in good condition and will be re-used. When the line here is extended through to Pont Croesor and beyond, it's most likely that steel sleepers will be used instead of wood, as per most of the rebuilt WHR.

Dave Hill

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But what about the point from the Beddgelert end of Traeth Mawr loop? It was removed - whole - and transported to Gelerts Farm to be re-used within days.

John Kerr

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Newly arrived from the far end of Traeth Mawr Loop, the point is gently slid into position at the start of a new siding to serve the coal dock.

John Kerr

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The start of the new siding to give rail access to the coal dock. Road access has been cut off by the building of the link line to Porthmadog Harbour station, so coal deliveries will now be by rail from an unloading pad in the yard!

Tony Statham

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Sleepers are laid out for the new coal dock siding. The new piece of track rises steeply, as can be seen by the height difference between the people working and the existing track below.

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The siding is now in place, but still requires ballasting and packing before it can be brought into use. The coal dock can be seen behind the orange Simplex locomotive.

Chris Dearden

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The autumn weather produced some fine pictures of Gelerts Farm, including this afternoon shot of the work site near the coal dock.

Tony Statham

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Not Hannibal Lechter or Darth Vader but Carriage Department volunteer Jaz Long, who's restoring one of the original roof boards from the Buffet Car, a dusty job requiring use of a mask to protect the lungs.

Chris Dearden

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There's still hours of work to be done restoring the original timbers from the Buffet Car, including sanding down and removing nails from the original roof boards. Marilyn Clifford is at work here, supervised by duty foreman Biscuit the Dog.

Chris Dearden

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After the initial assembly of the framework, the Buffet Car still needs plenty of work to tidy up the frames before the next components are installed. Martyn Knight gets to grips with part of the side framing.

Chris Dearden

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Track work continued into the evening, using spotlights from the generator van. Someone remarked that night working is what separates the men from the boys, though there's no evidence of any work actually going on in this picture......

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The shorter daylight hours invariably meant putting the train away in the dark. But is this van being towed at speed over the points, or is it just a trick of the light?

Tony Statham

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The civils gang celebrated the end of a busy week with dinner in the Grapevine Bistro in Porthmadog High Street (run by WHR Ltd volunteer Terry Clayton and his wife).

Tony Statham

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A crane was brought in on Saturday to do some 3-D shunting in the South Yard. Even viewed from the other side of the site, the crane dominates the scene...... in fact it could be seen from several miles away!

Chris Dearden

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In fact the crane managed to dominate most of Porthmadog! Is it really taller than the church tower in the background?

Chris Dearden

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One of the first jobs was to move the telephone exchange van from the corner of the South Yard. The crane seems to be making light work of it, even though the van weighed twelve tons!

Tony Statham

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The crane's job was to clear the outdoor wagon display in the South Yard to make way for a new museum building which will be built on the site in the next few months. It produced some interesting 3-D shunting effects.

Chris Dearden

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The only down side of moving wagons by crane is that once you've got your wagon in the right place, you have to get it back on the rails. Gently does it......

Chris Dearden

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Wagons such as this rubbish carrier were originally intended to become airborne. The metal rings on top are supposed to allow it to be lifted on aerial cableway. In view of the wagon's advancing age, we decided not to risk using them this time......

Chris Dearden

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Next job: move the mess. This is in fact an old telephone exchange van, and will eventually be replaced by the new building which is partly complete in the background.

Chris Dearden

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The old mess, just after takeoff. It had to be moved because it was in the way of the proposed new museum building. The old mess will continue in the role for the time being at least, but in another corner of the South Yard.

Chris Dearden

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Steady... steady... while the crane driver provides lift from above, the WHR Ltd's expert slinger Peter Jenks is on the ground to provide the steering!

Chris Dearden

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By the end of Saturday, all the wagons had been removed from the display in the South Yard. Here, a flat wagon is next to be lifted.

Tony Statham

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Some items proved more complicated to lift than others. Getting the chains round this tipper wagon wasn't an easy job.

Chris Dearden

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The gang were supposed to be removing wheelsets from behind the miniature railway shed, but this picture looks like some bizarre game of football.

Chris Dearden

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