December
At Alresford another task that has resulted from the re-alignment of the track and building arrangements is the provision of lighting to illuminate the newly laid trackside walkway on the downside of the headshunt. The new walking route will be in greater use due to these changes and suitable lighting is required for the darker evening (and morning) operations. A number of back boards have been made to hold the light units which have been mounted on posts and on the new Traincare container units along the route. Also at Alresford we have installed metal wing fences alongside the bridge parapets on both sides at Jacklyn’s Lane. Rigid steel posts and rails replace the wooden posts and wire at this location with base boards to retain the ballast from falling down the embankments. This will give more safety protection to staff and volunteers on this high bridge for access to rolling stock and for restoration work.
Whilst we were at Alresford we also put up a Health and Safety sign of a previous age in the Old Goods Shed. It is made of wood and has obviously had a long life in an exposed location but its condition has now been stabilised and it can proudly can continue life in a more protected environment. No doubt grandparents/parents can explained to younger visitors the history of ‘Lucifers’ which date from the early part of the 19th century. Also, a cast iron sign that has been in storage for many years has been brought into the light of day and renovated. The sign was in very poor visual condition and the paint finish and lettering have been made good in order that the text can be more easily read now it is displayed in the West Country Buffet alongside other similar original cast iron signs which add to the ambience of the buffet. The sign is interesting, and a little unusual, and is of the type that would have been placed near some smaller railway bridges, mainly in rural areas, regarding the weight of vehicles using the bridges that had loading limits.
At Ropley a team has been preparing an area alongside the carriage shed to build a wall to create a space for a storage tank for a heating unit for the shed- though this is not another ‘great wall’ as at Medstead. The embankment was dug out and profiled and a block wall and plinth built to support the storage tank at the correct height to feed into a heating unit inside the shed. Fortunately, dry weather had blessed most of the days on which the team started working so that progress was fairly quick. The completed works now await installation of the tank and associated pipework.
Following the building of the wall and plinth the team moved to the station building to replace the drainage gully outside the booking hall. The original cast iron gully had finally reached the end of its life and was breaking up and, as it is located in a high foot traffic area, needed to be removed. The old gully was dug out, and effectively fell apart, and then new sections were inserted and secured in place with tarmac ready to channel any excess rain water away from the entrance doors to the booking hall. We have also renovated some more signs at Ropley as part of the station upgrade and in this case the previously somewhat down at heel picnic site signs.
It never ceases to amaze how the varied tasks we undertake get achieved by volunteers from all sorts of working backgrounds, both with building skills and with just a bit of basic DIY knowledge. Just blending the right mix of people to each task, and with good humoured teamwork, we seem to respond to the numerous challenges quite successfully, and at the end of the day stand back and think ‘we did that!’ We need more people to join the fun so come along and just ask and someone will point you in the right direction.
Anyway, a Merry Christmas to all staff, volunteers and visitors and best wishes for a prosperous and exciting New Year for the Railway.
Bob Brooks
