23 April - Today, for the third time since becoming the webmaster, I have been instructed by the powers that be, to censor another entry on this page. As someone who passionately believes in democracy and free speech, I believe that criticism of both internal and external agencies has a place, and also credit will be given, when deserved or demonstrated. I believe that those agencies, internal and external to our project should be mature enough to accept comments (including myself) and work closely with the volunteers to achieve the stated mission - a standard gauge heritage line linking with the Kent & East Sussex Railway at Bodiam, achieved within an acceptable and reasonable timeframe. I will leave you to draw your own conclusions, but in reference to virtually all heritage projects in this country, the advancement of our own modest scheme has been somewhat lethargic over the 15 years thus far elapsed. You are free to judge the reasons behind this as I could not possibly comment, and without a bit of humility and sometimes black humour and very moderate bad language (which virtually everyone has appreciated in comments to me over my tenure) this would be a very bland, empty and dull corporate clone website with no personality. Therefore, I will not be posting updates from now, as a dearth of expression is not acceptable.
Good Night and Good Luck.
Gemma Barclay.
If anyone wishes to take over the webmaster position, please let the RVR know.
19 Apr - Another busy day (good) The rail bound for the Ffestiniog (not WHR as previously thought by me!) was picked up today - another lorry from Wales. We were concerned if it was possible to load this as it was a curtain sider and even more of a challenge it was brand spanking new with no scratches on it. Dave the crane driver and the gang did a damm good job maneovering the rail onto the truck keeping things that way!
Preparations for this weekend continue, with a miniature guage line layed in the 4 foot for the kiddywinks (and bigger kidz!) and making the site safe(r) for visitors.
Elderly crane meets brand new truck.
18 Apr - Today after sooo long, we have finally got a minidigger for the RVR - thanks to an ebay auction. It is a 4 tonner from Brecon, South Wales. Trackwork can now continue and 1001 other tasks be achieved - the volunteers have been asking for this plant for years. One of many essential items for any rail reinstatement project. After unloading it went straight into service loading the ballast wagon. A quantity of builders ballast (aggregate) was also delivered and cement, so we can finish the pit walls which now have chairs attached along both sides of the rail, which will be bound with screws into the to of the pit walls, to hold the track in gauge.
The digger cometh...
Pressed straight into service, loading the ballast hopper.
Loading The Hopper WMV (13Mb)
16 Apr - After consultation with colleagues, working hard against the odds, some light at the end of the proverbial has materialised: we have won a 4 tonne digger auction on ebay, so the 1001 tasks that this essential bit of kit is required for can actually start to happen. Should be delivered on site Easter Monday. Now if BRRPB can stop playing (comment censored by the powers that be) with the bridges then we can start to get somewhere...
Latest on pit construction - walls mostly finished.
Apparently the EC has now come up with the wacky idea that heritage railways (with a 25 mph restriction) will need to have high vis markings in the future just like the mainline...yellow smokebox anyone? Thomas will look a bit strange! The HRA are challenging this latest attempt to strangle the heritage section with costly and unnecessary legislation.
15 Apr - Webmaster not been on site since 2nd as been on holiday in Scotland. Field trip to South Tynedale in photos section. AGM on 8th April apparently a rather tempestuous affair, with a lot of heated exchanges regarding the stagnation of the project. I will be on site tomorrow to talk to the other volunteers about where we go from here.
2 Apr - Work continues on pit. All trackwork leading to pit completed. Shuttering has been installed to half height and today a team worked hard mixing concrete, pouring and laying old concrete sleepers into a sandwich in the shuttering voids to start building up walls. At the end of work, 1/2 of each side (half pit height) were finished. A lot more work to go...
Before pouring. 1/2 height shuttering in centre.
29 Mar - Since last update, work has restarted on getting the inspection pit finished
Filling holes in sleepers for ramp. At far end, sleepers made into steps.
15 Mar - Shifted BQ van body. The crane huffed and puffed (as did the volunteers) but it has been installed in its new home well away from the running line (and 2nd track bed) so we can have a brew without stepping out the door into the path of a works train! This now leaves the previous location ready for the curve realignment - presuming we can get someone from Network Rail on the cheap (free if possible with an all day breakfast chucked in!)
Inching along rails.
Poor little stove - awaits repatriation and another decade of brews!
Home sweet home. Malcolm jacking level.
Ooops - forklift gone boss eyed when steering linkage broke!
12 Mar - Since last update, no further essential trackwork to prepare for running has been possible due in part to lack of funds for minidigger and ballast and a vacuum of decision making from the 'management'. The volunteers have continued to do all they can to achieve our goals, with production of 'not to be moved signs' handrail renewal on Drewry locos, and finally finishing the job of stripping track from concretes for the WHR - lots of cutting discs and bancing, blood sweat and tears! Today we almost finished palleting up bullhead chairs dumped trackside from the Betteshanger job (yes its taken that long!) and failed despite best efforts to resurrect a poorly fork lift truck to lift them with...we are also preparing for moving the BQ van body from current location across the other side of the track, doing all we can to clear access to the piece of land that we are to reclaim from Network Rail (when we finally get permission sorted) to ease the severe bend (in one place down to 4 chains radius!) due mainly to the track not running straight into the bay platform it was designed to.
19 Feb - Rain all day...anyway, continued extending the platform footings, using a kango to chop through the clay, and this was then barrowed away. By the end of day, three old concrete sleepers laid end to end had been entombed in cement to allow for brick laying of a significant extension. Work continues...
15 Feb - Platform footings extended. Angle grinding spikes and cleats from flat bottom rail attached to light duty sleepers for WHR started - Managed to do one and a half panels, and roll the rail off onto the ground. It is a painstaking job, even with an 8 inch cutter - the petrol generator is up to the job (rated 1.5 KW) but it kills your wrists after half a panel, so taking turns on the job. Fortunately the weather was nice today - blue sky and some currant bun.
12 Feb - Sadly, as predicted we have hit a job stopped situation again, with trackwork and many other essential tasks to get passenger services running through not having a mini digger for the 1001 tasks we need it for. In the meantime, we are doing all the other tasks possible, such as tidying up site of scrap and rubbish, preparing light duty rail sold to the WHR, and clearing a 6ft safety zone along running lines by moving the BQ (van body used for stores by Oak Tree siding) and scrapping the metal 30ft container by the trams. Hopefully when these tasks are exhausted in the near future we will have our mini digger and the large quantity of ballast we need to do the job...also appalling weather (constant rain) didn't help.
25 Jan - Cummulative update - Trackwork continues, significantly it is now possible to run round a train as the middle road is now reconnected and the platform road has had all 91lb replaced with 95. A lot of shunting took place using out trusty Matisa diesel-electric on 24 Jan, putting stock into place for restoration and utilising the track capacity now available. Ongoing work is to install levers and rodding to all our new pointwork, install some missing point chairs, and check that all track fittings are present and correct. A lot of jacking and packing and top up ballasting still needs to be done, but the trackwork has been completely overhauled as far as the loading pad. We are in danger of becoming job stopped again though, due to a shortage of ballast, and the desperate need for a minidigger permanently on site, with many jobs pending...
Anyway here are a couple of photos.
4 Jan - While there has been some activity on site over the last week, with a few volunteers coming in on the 1st and 2nd, today was the first 'official' day of work this year. After a late start (0930) trackwork continued. We are laying another panel to replace 91lb rail on the platform road, the sleepers were already put in place by the crew on the 1st and 2nd. At end of day, one rail is screwed down and the other is 'clipped' and just needs gauging and screwing down.
Oh no - yet another trackshot...at this stage the rails had not been gauged beyond fishplates.
Mr January is Chris. We are doing volunteer profiles in the Phoenix magazine so I thought this might be a refreshing change to the trackwork pictures.
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