A mixed day at Robertsbridge. The challenge for the day was to round up as much scrap as possible for site tidying and revenue generation, but those who are best able to get the 'beast' started were not on site today.
Not being stymied for tasks the volunteers rallied together and Mark 1 was stripped out. Most volunteers felt rewarded in achieving a goal which had muddled on for a few weeks. It is expected that the finals of the electrics will be removed next Saturday and thereafter the Mark 1 released from duty.
Weds 12 Jan. Worked on replacing the east side window in the GBLV, in what is planned as the new kitchen area. This is because once the new insulation and cladding (necessary for food hygiene and comfort)reaches that side, this window will thus be covered and inaccesible internally. Removed the old rotting frame with some difficulty because of the inaccesible bolts; and fitted the replacement. All that remains is to clean up and refix the outer mouldings over thd old glass, assuming it fits the new frame. Insulation of the opposite wall proceeded apace.
Trevor and myself are planning a day of tidying up the embankments from Bodiam to Udiam on Saturday February 5th start time and meeting point to be arranged. So if you fancy getting out into the fresh country air and blowing away the winter cobwebs we would be pleased to see you.
Not much activity on site today. No Managers out on site to direct voluneers.
Bob and Jack painted woodwork in Musium. Mark painted buffer stop. Paul carried on in workshop.
Members made good use of Workers Canteen to provide thier own meals.
Bare wires left exposed on Mk 1. (If dismantleing electrical circuit it is adviseable to dismantle fron Consumer Unit / fuse box and not the other way.
David managed to take £40.00 in shop which will be paid in on Tuesday.
Got your message re cladding and all being well will be there to collect on Wednesday, whether will be able to carry to store depends on other volunteers being on site that day.
Weds 19 Jan. A lovely fresh day. Helen's cladding work inside the GBLV continues, but i found the glass didnt fit the newly installed replacement frame (which we inherited with the van). Instead plywood was fitted, and the glass can used in the washing-up area which currenmtly has a plywood window. Cut the various new bolts down to size, so that soon we can paint the outside of the van at the southern end. Work continues on the bench in memory of Dave Rimmer, and we removed the tractor battery (once the padlock had thawed out)for recharging. A look through the gate at Bridge no 1 revealed the scale of the tree and vegetation clearance right down to North Bridge Street.
Getting my 'fix' at RVR today. Continued with installing insulation and timberwork around doors (platform side). Unfortunately had to use another electrician for electrical carcassing or insulation work would have been heldup. Lucky to get electrician at such short notice.
Shunting took place today to get the crane, brake van and wagon out of the way, ready for Sunday's planned shunt to move the Mk 1 coach to the loading pad ready for collection. We managed to take up our good quality kitchen lino in one piece, for re-use; and returned all the Mk 1 seating components that had been removed to create the aborted kitchen. On Saturday we'll need to remove the steps and deck betweeen the GBLV and Mk 1 so that the shunt can take place.
This weekend we finished getting the Mk 1 rready to go, and completeed the shunt sucessfully on Sunday morning. The Mk 1 is now parked by the loading pad ready to go. There was a mere six inches to spare between the combination of Dougal pulling the GBLV and Titan pushing the Mk1, and the crossover point of the B road which enabled the MK 1 to be tranferred to the A road ready for loading.I got some pix but managed to leave my camera in my hi-viz so cannot upload just yet. The rest of Sunday was spent tidying up, working on the GBLV again to ready the south eastern end for priming outside, and putting in a temporary deck so we can access the south door of the van for messing. In addition the greenhouse was relocated.
The Mk 1 coach departed for Swindon last night, having got stuck all afternoon and evening due to the carpark not being empty on a Tuesday! The haulier does not seemed to have checked in advance what they were getting into, and we had no notice and were not consulted. The coach then got stuck in the village centre (ditto). Good riddance is the general feeling.
Gathered up some 7 tons of scrap chairs and rail bits, so we should soon have a full load (14 tons) to offset the new RVR overdraft.
Bodiam East Track Clearance Day. A windy rainy, one with mixed results. A fallen willow was cleared off a fence. The petrol strimmer broke, so will have to change that to a brush cutter, or buy less cheap strimmer wire. Some 20+ clips were inserted at Udiam. 9 were missing completely so added to the job list of the next Bodiam East day planned for 27th February.
On the next occasion: 1 Udiam buffer to be painted white/red, 2 missing clips inserted, 3 area next to Appledock strimmed and tidied. 4 fence beside appledock to be stapled up. 5 new sheep fence to be bought and erected next to plantings next to Appledock and Eastwood Crossing. 6 Waste (wood/vegetable) to be burnt.
Wednesday. Another 300 odd rail chairs loaded into the skip, which is now up to the maximum load of 14 tons. Still plenty more chairs to be dug out of the mound and loaded into the next skip! It's slow hard work but with scrap prices looking good at present there's a real incentive.
Spent morning removing the Ivy which had made it self at home on the sides and top of bridge one for over 30 plus years, afternoon spent tidying up the area just after the triangle by the old oaktree. Highlight of the afternoon was seeing the Black 5 come thundering through Robertsbridge station heading back to london what a sight and smell
Sunday 13 February. Today dominated by a presentation by the Trust to volunteers. Work to the bridges at Robertsbridge should begin this summer. This will be followed by a wholly new layout for the station and its approaches designed to allow through running of five-coach trains from Tenterden once the missing link has been restored. Plans for an interim train service using the open wagon have been dropped to enable this revised scheme to proceed, including a long straight platform alongside the main carpark, and a large new station building on the site of the VSOE and office building. It looks as if funds will be available for much of the work, coupled with more active fundraising by the railway to match some very generous donations. So back to the drawing board it seems, in terms of what the volunteers get up to over the next few months, at least until some major civil engineering gets going. But of course still lots to do both to restore vehicles and to tidy the site and dispose of surplus stuff. Watch this space....
Spent Saturday giving the VSOE building a good wash and brush up on the outside removing all the moss and dirt that the months since it had its last repaint, cleaned the windows between light showers. The VSOE does need a good repaint once the warmer weather comes as it is very tired. Gave the grass on the oposite side to Network S.E car park a small trim up.
Three cars headed off to Junction Road to do a variety of jobs. The buffer stop was mostly painted before the rain kicked in, track keys replaced, strimming undertaken and the sheepfence near the apple dock tidied up a bit and some of the posts renewed. Many more still to do. We learnt that it's best to sharpen the stakes at the RVR workshops rather than try and do them in situ. We could also do with a post rammer as the sledgehammer is harder work when the stakes start off at near shoulder height. Back at Robertsbridge, work continued on the GBLV interior in the new kitchen area. Outside, the fence line beside the former site of the greenhouse has been pushed back to give space for a small additional lawn or patio area close to the GBLV steps. A small bed and steps have been created alongside the RVR greenhouse in its new position.
Adding to Steves post, Feel it was quite a successful day at the RVR East event. Still more to do for the next day to be scheduled, which will probably be late April now, given the number of things slotting into the diary.
I walked the length of the RVR track from Junction road up to the KESR boundary, tapping in keys, and installing the ones from the bucket outside the office. Rob Evans learned by installing a few keys too.
I met some KESR people with the tamper (and got a ride in the cab - what an amazing machine) they also had some sort of ballast redistributor vehicle too. They were checking the level of the track and correcting it with the tamper. They said that, in some places, there was insufficient ballast hence the other vehicle. When I met them they had done about 200 yards of RVR track and said they were aiming to complete up to around the apple dock today. They also said that the lack of ballast would mean that another tamping session would be required after trains begin to run - i.e. probably after the Junction Road weekend.
There was no fishplate greasing, but I did talk to the tamper driver about various key types and safe means of insertion of the newer panlock ones. He said that its safer to use a tool to insert them, but it was fine to tap in any that were in but not quite properly seated. As a result, if I didn't miss any, I believe we now have tapped-in keys in all chairs except for 2 broken chairs, and 3 chairs where we only had panlock keys and which were right beside fishplates. I left a panlock key beside each of these. In the bucket outside the office, I left one useable panlock key and one cracked and unuseable old style key.
The Evans' look to have made a good job of the buffers. They look very smart now. Jack took lots of photos.
A sunny Wednesday and about 10 volunteers including one newbie - our second this year already.He set to work painting fencing by the lawn, while one window frame in the mess van was enlarged slightly to take its glass, and work on intermal insulation and classing prgressed. We gathered more scrap and hurled and heaved it into the skip (a very noisy business - sorry to any neighbours!). Work began to improve the look of the now unique Matisa locomotive. Meanwhile surveyors are on site at Robertsbridge to conduct the first proper land survey to get the levels and measurements established, ready for some detailed site drawings. This looks most promising!
Work today included locating two broken fishplates on the new track near Quarry Farm and replacing them, ready for the inaugural KESR Junction Road weekend service (18 & 19 March). More work on the Matisa, to repair corroded cab side sheets on the eastern side and clean up more of the engine covers. We plan to include an article about the Matisa in the next Phoenix. Land surveyors on site again today, near North Bridge Street.
Fascinating day at RVR Junction Road marshalling to ensure cars didn't park dangerously on the treacherous main road there, or gricers go where they shouldn't. One KESR train after another rolled up to the new RVR railhead at the site of the long vanished halt. Weather held up well and some photos and videos are being uploaded to the members' area of the RVR website. Thanks to everyone who assisted with marshalling, leafleting trains, and manning the RVR stand at Tenterden, etc...
Rather warm for March today! Time to get out the paint pot and set to work on the GBLV, eastern side, so red oxide paint is now creeping northwards along the metal work in preparation for a coat or two of undercoat. Work went also ahead on the Matisa which has had some substantial hole filling in the corroded cabside, and some metal sheeting is being prepped for cutting out with a view to fixing the corroded leaky cab roof.
Spent the morning working just past oaktree sidings clearing the brambles and generally tidying up, after lunch signed up a new member and I took him for a walk down the line to show him the site, then Helen stopped her work on Maitees to sell some magazines to a customer in the shop, then a very young boy and his mum came in and asked to look at the rolling stock parked by the platform, certainly was a busy Saturday
We spent the whole day getting the Komatsu 4 tonne digger off the bank and onto an arrangement of short lengths of rail to help "sledge" it up the line to the loading pad area. This involved a mixture of manual winching, jacking & packing, and "barring", to drag the rusty old beast off the bank and onto line "B" without dropping it into the cess en route. The old non-functioning machine has a buyer, so when done, this exercise should raise a very useful sum of cash, so we think it is worth it!
Yesterday, gloriously sunny and warm. The digger was successfully moved to the loading pad, though not without considerable difficulties. We all wished the crane was available instead! The owner of the Matissa and Dougal came for a meeting to discuss the way forward on his two locos. Sounds promising!
What a lovely warm sunny day dawned on Saturday on arrival at Robertsbridge I encountered a problem with the internal water supply in the GBLV but once that was sorted it was off to Oaktree sidings where the weeds on seeing the sun had grown in abundance so it was out with the sythe and cut them down quite a large area was cut down but Oaktree sidings will reqiure further attention plus the Japanese knotwood will require treatment as they are spreading again.
The April mini-heatwave continues. This morning we mended the leak in the GBLV, and then used the Tug (the Permaquip) to carry the heavy steel digger track down to join the digger to which it belongs, plus other items ready for collection in the week. Some tidying up and litter picking too. After lunch it was back to work on the GBLV inside and out, fitting the first of the large white ceiling panels in the kitchen area and priming and filling more of the woodwork outside at the same end of the van.
Yesterday was cooler again. The Komatsu etc was paid for and removed ok. The buyer, who is good to do business with, even took a look at the Smith Rodley crane but I doubt he will make an offer even though tempted. Otherwise work much as Sunday, plus gardening.
Today was really warm. With the last ceiling sheet now up in the mess van kitchen (tricky to do) attention moved to the second of the four walls in the kitchen which also being sheeted over with wipeable white plastic. Outside the undercoating is making progress. Work also began to investigate the mobile trackside generator to see if it can be brought back to life.
Will this heatwave never end?! Today we got the hopper wagon loaded with ballast and spread some on the "curve", which has benefited from some further jacking and packing this weekend to even out the lumps and bumps. Also today the remaining cladding on the vandalised hut at North Bridge Street was stripped. This leaves the timber frame and roof still to remove. Some tidying up of track materials was also started.
What a hot day despite the over night rain and weather forecasters woeing that it was rain showers for today, new Brushcutter put through its paces up at oaktree sidings as yet again the Japaneese Knotwood has sprung up despite my best efforts back in March of cutting them back,not completely finished will have to make another attack on them in a few weeks time. Also tidyed up by the grounded oil tanker.
Another sunny Sunday, ideal for painting. The Matisa benefitted, as did some of the fencing . Inside the GBLV, the cladding is virtually finished now and attention will soon turn to the floor. Sockets are being connected to the concealed wiring, and extractor fans are ready to be fitted into the ceiling panels. Elsewhere on the site a systematic assessment was being made of the track materials in stock with the help of K&ESR, to decide what may still need to be acquired, and also what scope there is for selling surplus materials. Plant sales are going well this year.
What started out as a cloudy potential rainy Saturday ended up being warm and sunny as both Trevor and myself equiped with brushcutters and a handy tool kit fixing our brushcutters every now and then we chopped the weeds into submission over at Junction Road, met the new tennents looking after Udiam Farm and managed to tidy up past the first bend heading back to Bodiam its amazing how quickly weeds can come back with avengence after all the hard work done in March for the first Junction road weekend. I am planning to go back over to Junction Road in June to keep things in order. If anyone fancies joining me then please get in touch with me via the RVR office. Please note I am only down on Saturdays due to work commitments
Sunday 8 May. At Robertsbridge we had a good turnout of volunteers. Several helped get the shop readyfor the SAMEX event in 2 weeks times. Lots of new stock to mark up and arrange. We got the front-loader (aka "the Beast") going to remove the pile of road planings from the yard where the gazebo needs to go. Unfortunately the heap has solidified over time and the loader couldn't shift most of it without a lot of crowbar/pickaxe action, so we didn't manage to finish. Elsewhere work continued on the new kitchen floor, the Matissa, the fence painting and the dismantling of "Robertsbridge C". One innovation started - a large sturdy rack on which to display the antique rail-chairs for sale more effectively. Plant sales did well today
Monday 16 May. Having taken our large electric concrete breaker to the soloidified heap of road planings, we managed to remove the rest of the heap by lunchtime today. The shop did a roaring trade on Sunday; and we are looking forward to the Model Railway Exhibition this coming weekend, posters for which we have been spreading around local pubs and shop windows.
Wednesday 25 May. Congratulations all round on a very successful Model Railway Weekend, with increased visitor numbers plus great sales of tockets, shop stuff and refreshments bringing in some very welcome revenue. High winds on sunday threatened to send the marquee into orbit, while eight shunting demonstration sessions gave visitors a 12" to the foot scale railway experience to add to some terrific layouts on view in the village hall. Today we cleared up and put stuff away, gave the tower scaffold a service and moved it alongside the GLBV as attention returns to finishing off the roof and setting up the new kitchen in the gleaming new space created for it inside the van. Later, a site meeting was scheduled, looking ahead to the start of some serious civil engineering before too long!
Saturday & Sunday 28-29 May. A lively and very well attended Supporters' Association AGM. About 30 people crammed into the VSOE building. RVR Trust chairman Gardner Crawley outlined the Trust's latest progress including a likely start on the bridge work preparations in July. He took a barrage of questions and statements concerning the future of the Robertsbridge site, the activities likely to be based there once the railways join up, and the supporters place over the coming years as all of the site is wholly recast and remodelled to cater for the planned operation of a joined up railway by KESR. A new SA Committee was elected, with Paul King joining, Helen Brett in the chair, and Trevor Streeter having resigned a couple of days previously. Sunday saw the start of another new young volunteer, and preparations for lifting some of the track nearest to Bridge No 1 to allows safer access by excavators and HGVs involved in the demolition and rebuilding work towards North Bridge street - at long last!
At last a Bank Holiday that produced visitors to the railway. Also more than one volunteer on site. Myself, Geoff and Trevor.
Quite a lot of visitors which together with Sunday produced sales of £368.08!! Shows what can be achieved when visitors can be attracted to the site. What was needed was someone ti guide visitors around the site.
One problem which needs urgent attention is the springs on the front doors, one visitor nearly knocked to the ground by the door as it closed behind him. Can we do this on WEdnesday please. I suggest we purchase on of the closers used on the rear doors.
Wednesday 1 June. A lovely sunny day, just right for more painting! As well as the GBLV and Matisa, we were delighted that our new volunteer Ben was willing to take on the external repainting of Titan, the O-4-0 Drewry shunter on loan from KESR and privately owned. It's going to be redone in black on the same lines as Dougal/Mr Useful. Most of the bonnet area was sanded and treated with rust converter in places. Fortunately the previous paint job is sound even if badly faded, and we hope to complete the job over the next few weeks, weather and staffing permitting.
Sat 11 June. Unsettled weather this week. Work continued in/on the mess van including fitting a handwash basin and water heater, extractors fans, base units and worktop and connecting up appliances. Tree branches which threatened next door's phone lines were pruned with some difficulty. Work continues on the bench which we plan to commemorate Dave Rimmer.
Weds 22 June. Arrived this morning after a week off to find that site prep. work was already well advanced on the next phase of the railway's development, as predicted at our AGM. Our contractor's excavator has blasted a way through the jungle at the foot of the embankment right up to the stream beneath Bridge No 1. It's also cleared and levelled the area to the south of the stored bridge sections. This is now being filled with crushed concrete over a membrane to provide a working site to shot-blast and treat the bridge sections. These will be used on the project to extend the line east to North Bridge Street, hopefully starting this summer. We de-keyed and de-fishplated a few lengths of rail so that these and the sleepers can be removed to allow construction vehicles to easily access the ramp down below the embankment.
After a holiday, I return to find big strides forward in the project to extend from Robertsbridge to Northbridge Street. The various remains of Bridges 3, 4 and 5 have been demolished, while bridge No. 1 has been deeply excavated behind the western abutment ready for a new abutment to be created behind and bolted through the old one, massively reinforcing the original structure. The Oak Tree triangle area has been cleared to receive two longer bridge spans which have been sourced. Works to make access easier for these long/wide loads have also been completed including removing the buffer stop from the siding by the old bridge sections in case this fouled the incoming transport. All the stock from this siding is now back in the main yard at Robertsbridge to help create maximum safe working space, and trains can no longer travel beyond the loading pad. Exciting stuff!
This week we welcomed two new volunteers, Adam and Duncan. I hope they will be back! On the main bridge works, there's a bit of a pause now until the construction begins, with reinforcing bars and concrete shuttering/ pouring being lined up ready for next week we hope. A member of the public apparently wandered in one day recently anxious that works on the Nortbridge Street extension would increase flood risk in the village. He was reassured that all the floodways will be preserved ... indeed that is central to the plan.
As the passenger trains pass by the site en route to Hastings or Charing Cross/Cannon Street, I often wonder how many of the regulars have noticed that things are happening at Robertsbridge. I bet the train crews have noticed now. Views of our website are increasing...
A day of showers and gusty winds which made outside working a bit uncomfortable. in the mess van, hot water is now available from the two water heaters for drinks and washing up. outside the van, we filled some holes with wood, mastic and galvanised steel pop-rivetted to the roof lower quadrant. More still to do before the sides are ready for painting. It wasn't a day for doing the roof vents. Weed spraying and weed pulling went on all day, with hedge trimming too. A useful turnout of volunteers got a lot done. A walk alongside the works from Northbridge Street back to Bridge 1 allowed a few more photos to be taken.
More showers! The summer so far is a washout but at least we don't get too hot. The eight old Staplehurst bridge sections have been laid out on the newly prepared working site, ready for treatment. A delivery of diesel failed to materialise (I think) which cheated me of a photo I hoped for of the loco(s) being fuelled up. More patching work on the GBLV roof until the rivet gun jammed. We welcomed Alan back to work again after nine months serious illness. He warmed up with the weedwhacker along our frontage. We have such a loyal set of regular volunteers...
Saturday saw a small team over at Junction Road Strimming their way from Udiam farm along to the curve by the new field which will house a herd of bullocks, the track bed is crying out for the weedkilling train to come along and do the business, hopfully this will be soon. Over at Robertsbridge Helen was busy making up the new Electricity Junction box to allow for Peter Brown to work on the Bridsge sections further down the line. Also a big thank you to Peter Brown for being the tour guide to two groups of people who turned up on the off chance of a look around the Station site and they also popped into the RVR shop and hopefully spent a pound or two
While I haven’t been able to get down for a few sessions, a lot has been going on since my last post. The first concrete has been poured for the reinforcement of Bridge No 1’s western abutment. Volunteers have cleared years of junk and gunk from the 8 ex-Staplehurst bridge sections, including redundant brackets, to help reduce the cost of the shotblasting due to start soon. Four spans will be used to reach North Bridge Street, with Bridge No 1 requiring new metalwork as it is too wide for these spans. A temporary power supply is being installed to the working area. Preparations are also being made to clear the site from this point all the way to the start of the embankment to give room for re-levelling and laying of improved sub-base for the proposed new track layout (details awaited). It appears that a lot of material will have to be disposed of rapidly.
Back down at last to Roberstsbridge today. At bridge No 12 the first level of concrete has been poured and the shuttering is ready waiting for the right time for the next one. It looks impressive. At Bridge 3, the reinforcing work and shuttering has been laid out for the base of the new bridge structure. I was manning the shop in the afternoon, after interviewing a new member/volunteer and getting him started, so all in all didn't have much time to get going today. Not many people on site today, but perhaps the showers put people off, while others will be on holiday!
By today bridge 1 had a further "lift", and the concrete thus far had a coat of bitumen paint so that backfilling could begin. As the soil goes back in it's tamped with a vibrating roller to pack each layer hard. The final layer awaits some final clearance to the design of where the girders will rest, due shortly. Bridge 3 should be ready for the first pour soon - the entire base slab for the whole structure. Robertsbridge's electrical appliance testing took place today, taking up most of my time. It would have been a great day for getting back to work on roof of the GBLV but needs must.
A useful day mainly working on the mess van. Inside, the washing-up area's two sinks are now in place, one window has been glazed, and the partition begins to go up. Outside more metal patches have been riveted to the roof's lower quadrant (?) and two torpedo roof ventilators are ready to go in place of badly corroded ones that having been letting the rain in.
The first of two bridge spans from somewhere near Reading arrived in the small hours. The second is due tommorrow, and a crane to unload them onto the baulks laid out in the triangle area at Robertsbridge. The stream under bridge 1 has been dammed and the bed excavated to enable concreting and reinforcing. Meanwhile reinforcing mesh for the abutments to Bridge 3 haven taken shape. On the GBLV, the two vents have been fitted.
Another pour of concrete at Bridge 3 today, more work on the ex-Staplehurst bridge sections, on an 1874 SER rail chair found buried on the site recently, on the GBLV roof and underframe, a banana van and one of the tram bodies, and on laying in a water supply to the loading pad area to facilitate safe working with angle grinders and cutters.
The GBLV has all three sinks operational,with hot and cold water and drainage.The dish-washer is up and running. Anybody out there with an upright larder type deep freezer they don't want? Our chest freezer is getting a bit long in the tooth
Bridge works are moving ahead rapidly now, with the new abutments raised for Bridge 3, scooping out the site of Bridge 4 already completed, and the new "underwater" elements of Bridge 1 receiving lorry loads of concrete today to form the strong new base across the bottom of the river bed. Up on the embankment, work is advancing on clearing the east side of the future widened trackbed all the way back to where the ex-Staplehurst bridge sections are being tidied up ready for shotblasting.
Shuttering has gone up on one of two side walls of the culvert below Bridge 1, and ironwork is up on the other. The river level looks a bit ominous, as does the weather forecast! Work has begun on the rest of the mess van interior, and this will be moved shortly into the platform so that we can prepare to cater to the assembled masses on Bonfire night. This move will also make working on the van easier, since it saves us the bother of putting up steps to make an staff entrance/fire exit, which would also get in the way of the remaining work on the east side. Some external painting and prepping in between the showers.
After a couple of weeks away, I find a lot has happened. Shuttering is well off the ground on bridge 4 and more concrete is due next week to finish it off. The deck and girders are being removed from Bridge No 1, which now has a new concrete channel beneath it through not quite ready for the temporary dams to be removed either side. The "ambulance coach" has gone (removed by its owner to another location) and the Smith Rodley crane is already in pieces having been sold for scrap. Work on the mess van continues inside and out. Adam and I amused ourselves "blackjacking" on the abutments to bridge 3, prior to backfilling commencing. Another new volunteer was in evidence.
Bridge no 4 abutments are now completed, and work has begun on the river bank repairs between this bridge and No 5. A section of the railway embankment has been removed temporarily, involving some 20 lorry loads at about 2o tonnes each. This is to allow the sheet piling machine to operate next week, inserting piles each side of the line to protect it from future erosion. Bridge No 1 is having some further concrete added on the eastern bank to complete the "culvert" beneath, before the temporary dams are removed later this month. Four bridge spans have been removed by contractors for stripping down and coating, ready for use on bridges 2 to 5 in due course. The Smith Rodley crane has now departed this world.
This weekend found 7 of us at Tenterden on K&ESR's regular volunteer days. People interested in volunteering get shown around and introduced to various departments and existing regulars, to help them choose what they might like to do. All safety-critical jobs require training and 'passing out'so we need to get up to speed before passenger trains run at Robertsbridge. The fascinating day culminated in a return trip to Bodiam in glorious sunshine. On Sunday three of us set out to grease fishplates on the eastern extension. Sounds easy but actually tiring work as each one has to be wholly removed and replaced. We got maybe one third of it done before running out of steam. Again a fabulously sunny day for mid-October. I noted the tracked piledriver had arrived at Northbridge Street -hope to get some pix on Wednesday if it's still there.
It's been quite rainy recently but work has been cracking on. On our latest extension, riverside piling was completed and bridge no 3 has now been backfilled. Shuttering on bridge 4 should come down soon as work on bridge 5 starts. A load of concrete sleepers has been delivered. Back at the station area, work on the mess van continues, inside and out, along with some tidying up. Over at the eastern extension, we began the long process of greasing all the fishplates between Quarry Farm crossing and Junction Road.
It managed to stay dry today so got all 18 bolts cut on one of the more rotten GBLV windowframes, ready for a new frame to be fitted and glazed in its place. We have already moved the glass to the platform side, so all but one of the original windows that side are now glazed once again. Inside, the 'office' partition was erected, together with door, plus more insulation and cladding. This entailed a further clear out and now at last only stuff needed for the mess van project remains inside, plus our spare high viz clothing.
The trackbed from Bridges one to four is now beautifully laid with sub-base, ready for ballasting and tracklaying once the bridge spans are in place. Work has begun on bridge 5, with excavation completed, blinding going down and formwork due soon. Once completed, it looks like the bridge spans will be delivered and arrangements made to place these with a massive crane. Meanwhile, we have taken now possession of a Matissa ballast regulator from K&ESR, and steel has been delivered for repairs to the LNER hopper wagon so that this can be loaded up safely next year for ballasting the new track across the five bridges and down to Northbridge street in the New Year.
Work on the BGLV mess van continues, inside and out, and we are all set to cater for Robertsbridge's own Bonfire Night on the 19th, including a very realistic Guy. He's said by some to represent ...well, I won't say who.
It was a busy day out along the embankment behind the B & Q van cutting back the brambles and pruning trees. Its surprising how much bigger the area looks once the weeds and trees have been cut back. There is one more working Saturday before Christmas which is this coming weekend December 3rd weather permitting where we will continue progressing along the embankment to Bridge 1. If you are looking to get out in the fresh air and some excerise then why not join myself and Mark Yonge. I shall be on site from 9.30 am.
I wandered around to view the completed abutments for Bridge No 5, and saw work begin on creating the concrete "pads" on top of all three of the totally new bridges. These pads will take the bridge spans and have to be exactly the right height in relation to the proposed track levels. We rescued a number of lockers from the Network Rail huts at Robertsbridge main station which are being cleared prior to demolition. Thanks to NR for thinking of us.
A very nice lunch was cooked up by Helen and Derek on Saturday for the regular volunteers. It was good to sit back and admire enjoy the fruits of our labours in the shape of the warmer and shinier mess-van interior. We heard this week that the bridge spans for all five bridges are nearing completion and should be returning to the site very early next year. We also managed to sell both of the N gauge layouts on Ebay, which is good news (assuming the buyers follow through!) Merry Christmas and happy New Year.
January 14th 2012:Today saw the Forestry and Conservation Department working from Bridge 3 along the embankment by the football pitches to just short of bridge 2 hacking back the undergrowth I would like to thank a returning volunteer Duncan for his hard work today it was a shame that one of the brushcutters decided to throw its air fliter fixing screws into the scrub and stayed hidden so we only had one machine in action and the use of a sythe which made progress slow. Our next working weekend will be early February date to be annouced.
Yesterday saw the delivery of the Corrugated Hut donated by Network Rail still covered in Ivy over the walls and roof. Its in very good condition and once given some tlc will be sitesome where along the line at Robertsbridge
A mixed day at Robertsbridge. The challenge for the day was to round up as much scrap as possible for site tidying and revenue generation, but those who are best able to get the 'beast' started were not on site today.
ReplyDeleteNot being stymied for tasks the volunteers rallied together and Mark 1 was stripped out. Most volunteers felt rewarded in achieving a goal which had muddled on for a few weeks. It is expected that the finals of the electrics will be removed next Saturday and thereafter the Mark 1 released from duty.
Weds 12 Jan. Worked on replacing the east side window in the GBLV, in what is planned as the new kitchen area. This is because once the new insulation and cladding (necessary for food hygiene and comfort)reaches that side, this window will thus be covered and inaccesible internally. Removed the old rotting frame with some difficulty because of the inaccesible bolts; and fitted the replacement. All that remains is to clean up and refix the outer mouldings over thd old glass, assuming it fits the new frame. Insulation of the opposite wall proceeded apace.
ReplyDeleteTrevor and myself are planning a day of tidying up the embankments from Bodiam to Udiam
ReplyDeleteon Saturday February 5th start time and meeting point to be arranged. So if you fancy getting out into the fresh country air and blowing away the winter cobwebs we would be pleased to see you.
Not much activity on site today. No Managers out on site to direct voluneers.
ReplyDeleteBob and Jack painted woodwork in Musium.
Mark painted buffer stop.
Paul carried on in workshop.
Members made good use of Workers Canteen to provide thier own meals.
Bare wires left exposed on Mk 1. (If dismantleing electrical circuit it is adviseable to dismantle fron Consumer Unit / fuse box and not the other way.
David managed to take £40.00 in shop which will be paid in on Tuesday.
Got your message re cladding and all being well will be there to collect on Wednesday, whether will be able to carry to store depends on other volunteers being on site that day.
Weds 19 Jan. A lovely fresh day. Helen's cladding work inside the GBLV continues, but i found the glass didnt fit the newly installed replacement frame (which we inherited with the van). Instead plywood was fitted, and the glass can used in the washing-up area which currenmtly has a plywood window. Cut the various new bolts down to size, so that soon we can paint the outside of the van at the southern end. Work continues on the bench in memory of Dave Rimmer, and we removed the tractor battery (once the padlock had thawed out)for recharging. A look through the gate at Bridge no 1 revealed the scale of the tree and vegetation clearance right down to North Bridge Street.
ReplyDeleteGetting my 'fix' at RVR today. Continued with installing insulation and timberwork around doors (platform side). Unfortunately had to use another electrician for electrical carcassing or insulation work would have been heldup. Lucky to get electrician at such short notice.
ReplyDeleteShunting took place today to get the crane, brake van and wagon out of the way, ready for Sunday's planned shunt to move the Mk 1 coach to the loading pad ready for collection. We managed to take up our good quality kitchen lino in one piece, for re-use; and returned all the Mk 1 seating components that had been removed to create the aborted kitchen. On Saturday we'll need to remove the steps and deck betweeen the GBLV and Mk 1 so that the shunt can take place.
ReplyDeleteGBLV new kitchen proceeding well. Left side nearly completed insulation installation.
ReplyDeleteNearly ready for ceiling (left side) cladding - just lighting carcassing to do and one panel (by door)
to complete insulation installation.
This weekend we finished getting the Mk 1 rready to go, and completeed the shunt sucessfully on Sunday morning. The Mk 1 is now parked by the loading pad ready to go. There was a mere six inches to spare between the combination of Dougal pulling the GBLV and Titan pushing the Mk1, and the crossover point of the B road which enabled the MK 1 to be tranferred to the A road ready for loading.I got some pix but managed to leave my camera in my hi-viz so cannot upload just yet. The rest of Sunday was spent tidying up, working on the GBLV again to ready the south eastern end for priming outside, and putting in a temporary deck so we can access the south door of the van for messing. In addition the greenhouse was relocated.
ReplyDeleteThe Mk 1 coach departed for Swindon last night, having got stuck all afternoon and evening due to the carpark not being empty on a Tuesday! The haulier does not seemed to have checked in advance what they were getting into, and we had no notice and were not consulted. The coach then got stuck in the village centre (ditto). Good riddance is the general feeling.
ReplyDeleteGathered up some 7 tons of scrap chairs and rail bits, so we should soon have a full load (14 tons) to offset the new RVR overdraft.
Bodiam East Track Clearance Day. A windy rainy, one with mixed results. A fallen willow was cleared off a fence. The petrol strimmer broke, so will have to change that to a brush cutter, or buy less cheap strimmer wire. Some 20+ clips were inserted at Udiam. 9 were missing completely so added to the job list of the next Bodiam East day planned for 27th February.
ReplyDeleteOn the next occasion:
1 Udiam buffer to be painted white/red,
2 missing clips inserted,
3 area next to Appledock strimmed and tidied.
4 fence beside appledock to be stapled up.
5 new sheep fence to be bought and erected next to plantings next to Appledock and Eastwood Crossing.
6 Waste (wood/vegetable) to be burnt.
All invited.
Wednesday. Another 300 odd rail chairs loaded into the skip, which is now up to the maximum load of 14 tons. Still plenty more chairs to be dug out of the mound and loaded into the next skip! It's slow hard work but with scrap prices looking good at present there's a real incentive.
ReplyDeleteSpent morning removing the Ivy which had made it self at home on the sides and top of bridge one for over 30 plus years, afternoon spent tidying up the area just after the triangle by the old oaktree. Highlight of the afternoon was seeing the Black 5 come thundering through Robertsbridge station heading back to london what a sight and smell
ReplyDeleteSunday 13 February. Today dominated by a presentation by the Trust to volunteers. Work to the bridges at Robertsbridge should begin this summer. This will be followed by a wholly new layout for the station and its approaches designed to allow through running of five-coach trains from Tenterden once the missing link has been restored. Plans for an interim train service using the open wagon have been dropped to enable this revised scheme to proceed, including a long straight platform alongside the main carpark, and a large new station building on the site of the VSOE and office building. It looks as if funds will be available for much of the work, coupled with more active fundraising by the railway to match some very generous donations. So back to the drawing board it seems, in terms of what the volunteers get up to over the next few months, at least until some major civil engineering gets going. But of course still lots to do both to restore vehicles and to tidy the site and dispose of surplus stuff. Watch this space....
ReplyDeleteSpent Saturday giving the VSOE building a good wash and brush up on the outside removing all the moss and dirt that the months since it had its last repaint, cleaned the windows between light showers. The VSOE does need a good repaint once the warmer weather comes as it is very tired. Gave the grass on the oposite side to Network S.E car park a small trim up.
ReplyDeleteThree cars headed off to Junction Road to do a variety of jobs. The buffer stop was mostly painted before the rain kicked in, track keys replaced, strimming undertaken and the sheepfence near the apple dock tidied up a bit and some of the posts renewed. Many more still to do. We learnt that it's best to sharpen the stakes at the RVR workshops rather than try and do them in situ. We could also do with a post rammer as the sledgehammer is harder work when the stakes start off at near shoulder height. Back at Robertsbridge, work continued on the GBLV interior in the new kitchen area. Outside, the fence line beside the former site of the greenhouse has been pushed back to give space for a small additional lawn or patio area close to the GBLV steps. A small bed and steps have been created alongside the RVR greenhouse in its new position.
ReplyDeleteAdding to Steves post, Feel it was quite a successful day at the RVR East event. Still more to do for the next day to be scheduled, which will probably be late April now, given the number of things slotting into the diary.
ReplyDeleteI walked the length of the RVR track from Junction road up to the KESR boundary, tapping in keys, and installing the ones from the bucket outside the office. Rob Evans learned by installing a few keys too.
ReplyDeleteI met some KESR people with the tamper (and got a ride in the cab - what an amazing machine) they also had some sort of ballast redistributor vehicle too. They were checking the level of the track and correcting it with the tamper. They said that, in some places, there was insufficient ballast hence the other vehicle. When I met them they had done about 200 yards of RVR track and said they were aiming to complete up to around the apple dock today. They also said that the lack of ballast would mean that another tamping session would be required after trains begin to run - i.e. probably after the Junction Road weekend.
There was no fishplate greasing, but I did talk to the tamper driver about various key types and safe means of insertion of the newer panlock ones. He said that its safer to use a tool to insert them, but it was fine to tap in any that were in but not quite properly seated. As a result, if I didn't miss any, I believe we now have tapped-in keys in all chairs except for 2 broken chairs, and 3 chairs where we only had panlock keys and which were right beside fishplates. I left a panlock key beside each of these. In the bucket outside the office, I left one useable panlock key and one cracked and unuseable old style key.
The Evans' look to have made a good job of the buffers. They look very smart now. Jack took lots of photos.
A sunny Wednesday and about 10 volunteers including one newbie - our second this year already.He set to work painting fencing by the lawn, while one window frame in the mess van was enlarged slightly to take its glass, and work on intermal insulation and classing prgressed. We gathered more scrap and hurled and heaved it into the skip (a very noisy business - sorry to any neighbours!). Work began to improve the look of the now unique Matisa locomotive. Meanwhile surveyors are on site at Robertsbridge to conduct the first proper land survey to get the levels and measurements established, ready for some detailed site drawings. This looks most promising!
ReplyDeleteWork today included locating two broken fishplates on the new track near Quarry Farm and replacing them, ready for the inaugural KESR Junction Road weekend service (18 & 19 March). More work on the Matisa, to repair corroded cab side sheets on the eastern side and clean up more of the engine covers. We plan to include an article about the Matisa in the next Phoenix. Land surveyors on site again today, near North Bridge Street.
ReplyDeleteFascinating day at RVR Junction Road marshalling to ensure cars didn't park dangerously on the treacherous main road there, or gricers go where they shouldn't. One KESR train after another rolled up to the new RVR railhead at the site of the long vanished halt. Weather held up well and some photos and videos are being uploaded to the members' area of the RVR website. Thanks to everyone who assisted with marshalling, leafleting trains, and manning the RVR stand at Tenterden, etc...
ReplyDeleteRather warm for March today! Time to get out the paint pot and set to work on the GBLV, eastern side, so red oxide paint is now creeping northwards along the metal work in preparation for a coat or two of undercoat. Work went also ahead on the Matisa which has had some substantial hole filling in the corroded cabside, and some metal sheeting is being prepped for cutting out with a view to fixing the corroded leaky cab roof.
ReplyDeleteSpent the morning working just past oaktree sidings clearing the brambles and generally tidying up, after lunch signed up a new member and I took him for a walk down the line to show him the site, then Helen stopped her work on Maitees to sell some magazines to a customer in the shop, then a very young boy and his mum came in and asked to look at the rolling stock parked by the platform, certainly was a busy Saturday
ReplyDeleteWe spent the whole day getting the Komatsu 4 tonne digger off the bank and onto an arrangement of short lengths of rail to help "sledge" it up the line to the loading pad area. This involved a mixture of manual winching, jacking & packing, and "barring", to drag the rusty old beast off the bank and onto line "B" without dropping it into the cess en route. The old non-functioning machine has a buyer, so when done, this exercise should raise a very useful sum of cash, so we think it is worth it!
ReplyDeleteYesterday, gloriously sunny and warm. The digger was successfully moved to the loading pad, though not without considerable difficulties. We all wished the crane was available instead! The owner of the Matissa and Dougal came for a meeting to discuss the way forward on his two locos. Sounds promising!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely warm sunny day dawned on Saturday on arrival at Robertsbridge I encountered a problem with the internal water supply in the GBLV but once that was sorted it was off to Oaktree sidings where the weeds on seeing the sun had grown in abundance so it was out with the sythe and cut them down quite a large area was cut down but Oaktree sidings will reqiure further attention plus the Japanese knotwood will require treatment as they are spreading again.
ReplyDeleteThe April mini-heatwave continues. This morning we mended the leak in the GBLV, and then used the Tug (the Permaquip) to carry the heavy steel digger track down to join the digger to which it belongs, plus other items ready for collection in the week. Some tidying up and litter picking too. After lunch it was back to work on the GBLV inside and out, fitting the first of the large white ceiling panels in the kitchen area and priming and filling more of the woodwork outside at the same end of the van.
ReplyDeleteYesterday was cooler again. The Komatsu etc was paid for and removed ok. The buyer, who is good to do business with, even took a look at the Smith Rodley crane but I doubt he will make an offer even though tempted. Otherwise work much as Sunday, plus gardening.
ReplyDeleteToday was really warm. With the last ceiling sheet now up in the mess van kitchen (tricky to do) attention moved to the second of the four walls in the kitchen which also being sheeted over with wipeable white plastic. Outside the undercoating is making progress. Work also began to investigate the mobile trackside generator to see if it can be brought back to life.
ReplyDeleteWill this heatwave never end?! Today we got the hopper wagon loaded with ballast and spread some on the "curve", which has benefited from some further jacking and packing this weekend to even out the lumps and bumps. Also today the remaining cladding on the vandalised hut at North Bridge Street was stripped. This leaves the timber frame and roof still to remove. Some tidying up of track materials was also started.
ReplyDeleteWhat a hot day despite the over night rain and weather forecasters woeing that it was rain showers for today, new Brushcutter put through its paces up at oaktree sidings as yet again the Japaneese Knotwood has sprung up despite my best efforts back in March of cutting them back,not completely finished will have to make another attack on them in a few weeks time. Also tidyed up by the grounded oil tanker.
ReplyDeleteAnother sunny Sunday, ideal for painting. The Matisa benefitted, as did some of the fencing . Inside the GBLV, the cladding is virtually finished now and attention will soon turn to the floor. Sockets are being connected to the concealed wiring, and extractor fans are ready to be fitted into the ceiling panels. Elsewhere on the site a systematic assessment was being made of the track materials in stock with the help of K&ESR, to decide what may still need to be acquired, and also what scope there is for selling surplus materials. Plant sales are going well this year.
ReplyDeleteWhat started out as a cloudy potential rainy Saturday ended up being warm and sunny as both Trevor and myself equiped with brushcutters and a handy tool kit fixing our brushcutters every now and then we chopped the weeds into submission over at Junction Road, met the new tennents looking after Udiam Farm and managed to tidy up past the first bend heading back to Bodiam its amazing how quickly weeds can come back with avengence after all the hard work done in March for the first Junction road weekend. I am planning to go back over to Junction Road in June to keep things in order. If anyone fancies joining me then please get in touch with me via the RVR office. Please note I am only down on Saturdays due to work commitments
ReplyDeleteSunday 8 May. At Robertsbridge we had a good turnout of volunteers. Several helped get the shop readyfor the SAMEX event in 2 weeks times. Lots of new stock to mark up and arrange. We got the front-loader (aka "the Beast") going to remove the pile of road planings from the yard where the gazebo needs to go. Unfortunately the heap has solidified over time and the loader couldn't shift most of it without a lot of crowbar/pickaxe action, so we didn't manage to finish. Elsewhere work continued on the new kitchen floor, the Matissa, the fence painting and the dismantling of "Robertsbridge C". One innovation started - a large sturdy rack on which to display the antique rail-chairs for sale more effectively. Plant sales did well today
ReplyDeleteMonday 16 May. Having taken our large electric concrete breaker to the soloidified heap of road planings, we managed to remove the rest of the heap by lunchtime today. The shop did a roaring trade on Sunday; and we are looking forward to the Model Railway Exhibition this coming weekend, posters for which we have been spreading around local pubs and shop windows.
ReplyDeleteWednesday 25 May. Congratulations all round on a very successful Model Railway Weekend, with increased visitor numbers plus great sales of tockets, shop stuff and refreshments bringing in some very welcome revenue. High winds on sunday threatened to send the marquee into orbit, while eight shunting demonstration sessions gave visitors a 12" to the foot scale railway experience to add to some terrific layouts on view in the village hall. Today we cleared up and put stuff away, gave the tower scaffold a service and moved it alongside the GLBV as attention returns to finishing off the roof and setting up the new kitchen in the gleaming new space created for it inside the van. Later, a site meeting was scheduled, looking ahead to the start of some serious civil engineering before too long!
ReplyDeleteSaturday & Sunday 28-29 May. A lively and very well attended Supporters' Association AGM. About 30 people crammed into the VSOE building. RVR Trust chairman Gardner Crawley outlined the Trust's latest progress including a likely start on the bridge work preparations in July. He took a barrage of questions and statements concerning the future of the Robertsbridge site, the activities likely to be based there once the railways join up, and the supporters place over the coming years as all of the site is wholly recast and remodelled to cater for the planned operation of a joined up railway by KESR. A new SA Committee was elected, with Paul King joining, Helen Brett in the chair, and Trevor Streeter having resigned a couple of days previously. Sunday saw the start of another new young volunteer, and preparations for lifting some of the track nearest to Bridge No 1 to allows safer access by excavators and HGVs involved in the demolition and rebuilding work towards North Bridge street - at long last!
ReplyDeleteHi All
ReplyDeleteAt last a Bank Holiday that produced visitors to the railway. Also more than one volunteer on site. Myself, Geoff and Trevor.
Quite a lot of visitors which together with Sunday produced sales of £368.08!! Shows what can be achieved when visitors can
be attracted to the site. What was needed was someone ti guide visitors around the site.
One problem which needs urgent attention is the springs on the front doors, one visitor nearly knocked to the ground by the door
as it closed behind him. Can we do this on WEdnesday please. I suggest we purchase on of the closers used on the rear doors.
Wednesday 1 June. A lovely sunny day, just right for more painting! As well as the GBLV and Matisa, we were delighted that our new volunteer Ben was willing to take on the external repainting of Titan, the O-4-0 Drewry shunter on loan from KESR and privately owned. It's going to be redone in black on the same lines as Dougal/Mr Useful. Most of the bonnet area was sanded and treated with rust converter in places. Fortunately the previous paint job is sound even if badly faded, and we hope to complete the job over the next few weeks, weather and staffing permitting.
ReplyDeleteSat 11 June. Unsettled weather this week. Work continued in/on the mess van including fitting a handwash basin and water heater, extractors fans, base units and worktop and connecting up appliances. Tree branches which threatened next door's phone lines were pruned with some difficulty. Work continues on the bench which we plan to commemorate Dave Rimmer.
ReplyDeleteWeds 22 June. Arrived this morning after a week off to find that site prep. work was already well advanced on the next phase of the railway's development, as predicted at our AGM. Our contractor's excavator has blasted a way through the jungle at the foot of the embankment right up to the stream beneath Bridge No 1. It's also cleared and levelled the area to the south of the stored bridge sections. This is now being filled with crushed concrete over a membrane to provide a working site to shot-blast and treat the bridge sections. These will be used on the project to extend the line east to North Bridge Street, hopefully starting this summer. We de-keyed and de-fishplated a few lengths of rail so that these and the sleepers can be removed to allow construction vehicles to easily access the ramp down below the embankment.
ReplyDeleteAfter a holiday, I return to find big strides forward in the project to extend from Robertsbridge to Northbridge Street. The various remains of Bridges 3, 4 and 5 have been demolished, while bridge No. 1 has been deeply excavated behind the western abutment ready for a new abutment to be created behind and bolted through the old one, massively reinforcing the original structure. The Oak Tree triangle area has been cleared to receive two longer bridge spans which have been sourced. Works to make access easier for these long/wide loads have also been completed including removing the buffer stop from the siding by the old bridge sections in case this fouled the incoming transport. All the stock from this siding is now back in the main yard at Robertsbridge to help create maximum safe working space, and trains can no longer travel beyond the loading pad. Exciting stuff!
ReplyDeleteThis week we welcomed two new volunteers, Adam and Duncan. I hope they will be back! On the main bridge works, there's a bit of a pause now until the construction begins, with reinforcing bars and concrete shuttering/ pouring being lined up ready for next week we hope. A member of the public apparently wandered in one day recently anxious that works on the Nortbridge Street extension would increase flood risk in the village. He was reassured that all the floodways will be preserved ... indeed that is central to the plan.
ReplyDeleteAs the passenger trains pass by the site en route to Hastings or Charing Cross/Cannon Street, I often wonder how many of the regulars have noticed that things are happening at Robertsbridge. I bet the train crews have noticed now. Views of our website are increasing...
A day of showers and gusty winds which made outside working a bit uncomfortable. in the mess van, hot water is now available from the two water heaters for drinks and washing up. outside the van, we filled some holes with wood, mastic and galvanised steel pop-rivetted to the roof lower quadrant. More still to do before the sides are ready for painting. It wasn't a day for doing the roof vents. Weed spraying and weed pulling went on all day, with hedge trimming too. A useful turnout of volunteers got a lot done. A walk alongside the works from Northbridge Street back to Bridge 1 allowed a few more photos to be taken.
ReplyDeleteMore showers! The summer so far is a washout but at least we don't get too hot. The eight old Staplehurst bridge sections have been laid out on the newly prepared working site, ready for treatment. A delivery of diesel failed to materialise (I think) which cheated me of a photo I hoped for of the loco(s) being fuelled up. More patching work on the GBLV roof until the rivet gun jammed. We welcomed Alan back to work again after nine months serious illness. He warmed up with the weedwhacker along our frontage. We have such a loyal set of regular volunteers...
ReplyDeleteSaturday saw a small team over at Junction Road Strimming their way from Udiam farm along to the curve by the new field which will house a herd of bullocks, the track bed is crying out for the weedkilling train to come along and do the business, hopfully this will be soon.
ReplyDeleteOver at Robertsbridge Helen was busy making up the new Electricity Junction box to allow for Peter Brown to work on the Bridsge sections further down the line.
Also a big thank you to Peter Brown for being the tour guide to two groups of people who turned up on the off chance of a look around the Station site and they also popped into the RVR shop and hopefully spent a pound or two
While I haven’t been able to get down for a few sessions, a lot has been going on since my last post. The first concrete has been poured for the reinforcement of Bridge No 1’s western abutment. Volunteers have cleared years of junk and gunk from the 8 ex-Staplehurst bridge sections, including redundant brackets, to help reduce the cost of the shotblasting due to start soon. Four spans will be used to reach North Bridge Street, with Bridge No 1 requiring new metalwork as it is too wide for these spans. A temporary power supply is being installed to the working area. Preparations are also being made to clear the site from this point all the way to the start of the embankment to give room for re-levelling and laying of improved sub-base for the proposed new track layout (details awaited). It appears that a lot of material will have to be disposed of rapidly.
ReplyDeleteBack down at last to Roberstsbridge today. At bridge No 12 the first level of concrete has been poured and the shuttering is ready waiting for the right time for the next one. It looks impressive. At Bridge 3, the reinforcing work and shuttering has been laid out for the base of the new bridge structure. I was manning the shop in the afternoon, after interviewing a new member/volunteer and getting him started, so all in all didn't have much time to get going today. Not many people on site today, but perhaps the showers put people off, while others will be on holiday!
ReplyDeleteBy today bridge 1 had a further "lift", and the concrete thus far had a coat of bitumen paint so that backfilling could begin. As the soil goes back in it's tamped with a vibrating roller to pack each layer hard. The final layer awaits some final clearance to the design of where the girders will rest, due shortly. Bridge 3 should be ready for the first pour soon - the entire base slab for the whole structure. Robertsbridge's electrical appliance testing took place today, taking up most of my time. It would have been a great day for getting back to work on roof of the GBLV but needs must.
ReplyDeleteA useful day mainly working on the mess van. Inside, the washing-up area's two sinks are now in place, one window has been glazed, and the partition begins to go up. Outside more metal patches have been riveted to the roof's lower quadrant (?) and two torpedo roof ventilators are ready to go in place of badly corroded ones that having been letting the rain in.
ReplyDeleteThe first of two bridge spans from somewhere near Reading arrived in the small hours. The second is due tommorrow, and a crane to unload them onto the baulks laid out in the triangle area at Robertsbridge. The stream under bridge 1 has been dammed and the bed excavated to enable concreting and reinforcing. Meanwhile reinforcing mesh for the abutments to Bridge 3 haven taken shape. On the GBLV, the two vents have been fitted.
ReplyDeleteAnother pour of concrete at Bridge 3 today, more work on the ex-Staplehurst bridge sections, on an 1874 SER rail chair found buried on the site recently, on the GBLV roof and underframe, a banana van and one of the tram bodies, and on laying in a water supply to the loading pad area to facilitate safe working with angle grinders and cutters.
ReplyDeleteThe GBLV has all three sinks operational,with hot and cold water and drainage.The dish-washer is up and running. Anybody out there with an upright larder type deep freezer they don't want? Our chest freezer is getting a bit long in the tooth
ReplyDeleteBridge works are moving ahead rapidly now, with the new abutments raised for Bridge 3, scooping out the site of Bridge 4 already completed, and the new "underwater" elements of Bridge 1 receiving lorry loads of concrete today to form the strong new base across the bottom of the river bed. Up on the embankment, work is advancing on clearing the east side of the future widened trackbed all the way back to where the ex-Staplehurst bridge sections are being tidied up ready for shotblasting.
ReplyDeleteShuttering has gone up on one of two side walls of the culvert below Bridge 1, and ironwork is up on the other. The river level looks a bit ominous, as does the weather forecast! Work has begun on the rest of the mess van interior, and this will be moved shortly into the platform so that we can prepare to cater to the assembled masses on Bonfire night. This move will also make working on the van easier, since it saves us the bother of putting up steps to make an staff entrance/fire exit, which would also get in the way of the remaining work on the east side. Some external painting and prepping in between the showers.
ReplyDelete3-plank wagon about to get its fair share of TLC
ReplyDeleteThe 3 plank will no longer be converted to passenger carrying but be brouhgt up to goods standard.
ReplyDeleteAfter a couple of weeks away, I find a lot has happened. Shuttering is well off the ground on bridge 4 and more concrete is due next week to finish it off. The deck and girders are being removed from Bridge No 1, which now has a new concrete channel beneath it through not quite ready for the temporary dams to be removed either side. The "ambulance coach" has gone (removed by its owner to another location) and the Smith Rodley crane is already in pieces having been sold for scrap. Work on the mess van continues inside and out. Adam and I amused ourselves "blackjacking" on the abutments to bridge 3, prior to backfilling commencing. Another new volunteer was in evidence.
ReplyDeleteBridge no 4 abutments are now completed, and work has begun on the river bank repairs between this bridge and No 5. A section of the railway embankment has been removed temporarily, involving some 20 lorry loads at about 2o tonnes each. This is to allow the sheet piling machine to operate next week, inserting piles each side of the line to protect it from future erosion. Bridge No 1 is having some further concrete added on the eastern bank to complete the "culvert" beneath, before the temporary dams are removed later this month. Four bridge spans have been removed by contractors for stripping down and coating, ready for use on bridges 2 to 5 in due course. The Smith Rodley crane has now departed this world.
ReplyDeleteThis weekend found 7 of us at Tenterden on K&ESR's regular volunteer days. People interested in volunteering get shown around and introduced to various departments and existing regulars, to help them choose what they might like to do. All safety-critical jobs require training and 'passing out'so we need to get up to speed before passenger trains run at Robertsbridge. The fascinating day culminated in a return trip to Bodiam in glorious sunshine. On Sunday three of us set out to grease fishplates on the eastern extension. Sounds easy but actually tiring work as each one has to be wholly removed and replaced. We got maybe one third of it done before running out of steam. Again a fabulously sunny day for mid-October. I noted the tracked piledriver had arrived at Northbridge Street -hope to get some pix on Wednesday if it's still there.
ReplyDeleteIt's been quite rainy recently but work has been cracking on. On our latest extension, riverside piling was completed and bridge no 3 has now been backfilled. Shuttering on bridge 4 should come down soon as work on bridge 5 starts. A load of concrete sleepers has been delivered. Back at the station area, work on the mess van continues, inside and out, along with some tidying up. Over at the eastern extension, we began the long process of greasing all the fishplates between Quarry Farm crossing and Junction Road.
ReplyDeleteIt managed to stay dry today so got all 18 bolts cut on one of the more rotten GBLV windowframes, ready for a new frame to be fitted and glazed in its place. We have already moved the glass to the platform side, so all but one of the original windows that side are now glazed once again. Inside, the 'office' partition was erected, together with door, plus more insulation and cladding. This entailed a further clear out and now at last only stuff needed for the mess van project remains inside, plus our spare high viz clothing.
ReplyDeleteThe trackbed from Bridges one to four is now beautifully laid with sub-base, ready for ballasting and tracklaying once the bridge spans are in place. Work has begun on bridge 5, with excavation completed, blinding going down and formwork due soon. Once completed, it looks like the bridge spans will be delivered and arrangements made to place these with a massive crane. Meanwhile, we have taken now possession of a Matissa ballast regulator from K&ESR, and steel has been delivered for repairs to the LNER hopper wagon so that this can be loaded up safely next year for ballasting the new track across the five bridges and down to Northbridge street in the New Year.
ReplyDeleteWork on the BGLV mess van continues, inside and out, and we are all set to cater for Robertsbridge's own Bonfire Night on the 19th, including a very realistic Guy. He's said by some to represent ...well, I won't say who.
It was a busy day out along the embankment behind the B & Q van cutting back the brambles and pruning trees. Its surprising how much bigger the area looks once the weeds and trees have been cut back. There is one more working Saturday before Christmas which is this coming weekend December 3rd weather permitting where we will continue progressing along the embankment to Bridge 1. If you are looking to get out in the fresh air and some excerise then why not join myself and Mark Yonge. I shall be on site from 9.30 am.
ReplyDeleteI wandered around to view the completed abutments for Bridge No 5, and saw work begin on creating the concrete "pads" on top of all three of the totally new bridges. These pads will take the bridge spans and have to be exactly the right height in relation to the proposed track levels. We rescued a number of lockers from the Network Rail huts at Robertsbridge main station which are being cleared prior to demolition. Thanks to NR for thinking of us.
ReplyDeleteA very nice lunch was cooked up by Helen and Derek on Saturday for the regular volunteers. It was good to sit back and admire enjoy the fruits of our labours in the shape of the warmer and shinier mess-van interior. We heard this week that the bridge spans for all five bridges are nearing completion and should be returning to the site very early next year. We also managed to sell both of the N gauge layouts on Ebay, which is good news (assuming the buyers follow through!)
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas and happy New Year.
January 14th 2012:Today saw the Forestry and Conservation Department working from Bridge 3 along the embankment by the football pitches to just short of bridge 2 hacking back the undergrowth
ReplyDeleteI would like to thank a returning volunteer Duncan for his hard work today it was a shame that one of the brushcutters decided to throw its air fliter fixing screws into the scrub and stayed hidden so we only had one machine in action and the use of a sythe which made progress slow. Our next working weekend will be early February date to be annouced.
Yesterday saw the delivery of the Corrugated Hut donated by Network Rail still covered in Ivy over the walls and roof.
ReplyDeleteIts in very good condition and once given some tlc will be sitesome where along the line at Robertsbridge