Sunday 29 November 2015

Tampermatic

A wet and wild day down the Apedale Valley has seen a stoic team of Trust members attending to the last job on the P-Way Winter Maintenance Programme. This was rectifying a number of joints which had become dipped. This produces a rather uncomfortable ride, and - if allowed to deteriorate badly - could become a derailment hazard. So un-dip the dipped joints must be. This is done by slacking off the fishplates bolts, jacking the joint to slightly higher than needed - to allow for settlement - and then tamping two sleepers either side uisng the ever faithful Kango hammers and the less faithful (but tolerated) generator. The generator is at the ragged edge of its performance envelope running two Kangos - but despite that, and the weather, the job got done. So, now we're ready to run trains to greet the Man in the Red Coat - which you can book here.