We've just reached the end of the Summer working week 2012 at Apedale. This week has been characterised in most years by torrential rain and a consequent lack of actual work. And, in one memorable year, the filming of a post-apocalyptic TV drama show (not too much set-dressing needed). However, 2012 saw an outbreak of sunshine quite uncharacteristic of either the rest of the year or working weeks in general. And the number of psychopathic zombies was no worse than we've come to expect. The major project during the working week has been the installation of the Inspection Pit steelwork. The Pit is a cunning conversion of a former colliery weighbridge base. This has been one of the largest and most ambitious civil engineering projects on site for some time, involving retaining walls and building land up by several feet to get the levels right. The end is very much in site now - the annoying fiddly bits of fishplating rails of different sections, and then ballasting the railway to get the levels somewhere near right. There's an air of urgency, since it appears that the Joffre steam loco can only have its boiler exam carried out with the use of a pit. Still - pressure makes diamonds. Meanwhile, the site was also honoured by a visit from a mongoose selling car insurance. Quite why the CME insisted on pointing at it is beyond me. As ever, get in touch here.
