Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th October

On Monday, the gang with a good turnout of 13 welcomed new member David M to the fold. The less than ideal weather conditions however, coupled with a special train service running for the workers involved with the erection of the new footbridge at Alton Station, prevented the continuation of fishplate oiling on the Alton section, or indeed other maintenance work from taking place under possession.

The gangs activities therefore comprised of the disposal of the remains of a fallen ash tree at Yew Tree Curve, with logs stacked ready for collection, and an inspection of the Ropley track drainage system, which had been reported to be blocked. The latter it emerged was in fact not a blockage, but the system running over capacity with the recent periods of heavy rain, and the soakaway at the end was found to be full. A general tidying up of timbers, sleepers, rail chairs, and other spares at M&FM completed the day's work.

Brighter weather conditions on Tuesday saw the gang detailed to carry out three separate tasks. John M, Roy P, and Chris C accompanied the Atlas crane to Ropley (hauled by the Class 37 diesel), to assist with the erection of the cast iron stanchions for the new upside waiting shelter/canopy. Others travelled to Alton to recover a buried supply of chair screws from the embankment next to the Crane Siding, and to also fell and cut up two rotten ash tree stems at Yew Tree Curve, adjacent to the fallen tree attended to the previous day.