Saturday 2nd August

A gang of seven assembled at M&FM for the day's activities. Neil and Mike headed off on the line inspection to Alton, and Keith H  and Ian J departed for Alresford. This left Eddie, Tom, and Adrian, who after oiling the pointwork at the country end of the Station, embarked on the start of fishplate oiling towards Ropley, trialing Eddie's homemade tool carrier. Designed to run on a pair of rail skates, and take the weight of the heavy pneumatic nut runner machine, fuel, oil, and ancillary bits and pieces, it proved to be a great success with only a couple of design tweeks required. Thirteen pairs of plates were oiled before the line walkers returned to joined them just before midday.

With the gang back in full force, the afternoon saw a further 43 pairs of plates oiled, reaching deep into Ropley Soak cutting just past the up distant signal.