Every so often you get one of those days when you do a lot of good work. With a good number on site first thing, and after the usual briefing and discussions, Adrian and John went to Basingstoke to pick up more supplies for the new hut. Ian J and Martin R walked to Alresford, Neil and Pete went to Alton. That left Eddie, Martin W, Ian R and Keith H to go straight to the current work site on the track at Soak Cutting, where they moved ever closer to finishing the padding on the flat bottom section of track. These chaps stuck at the task all day and have, magnificently I might add, reduced the job down to 3 lengths to go.
Ian and Martin meanwhile had to undertake some oiling work at Ropley on the way back on the train from Alresford, where they assisted with a small S & T problem on one of the facing point locks. Trains were slightly delayed as a result.
On returning to Medstead, the linewalkers re-grouped and moved items back into their newly re-located and re-built (by the Building Department) Newbury Concrete Works shed before taking lunch. Just the curtains need to go up now!
After lunch with the padding gang returning to site, a separate gang of 4 (120 years of service between them, frightening! ) went to Yew Tree Curve where they put up the last 4 timbers of the walls to the Chawton Heights hut. In addition, they erected a scaffold tower inside the walls ready to make a start on the roof the following week. A truly good days work by all. Thank you.
I would also propose our Herculean efforts were helped on by the sugar rush provided by the dodgy but free Snickers bars we all scoffed! More track work would have been achieve were it not for the interuptions when some fule decided to run a diesel service for the enjoyment of one! You know who you are, Mr. C.
ReplyDeleteYou bet. hope they put a diesel on next time im down!!!
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