A good turn out with a gang of 11 in attendance and the benefit of perfect weather conditions for the second day of the Railway's Pre-Spring Gala event. The first order of the day was to undertake the line inspections with Bill and Brian Hi walking to Alresford and Pete and Adrian's N and C Alton bound.
This left a work force consisting of Eddie, Martin W, Martin B, Ian R and John to resume the annual task of checking the sections of track with RNB6 rail fastenings, and Corina to stay behind at base to finish painting the door to the first Point Oiling Cabinet.
The fastening gang loaded their gear onto the Grayson Mk2 trolley (sponsored by Sainburys) and set off down Lymington Bottom and into the Soke checking the fastenings using the time-honoured method of shuffle and kick. This section was re- padded a couple of years ago, so they weren’t expecting to find much. There were no cracked plates but several were loose and these were swiftly hoicked out and a refurbished unit put in. They also re-aligned some bolts, getting the slots parallel to the rail. We can be as fussy as the Western when we want!
They were nearly done when the light engine powered up the cutting. Back to Medstead for a cuppa then load the truck and head off to Bowers Grove to check the flat bottom section that runs off Wanders towards Ropley. Again, these were checked thoroughly a couple of years ago, so the going should be easy. By now it was brightening up, although a keen breeze meant you needed to keep moving. The 'Gricers' were out, probably cursing them for straying into their shot. After breaking for lunch they carried on toward to the fir trees. Now they started finding cracked plates and unusually a cracked washer! This soon exhausted our supply of refurbished units, so the recovered ones cannibalised for parts. They were nearly done when the goods train came up, so they hunkered in the cess so as not to spoil the pictures being taken by fellow volunteers on the bank. Back to Bowers Grove bridge where, to make life a little easier, the gear was chucked/ dropped/ lowered / dangled from it. A good, productive day.
The returning line walkers went down the line to the A31 embankment outside Alresford (joined by Corina) and spent the afternoon burning material cut a few weeks before.
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