A wet and cold day greeted the gang on the first Saturday of line occupations (service trains were not running), with an occupation of the M&FM to Alton section taken out.
Adrian C, Adrian N, Eddie, Martin W, Keith H, Chris M and new member Adam Kitchen took the two Wickham trolleys up the line to Butts junction to carry on with the programme of concrete sleeper changing, started during the Tuesday evening work parties a few months before. Brian Hi and Steve joined them on site.
This left Corina to take the company van to meet Neil who was coming to Alton by train.
After changing two sleepers it was decided by the gang to go for breakfast at the Alton station cafe. Neil and Corina also joined them. After being fed and watered, the work commenced.
While sleeper changing progressed, Corina and Neil went to Travis Perkins to purchase sand and cement which will be needed in the re pointing and re-building of the Chawton Heights hut chimney. They took this back to M&FM where Keith H came down in one of the Wickham trolleys to collect them and the goods. They traveled back up the line to Chawton Heights where the materials were offloaded and Corina and Neil began racking out mortar joints in preparation for the re-pointing of the chimney breast.
Once lunchtime loomed and after dodging the showers, Corina, Neil and Keith H went back down to M&FM to warm up with a hot cuppa. This allowed Corina to have some training in driving the Wickham trolley.
The sleeper changing gang had reached Chawton Heights hut by around 3' oclock, having changed 11 sleepers in total. A good effort! A few tired bodies then returned back to base.
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