I couldn't help but feel something was in the wrong place as I walked into the Rocks By Rail Museum.
A somewhat pointless point switch! Walking further down I could see that there were far from pointless works going on!
It was a bit of a shock to see rails and sleepers taken up but there is a reason.
The platform line is suffering from sinkage caused by the fact that the drainage system is either in sufficient or actually is not there! It has got to the point where something has to be done. The plan is to lift all that track including the point, dig a trench and install a drain.
That drain will then connect into the manhole under the point just to the left of the picture above. Why is the manhole under the point? Well, apparently many years ago the track was realigned and the manhole ended up partially covered. I guess it made some sense at the time but it is not the best of situations to have to deal with it now. However, with some hard work it should be done in a few weeks!
One interesting item of rolling stock that has appeared is this rather unusual falt wagon with barriers around it. Apparently it was a tippler at Corby where its body was removed and the chassis was used to rest engines from the Class 14s that were serviced there. You learn something every day!
Meanwhile, over the maintenance pit, work continues on the re-tube of 1931. Somewhere under there is John who is reaming out the tubes so that they can be pulled out once the ends are ground off.
What looks like a battery in the firebox is actually a workshop light so that John can see what he is doing!
Moving over to the Exhibition Centre, John was pleased to show me that the timber from my kitchen Rocks by Rail Museum was now a floor in Mr. D! Good to know it has had a second life and it makes it look somewhat classy in there! Anyone for ballroom dancing?
Turning round I noticed that two of the brake vans have been moved in to dry out ready to be repaired.
Nothing to substantial but the woodwork has suffered being outside over many winters.
Moving onto my work, it was back to Gabions! But we are there!
Having run out of rocks we found some old bricks that broke up nicely and David is putting them in.
We think there is about eight and a half tons of rock material in the gabion baskets/cages and another ton and a half behind it - all moved by hand!
Moving to the other side this fence had to go and I soon had that gone with the use of a hammer!
That's a view I had not seen before!
This will be the way visitors get onto the viewing platform and we need to lower the area to match the path level behind so we first dug a trench that is level from the path.
With that done a scaffold post was placed from the trench to the top of the gabion.
And, miraculously, using my spirit level app on my phone, it is level!
All that we need to do now is backfill from behind and put some barriers around the edge of the platform. Simples! At least we have a lot of clay and soil to backfill with!
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