Its been a while since the last blog but we are progressing well, last week’s total saw us reach 240 and this week we’ll only have installed 60, however we’ve got some other tasks to attend to over the next week, however there is only about 388 sleepers left to reach Muckleford Creek Bridge now.

Although all of what were going to put under this week is already done, we’ve still got 80 that need clipping up tomorrow, so that’ll keep us busy for a while. Meeting at Maldon 8am or out on site from 8.30am

We’ve had a very strong week so far, and we’re on track to install 240 concretes this week.

In the very distant a 44 gallon drum indicates where we’ve installed sleepers to, a very good way along the straight.

There won’t be a workday tomorrow, as we’ll use that as a digger day and to top up supplies etc… however we’ll have a big day of Thursday, with lots of sleepers still to be clipped up. Meeting Maldon 8am or on site from 8.30am.

We had quite a successful week, installing an additional 160 concrete sleepers towards the Bridge.

An excellent start was made on Tuesday, with 60 inserted and clipped up.

Wednesday saw the remaining 60 inserted and timber sorted/bundled. Making for a very productive morning on Thursday of clipping up.

So productive an extra 40 were installed.

All pretty standard stuff and we’re getting reasonably quick with the big digger now, certainly not as efficient but we’re comfortably achieving 160 a week without any great panics.

The only difference is the use of the tamping head to complete the job, the grab control while adequate for the clipping up, just isn’t quite firm enough, this takes a little extra time but it’s not onerous.

We’re now about half way to the bridge, and it feels like we’re making good progress now.

Next week will be more of the same, we’ve got 4 clear days next week, so we may even achieve a few more than 160 sleepers, however Monday will require a few sleepers being dropped out. Meeting at Maldon 8am or out on site from 8.30am

Thursday last week did see some success using the big digger for sleepers, we managed 100 across our two workdays, which was about 60 less than we’d normally achieve, however it got us out of the curve and into the straight, with the bridge in sight.

It was a frosty start, but glorious sunny day.

It was much the same as always, however our sleeper trench apparatus was dusted off, as its much quicker and controllable than just using the grabs.

Plenty of time was spent jacking and squeezing, however this digger doesn’t squeeze anywhere near as firmly so we’ll need to come back with the tamping head to finish this off.

After a good tidy up, it came up looking quite snazzy.

Before we can do much more we need to move concrete sleepers down as we’re almost out of dropped out sleepers. This week will see this sort of work with no sleepers installed, given the weather is not looking great either workdays might end up a bit quieter than usual.

Monday we’ll be at Maldon all day, however from morning tea of Tuesday we’ll hopefully be back out on site moving sleepers.