Today started off with some anchoring, to prevent rail creep. We focused on the steep section on the UP side of Farmers Bridge in the morning, moving over the top of the hill towards Castlemaine in the afternoon.
The process to not overly exciting but starts by using the jaws of the grabs to push away rock from under the rail where the anchor is to go.
The grabs seem to have an endless number of uses.
The section is all 60lb D class rail, for which anchors have never been produced. However by placing a shim on the foot of the rail a 60lb AS class rail anchor does the job perfectly. Here the shim is the reddish piece of material on the rail foot.
The anchor is then positioned onto the shim.
And driven home with a strong hammer blow.
Job done. Were not sure exactly how many we installed today but it would have been well over 200.
The afternoon was a different experience, installing our new speed signs! Here near Bendigo Road. The truth probably is that it doesn’t take 6 people to install a sign, but we all know how to do it for next time now!
Here Will and Norm try to get it straight and vertical, neither of which they actually achieved! But the signs will still do the job.
Down near curve 20 and an action shot of Will on the jack hammer starting the ground spike for the sign.
A gentle tap home with a sledgehammer finishes what the jackhammer won’t.
The post holding the sign is then inserted into the spike and secured by a locking pin. Seen here being driven home.
The odd sign was already in place, needing only the wording changed. Here going from 15mph to 25 mph.
After working through the whole line, the final sign was installed in Castlemaine. This sign also includes instructions for our radio channels. A similar sign (minus the speed) was installed near Rowe Street.
We’ll now await comment from our crews as to the sign positions and make any changes required.
We’ll be back into anchoring tomorrow, finishing off the down hill towards Sawmill Road.
VGR Civil Blog 