Well the greatly awaited fitting of the doors is well underway. Yesterday saw the West Track of the loco shed doors hung. Temporarily secured shut by some clever ratchet strapping.
Today’s effort included hanging the East Track doors. They’re actually quite easy to hang, it’s getting them in their precise location that takes the effort, once there though, a quick zap with the welder and they’re there to stay. The center doors will be later this week once the track work (ballasting) is complete.
The main task of today’s gang was the removal and breaking up of rails beside the loco shed. This area is earmarked for a workshop and it’s always much easier to do the earthworks without having rails in the way.
By close of the play the area has been cleared of strings of rail and any related debris.
The pile of rails are about our only 60lbAS type rails, other newer branchlines around the state were laid in this greatly improved version of 60lb, but a small section of Castlemaine yard was about all we inherited.
We have carefully broken up all the remaining 60AS all the way to Walker Street and stacked it ready to be loaded onto wagons for eventually re-use in the historical Maldon yards.
It’ll be used to replace the very poor 60lbD that the yard is currently laid in, without loosing the branchline appearance of our historic yard (one day, when we eventually get some spare time).
This pile is everything else lifted today, mainly 60lbD in various lengths and states of health, which will be loaded onto wagons and taken away from Castlemaine.
Tomorrow will see the ballast for the loco shed track delivered and distributed, with Thursday’s gang (meeting from 8.15am at Castlemaine) undertaking the final tamping, lifting and tidying up.
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