In no time, we were on the tools and into fastening up the other leg. Except for rail cutting and drilling, all the power tools used in this job were battery powered and what a difference it has made! No back breaking lugging around heavy gear or loud noisy motors fuming everything up.
Unfortunately no pictures of the actual ballast drop part, however two wagons of rock later and the job looked almost complete.
It wasn’t quite though, as a good lift and tamp was required for the whole length and a distance either side.
But once that was done, the ballast train was sent on its way, back to Muckleford.
The afternoon was spent tidying up the great mess that’d we’d inevitably made over the past week, this took almost as long as everything else today!
The side drain was dug to depth and right on que, the sump pump kicked in, sending a nice amount of muddy water out along the drain, proving not only that our new sub surface drain works, but the side drain can now get the water away from the area and down to lower ground.
It is a pity to have to change the layout of the yard, however hopefully with the E in the Dock and the prospect of an extended platform, it’ll seem a very realistic and practical compromise. It’ll certainly reduce the maintenance in that area phenomenally over the coming years, which is quite critical given the other projects we’ve got on the go.
Thankfully today’s weather was nice, a great improvement over the recent wet, however next week is looking wet again. At this stage we’re planning on renewing Pipeline Crossing (midway between Maldon and Muckleford), however if the weather is looking too wet, we may swap to another less muddy job, check back next week to see the plan.
VGR Civil Blog 
That looks fantastic team. Why a refreshing change for track at Maldon to have real ballast under it. My recollection of the yard last time I was there was that it was very muddy/poor.
Well done making an effort giving the track some good rock under it.
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