Pipeline Crossing

We set about the preparations for renewing Pipeline Crossing today.

As part of the works 18 failed or failing timber sleepers adjacent to the crossing have been replaced, with concrete. This was largely due to the fact that we’ll need to lift the track slightly following the sleeper renewal through the roadway due to the slightly thicker concrete sleepers. As such anything that wasn’t going to survive that process was replaced.

A rough and ready box up saw us able to give this work a tamp, ready for trains tomorrow.

The afternoon was spent jacking and packing track on the Down side of the crossing, in some cases as much as 60mm. This is due to a very very historic timber bridge removal, back in early VR days, which is continuing to settle. We will need to drop a bit of ballast here to ensure that what we’ve done stays good, however we’ll have a ballast train on hand on Thursday for the crossing, so two birds one stone.

Unfortunately, we had the digger fail on us, thankfully right at the end of today’s works. We managed to get it home, we’re very hopeful of getting it fixed tomorrow, a notice will be put up here if we don’t however, as it may change the plans for Thursday a little (the big digger can only substitute so far, as unfortunately the attachments aren’t interchangeable).

On a completely unrelated note, our local earthmovers came past today to tidy up the road side of the E class in the Dock Road, this certainly tidies the area up greatly.

Thursday’s gang, all being well, meeting Maldon 8am or Pipeline Crossing from 8.30am.