Today was actually very successful, with lots of little preparation jobs now completed ready to get the new turnout and trackwork in later this week / next week.

The short section of 5 siding inside the shed has been laid and since filled to rail height, ready to lifted and tamped when we get the adjoining track connected up.

Lots of other tidying jobs are now complete between the carriage shed and the platform, with the turnout area now dug to depth with Rolf on site putting in the survey pegs for it’s location as we left tonight.

All the old sleepers have been bundled or disposed of, old panels of track we just piled up last year have been broken up so we can re-use the rail. All those sorts of things, nothing amazing in itself but all important.

Tomorrow will be a quieter day, however Thursday and Friday should be a hive of activity as the turnout construction begins (we may knock it over, but more likely we’ll get about half way through the job this week)

Meeting on Thursday, 8am at Maldon or 8.30 at Castlemaine.

The finishing touches to Winters Flat Bridge works were completed today.

Amongst the works was a bit of jacking and packing the track at the abutment, which we’d managed to move slightly while jacking the bridge.

Some precision engineering of an angle iron was undertaken to make everything fit.

A small amount of jacking and packing is almost always required, timber is rarely straight and square after many years in the elements.

The final holes through the beams were drilled and bolts installed.

One pile required it’s shoulder packing to be renewed and to make life easier we hired an elevated work platform.

The final task for this year on this bridge was installing this weird looking piece of steel strap…

By first turning it into this

And finally around a pile which was starting to spilt, this action should increase the life of the pile by many many years as it prevents any further splitting and subsequent failure.

While all that was happening, another crew in Castlemaine were busy preparing for the new 5 siding turnout.

The rails and sleepers where the turnout is to be built have been unfastened and lifted.

This turnout will be built in situ, given the turntable road is not needed during the diesel running period it’ll save a lot of work and allows us a bit more flexibility time wise.

This turnout will connect the third shed road, which means moving all the stockpiled material (mainly old sleepers), around 15 packs worth were sorted today, strapped and piled for re-use or disposal. It’ll still take us a good portion of next week to get the site ready to begin turnout and track construction however.

Tomorrow’s weather is again looking like a washout, so no planned workday. But next week we’ll have gangs running Monday and Tuesday in Castlemaine Yard preparing for turnout building later in the week, meeting at Castlemaine from 8.30am.

The lineside grass from Brown St. Pedestrian crossing through to Rowe St. Crossing received a good trim with the flail mower today. With it now looking much more respectable.

In some areas this is the third cut this season, hopefully the recent and forecast rains aren’t going to make that 4 cuts!

There’s still another cut needed around Muckleford and Maldon, which will occur over the next few weeks.

Tomorrow we’re back onto Bridge Works, Winters Flat Bridge. We’re likely to have a few people tomorrow so we may well break into two teams, with one heading into Castlemaine to start work on the new 5 siding turnout. Meeting Maldon 8am or Winters Flat Bridge from 8.30am.

Today saw the only urgent bridge repair attended to, an inner beam on for down end of Winters Flat Bridge.

These abutment beams are a little longer than usual as they slightly cantilever past the last peir, which makes getting the old out and the new in just that bit more fun!

But we managed it. By lifting the outer beam and hence the deck, enough space is left to roll the old beam on it’s side then with some delicate excavator work the beam is skewed and dropped down. Getting replacement in was almost the reverse process, just a bit more tricky given the new beam is a little thicker.

A few bolts still to be installed after a few holes are drilled, that’ll now be Thursday’s job. Tomorrow we’ll make use of the small gang to cut some lineside grass and gets some more flail mowing done, as it’s growing very quickly after the recent downpour!