As promised another 20 concrete sleepers were installed into curve 10 today.

The heat, although predicted to be worse than yesterday, didn’t really reach its peak until after lunch. This worked out well as we’d already decided lunch should see the 20 finished and us on the way home.

It’s amazing just how good the track looks once the sleepers are installed and the ballast has been regulated.

Here our current President Steve is surveying our works, in his site approriate clothing! He arrived just as we were finishing so his workwear wasn’t needed but it’s alway nice to see our work appreciated by others on the railway. We also spent some time removing dipped joints from the curve after completing the main works, this has really improved the look and will undoublty improve the ride.

This job is now becoming very well executed. Although we had actually removed all the screws yesterday, the lifting, tamping, removal of the old timber, installing the concrete, fastening up and finishing off was completed by lunch, a good effort for a crew of 5 in the sweltering heat.

To add to our presidential theme, a most recent ex-president decided today was the day to join the track gang. Michael tells us he had a great time, despite the heat. He’s turned out to be an natural with a clip applicator! We hope to see him on the gang again soon.

With the extremely uncomfortable weather (first of the season always seems worse) the gang has again gone well above and beyond the call of duty over the past two days, with a very respectable 60 sleepers installed and this part of the curve now finished.

Next week will see 80lb rails being prepared on Thursday and completing the last of the re-railing in tangent 15-16 on Friday. The weather is looking much better (wet at this stage but that will no doubt change) so please join us.

More concrete sleepers today, this time in curve 10.

As per our most recent efforts in curve 9 they were installed into 60lb track, however this time it was hot!

So hot that we had John on water duty, here with Will greatfully quenching his thirst.

Normally the screws come out relatively easily, however today seemed to be an exception, with brute force required on a few. Here Rolf leans on the breaker bar to loosen a stubborn screw.

As per last time a 50mm lift across the job was undertaken once unfastened.

No action shots but we did test out the sleeper extractor today, it was very successful until the hydraulic filter on the power pack developed a bad leak. No doubt this will feature again soon as it will certainly allow for a much more production run operation, instead of shuffling the excavator on and off track as often.

Once the extractor had failed the digger was called upon to do the honours of sleeper removal.

The clipping up crew, now well practised, managed to get all 40 clipped up in very good time considering the rather harsh and uncomfortable weather.

Some ballast scraping and a quick tamp of the new sleeper saw the job almost finished. Another scrape of the rock tomorrow will tidy it up nicely.

We’ll be out again tomorrow, however given the forecast is for hotter again, about 37deg C, we will only be installing 20 sleepers and tidying up today’s work. We don’t expect to be out late tomorrow, with the weather likely to convince us we need an early Friday for once. So please feel free to join us for the morning, Maldon from 8am or site from 8.30am.

Amongst the VGRs external contract list can now be added standard gauge track at Bylands!

A collecter of trams had the need for a short length of track be made for his latest acquisition.

It was relatively labour intensive work with sleepers laid out by hand and the rails manipulated into place with the crane truck and crow bars. But otherwise a very simple and straightforward task.

It was a strangely quick job, with the travel time longer than the work! Another interesting job and a very nice change of scenery.

Despite the rather hot weather predicted for the rest of this week we will still be installing more concrete sleepers, this time in curve 10. We won’t be out to set any records but we will try playing with some new toys. Meet Maldon 8am or site from 8.45am if you’d like to join us.

Well after today all the spiking on the rails installed yesterday is completed, as well as managing to install and complete an extra 5 lengths. Leaving only 10 to go in this straight.

Unfortunately we forgot to take any photos! But with a bit of imagination you can guess what it looks like.

We also found time to collect all the old jewellery, a big time saver for later on.

Next week will be lineside mowing early in the week, with concrete sleeper replacements Thursday and Friday.