We actually had an extremely successful day today, for the first time, we used the big digger for inserting and tamping sleepers.

The little digger is currently out of action, with a fairly major hydraulic issue (it’s actually a simple issue, but a very major fix – involving removing most of the ancillaries (like fuel and hydraulic tanks etc…) to access a simple failed relief valve. We’ve made the decision that given sending it out to contract will likely be extremely expensive, we’ll put that digger on the back burner until the steam engine is back in action, when we can make use of the workshops at Castlemaine for a few weeks to pull it apart. Until then, the big digger will substitute.

It’s certainly nowhere near as suited to the task as the little digger is, however it did prove to be quite capable, albeit a little slower. Unfortunately we did develop a small leak in the grabs after the 55th concrete sleeper. However, while that was being fixed, we did manage to get all of those tamped up.

We’re probably about 1/3rd completed between Boundary Track and Sawmill Rd now and we’ll continue with this on Thursday.

We had such an impressive gang size today, so we sent half of the gang off sorting, cleaning and stacking sleeper plates at Muckleford.

We know that everyone was just itching to do this task, however luckily a few were willing to hang back and clip up the sleepers.

Thursday’s gang will meet at Maldon at 7.45am or out at Boundary Trk from 8.15am

Friday proved to be an extremely successful day, with the whole UP leg drilled and spiked, between Sawmill Rd and Boundary Track, quite a phenomenal effort for our gang of 4.

Today saw us distributing more of the concrete sleepers that are currently arriving at a rate of one truck load a week, we’ve focused on getting them out around Bendigo Road crossing, where it’s hard to unload a train due to the track circuiting.

So far 440 have arrived and been dropped out trackside, with hopefully another 3600 still to come!

Tomorrow’s workday will be installing concrete sleepers between Boundary Trk and Sawmill Rd, meeting Maldon 8am or Boundary Track from 8.30am.

Unfortunately, you’ll just have to come out to inspect today’s progress for yourself tomorrow, as not once today did we remember to get a photo!!

We have, however, completed the drilling and spike driving along the Down leg between Sawmill Rd and Boundary Trk. We’ve also dropped out dog spikes and inserted all the sleepers in the UP leg, ready for drilling and spiking tomorrow.

Tomorrow’s crew will meet out at Boundary Trk Crossing from around 8.15am – we’ve also got some insider knowledge from the grader driver, Sawmill Rd will be graded tomorrow.

As such enter via Boundary Track off the Muckleford- Castlemaine Road, it’s immediately next to where Sawmill Rd starts – a google map pin for those who are unsure, and this road is currently quite good, suitable for low cars etc…. https://maps.app.goo.gl/v2zrLp17yDs2VR6V7

What seemed like a mammoth task now seems somewhat smaller, following today’s excellent progress.

Almost the whole down leg between Sawmill Rd and Boundary Track has been drilled and spikes started (we didn’t quite reach Boundary Track, as we ran out of spikes). Of that distance, approximately half has had the spikes driven.

It’s a horrid job. However, it does actually happen strangely quickly once we get into the swing of it. It certainly makes the rest of it look a bit less overwhelming.

We had another win today, with the first of hopefully many truck loads of full profile concrete sleepers arrive at Maldon.

These have been released through Victrack and RTHV, from a recent level crossing removal project in Melbourne.

We might have already put a lot of concrete in, however, we’ve still got many kms of track with no concrete, instead still, timber which is only going to remain safe for a couple of years given the average age of our timber sleepers (approx 15-20 years).

We’ve already established that the only feasible and sustainable way to maintain the track into the future is to make the move away from timber, both from a cost and ongoing labour perspective.

The reuse of these otherwise scrap concrete sleepers allows us to achieve this, at a price we could never do better than, this cost is around $20 per sleeper (all in the stacking, handling and transport getting them to us) and given we still need to acquire another 10,000 odd sleepers to ensure the future of the railway, we’ve still got a way to go.

We’re also very mindful that other T&H railways will be looking to bolster their suppliers of concrete sleepers, and while we have a pressing need for them now, our need will disappeared in the near future once we got them on hand and others can really make use of these valuable assets too.

We are really dipping into our savings to try to cover this, as if we don’t take them now, the supply is almost guaranteed to dry up and we’ll be back paying top dollar.

We could really use assistance in funding this massive acquisition of sleepers, with all donations over $2 tax deductible.

Please see our website at: https://www.vgr.com.au/donate if you’re able to help.

Thursday’s workday will be starting near Boundary Track, at 8.30am (Maldon at 8), where we’ll continue with the glorious task of spiking!