PERMANENT WAY
- previous activities

Winter 2006 / Spring / Summer 2007
Bolton Abbey 3rd Road.

Work has been carried out at Bolton Abbey over the last couple of months to add what will become the third platform face at Bolton Abbey station. To this end a headshunt has been constructed and turnouts laid for the third road. Below are the photos showing the trackwork taking shape and ending up with the headshunt complete (barring bufferstop) and the siding reconnected. In the coming months, the 3rd road itself will be constructed.

Winter 2007
Embsay relaying.

Over recent years, sections of the main line at Embsay station have been relaid using new sleepers, ballast and keys. In early 2007 another section was targeted during the course of a week. Photos show the various stages from marking out the area to be removed, dismantling the old track, laying the new ballast bed and compacting it, laying the sleepers and finally lifting the rail back into place. After this was completed, the track was ballasted, packed and aligned.

Late 2006
Installing level crossings.

In conjunction with the laying of a pipeline underneath the Railway, the contractors required (and still require, until it is completed) vehicular access across the line above the route of the pipeline. This necessitated the installation of a level crossing which is used only during a possession. Here we see the slabs of the crossing being installed by members of the P-Way team. When everything is completed we will be able to see how easy (or not) it is to remove it again!

Winter 2005/2006
Preparation for Project work.

A number of significant tasks are planned for between New Year and Easter, taking advantage of the timetable where trains only run on Sundays.

A day was spent at Priors Lane preparing for a re-laying project and also preparing materials for a new track, Road 3, at Bolton Abbey.

The images show a hired-in heavy duty hiab-fitted wagon being used to lift rails and concrete sleepers. All the planned tasks for the day were achieved.

Autumn 2005
Handheld stoneblowing of ‘dropped’ rail joints

Initially, ballast is scraped back from the sleepers to be treated to allow the stoneblowing nozzle to access the underside of the jacked up sleeper. The handheld stoneblowing method means that only one place per sleeper needs to be cleared of stone which makes for a speedier process. The Abtus ‘sighting boards’ are fitted to the rails. (c) Dave Barlow.

The method adopted is for the dipped joint to be assessed for start and end of the dip. These are marked (usually 3 or 4 sleepers either side of the joint) and the Abtus sighting boards set up. The boards are a set of three: one with a ‘target’ for level, one with a ‘sighting’ slot and the intermediate which is placed above the jacking point. On level track, the view of the intermediate board as seen through the slot in the sighting board will be level with the point of the inverted arrows on the target board. (c) Dave Barlow.

As the joint is jacked up, the intermediate board rises from the dipped position up to level again. Stone (10mm granite chippings) is then ‘blown’ under each affected sleeper until all available space is packed with stone. The jack is then lowered leaving the joint corrected. (c) Dave Barlow.

Two images show the chippings being ‘blown’ under the sleepers. (c) Dave Barlow.

Summer II 2005
Track construction in the new Shed Yard at Embsay.
New tracks 5 and 6 were the focus of considerable effort over the latter part of the Summer.

For track 5, serving the soon-to-be-constructed Phase II of Embsay Shed:

A rail is cut to length using a disc cutter. (c) Dave Barlow.

F27 concrete sleepers are laid out, aligned and spaced before rails can be placed. (c) Dave Barlow.

A cast manganese-steel common crossing has been installed – this re-usable crossing is in reasonable condition and should last for many years at this location. (c) Dave Barlow.

Looking at track 6 to the right, track 4/5 to the left (c) Dave Barlow.

A cut rail has new fishbolt holes drilled using a 110v rotabroach – a very quick and effective way of producing perfect holes in rails. (c) Dave Barlow.

The rails are ‘clipped up’ with pandrol clips – a job for at least 2 trackmen. (c) Dave Barlow.

Fishbolts are tightened after the fishplates and rail ends have been thoroughly oiled. (c) Dave Barlow.

A mini-digger can be used to roughly align the track whilst fine lining can be achieved using crowbars or ‘slewing jacks’. (c) Dave Barlow.

The track is constructed, levelled and aligned ready for infilling with limestone fill. Vehicular access is sometimes required so the fill is placed and compacted up to rail top level. (c) Dave Barlow.

Partially infilled. Some of the team responsible for the work. (c) Dave Barlow.

Some of the team responsible for the work. (c) Dave Barlow.

That’s this bit finished! (c) Dave Barlow.

Summer I
Trackside Drainage

Installation of new drainage and overhauling existing drainage at Skibeden.

The new specification calls for 9” diameter perforated polypropylene pipe with catchpits at regular intervals to permit ‘rodding’ (if required to clear blockages) and to allow silt to settle.

Embsay re-laying: 2004

Details of the work carried out, with plenty of photographs, can be found here.

Embsay: Carriage sidings

During the latter part of 2003, the carriage sidings at Embsay have seen some improvements in conjunction with the extension to the carriage shed. Through the extension, the track has been relaid using concrete sleepers, steel keys and new ballast - the first for a long time! At the same time, spot resleepering was carried out, along with the replacement of some very life-expired rail. More work will be undertaken here using good quality timbers cascaded from the mainline relaying planned for early 2004.

Maintenance

A lot of maintenance work is required, even on a line that is only 5 miles long!

Stoneblowing

The selection of photos below show the P'Way team in action with the fully operational stoneblower. This blows small granite chippings under the sleepers, ensuring the track is level and doesn't dip with the passage of trains.

A jack is inserted at the joint, and the track jacked up until it is just above level. The stoneblower is then used to force the chippings under the sleepers, and whent he jack is removed, the track will settle down level, allowing a smooth ride.

Fishplate Oiling

All the fishplates on the line require oiling so that the track can expand with the heat and contract again without distorting the alignment. The job consists of removing the plates, cleaning them off, applying the oil and tightening them up once more. Nothing too strenuous, but the effect it can have is noticeable!

Recent Activities
Holywell Bridge Relaying

The photographs and information about this project has now been placed on a separate page... Holywell Relaying

Healey Mills II

The team returned to Healey Mills for another session stacking rails, sleepers and other goodies for transport back to Embsay. Once again, this was kindly donated as part of the Railtrack LEEDS FIRST project. Some of the flatbottomed rails are destined for the section between Embsay and Bow Bridge Loop, currently closed for bridge repairs / replacement, as the current rail is rather worn (dating back to the LMS relaying in places!). Concrete sleepers will accompany this rail with the displaced wooden sleepers being used elsewhere, as they were only replaced a couple of years ago.

The pictures show some of the team posed, and (below) the stacks of rails and sleepers, since moved to Prior's Lane. The van in the background is the one used by the P-Way team for carting tools around to get at different parts of the line, and is invaluable.

Embsay Shed Yard Project

The job that is occupying most of our time at the moment and will do for some time. We started off with the decayed remains of the old BR yard layout that had been partially remodelled at various times. The track was life expired and the layout unsuitable for the new shed.

Extensive groundworks were required to stabilise the existing embankment, as we need every available metre of space, and to create a widened embankment that would accommodate the yard headshunt alongside the eastbound main line.

The track layout was designed to provide the first three roads into the shed within a minimum available length from the main line turnout. To facilitate this a tandem turnout was constructed, using a number of switches and common crossings in stock and rails and drilled cut to suit.