Isle of Wight Steam Railway

December 2005
A warm welcome to this our last offering for 2005 and a very Merry Christmas to you all. I wish I could write to you all personally and thank you for your help and support throughout the year but sadly I just haven't got the time so I have to do it in this format. I must say this year has flown by and it is amazing to look back in the diary and see just how many tasks we have tackled over the last 12 months. It is safe to say that without the unstinting help that Pete and I receive from the regular working weekend groups many of these jobs would never get started. Likewise the Friday and Saturday volunteer lineside clearance gangs have done a fantastic job over the last year and our thanks go to each and everyone of you. I wish that we had been able to get out more with you as we had intended but once again time has defeated us. So to you all, have a wonderful Christmas, may all your presents be good ones and best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year. We look forward to seeing many of you over the coming year and once again thank you all for your valued help.

January Working Weekends 31st Dec & 1st Jan / 7th & 8th Jan

To introduce the new year we have two working weekends planned! Both weekends will probably be revolving around fencing work at Ashey. We have been continuing the job started at Ashey Grounds last working weekend and there may still be a bit of work left there to finish off. The paling fence at the back of the platform at Ashey has got to be renewed which is another project on the cards for the January bash. Other items that may be included are ballast train workings and possibly some drainage work in Griffins field. The purchase of new rails that we mentioned in a previous Trackpack has not yet been confirmed at the time of writing so we can not plan anything on this yet.

Ashey Station Crossing on 21st December 2005 showing much improved visibility, the result of clearance work earlier in the year.

We hope to see as many of you as possible on either of the weekends as convenient to yourselves. If you could let me know in the usual manner if you are attending and if you require a hamper from Fortnums I will try to oblige, but a sandwich and mince pie may have to be substituted instead.

What's been going on?

December Working Weekend -Clearance work at Ashey Grounds
Felled foliage feeds fierce fires to facilitate future fencing

Looking towards Ashey from the Down side of Ashey Grounds Crossing, The temporary fencing can be seen on the extreme right.

After November's Sunday wash out I was dismayed to hear the weather forecast for this working weekend. An appalling Saturday of heavy rain was talked of and as we had no shelter on this exposed section of track I was a little dismayed to say the least. So it was a very pleasant surprise to find a lovely sunny start on Saturday and we loaded up the Wickham with clearance tools in fine heart, we even had an expert driver to guide us on our way. Just before we went I had an attack of pessimism and loaded a large tarpaulin just in case and off we went to Ashey grounds bridle crossing. Once on site a start was made on erecting temporary fences on both sides of the line where we intended to clear and expose the dilapidated fencing. As this was going on a start was made on the clearance work which was going to prove very hard work. Meanwhile the sun disappeared and black clouds started to loom menacingly above us. Just before tea time we decided that it was tent time. A crowd of us made a makeshift tent in the corner on the bridle crossing and no sooner had the finishing touches been made that the first monsoon started.

The make-shift shelter - some of the gang were once members of the Boy Scouts!

A hasty stop to partake of tea under the tarp was had and very thankful of the shelter we were too. Luckily as tea time finished so did the rain (no, it wasn't 2.30pm) and we set back to work felling, cutting and burning. Other chaps finished off the temporary fences and our lovely lady look-out kept us all safe and sound. The day continued in this vein but the rains did return towards the end of the afternoon giving most of us a very damp finish to Saturday.

Steve Castle tends the bonfire.

Sunday was much better weather wise and although a little depleted in numbers we carried on hacking our way through the jungle and managed to burn heaps of rubbish by the end of the day. Estimates were made suggesting that we had got almost half way along what is one of the few sections that has not been touched by saw and brushcutter since the trains started running to Smallbrook. Well done all, yet another section will soon be stock proof and smart and with a life of 30 years upwards.

Robin Tagart continues his extensive research into the breaking strain of wooden handles.

What else has been going on?

Since the last episode Pete and I have been on a pesticide spraying course at Sparsholt college (near Winchester) to learn the correct way to apply weedkiller. This was a two day course followed just recently with a day of assessments with an examiner to see if we did what we had been taught. We must have remembered something as we both passed thankfully.

We have managed to put a few sleepers in the line mainly at Calloways and on the line around Haven Street. The lifting and packing programme is still stuck at Wootton with major lifts in the loop and the single line towards Packsfield. The fencing around the curve at Smallbrook on the Up side has been completed following the November working weekend but we still need to return to finish the Down side as time allows. The Ashey fencing has to take priority as sheep are grazing in these fields all the time. Finally as Santa trains approached in early December a complete check, oil and gauge of the S&T was undertaken and line inspections carried out. The volunteer cutting crew have really got stuck into the Wootton section and as I write this, have almost completed the whole lot from Packsfield to Haven Street. This has to be a record, so well done all. Hope to see you on the Ashey section soon, please!

Well, that's it for 2005, a wonderful first year in charge for me and sorry to harp on but without your help it would have been so much tougher and probably impossible so thanks to everyone.

21st December 2005. The view from a passing Santa Special illustrates the extent of ongoing lineside clearance work at Ashey Grounds.

November 2005
Howdy chums and welcome to another edition of Trackpack, your permanent way periodical. We are well and truly into the autumn programme of renewals and maintenance and the weather has certainly taken a turn for the worst, the autumnal rains making jobs much more difficult. The one benefit from all the water is that any problems with drainage becomes very visible and can be put right before too much damage is done to ditches, formation and structures. If a problem is a bit bigger we can note it down for future work when time and money can be made available. A full programme is planned for the last weekend of 2005 so read on to find out what is in store and what we have been up to during the last month.

December Working Weekend Sat 3rd / Sun 4th

So to the last working weekend of 2005, doesn't seem possible does it. A massive effort on lineside fencing has been going on over the last few years and the railway is now in a very healthy position. I would estimate roughly 75% of our lineside fencing is in very good condition, the remaining 25% ranges from non-existent to poor. The bad sections are mainly in areas that see no livestock so are not terribly urgent but this is not the case at Ashey Grounds. The fencing on both sides of the line is worn out and is in need of replacement throughout. As the saying goes, "how do you eat an Elephant?" The answer of course is "in small portions." So that is how we have been tackling this long expanse of fencing. We have, in recent times done three sections on this stretch, two between Ashey Grounds crossing and Rowlands Woods on each side of the line and a small section at Ashey on the south side. As trains are running during the next working weekend, being the first weekend of Santa Specials we have decided that we will tackle the next section of fence on both sides of the line between the bridle crossing and the culvert towards Ashey. Both of these sections abound with scrub, many Hawthorn and Blackthorn trees mark the fence line all of which need to be removed. Temporary fencing will need to be erected before the undergrowth is taken out as very little fence remains to provide a barrier after the greenery is dismantled. Once the fence is exposed an assessment of the posts will be made and new ones will be used to replace those beyond further use. Whilst we are at Ashey bridle crossing we will also re-design the approach to the gates allowing a bigger area for horse-riders to use when crossing the line. The present cramped conditions are unsafe if a horse is frightened within the waiting area, as it cannot be turned and led away from the crossing area. Whilst replacing the fence a new crossing space can be provided on both sides of the line.

So a full weekend of hard graft is again on the cards and will give all gang members a good aerobic workout thus allowing a large intake of festive fare to be had later in the month without fear of putting on too much weight!

The working party arrangements will be the usual, please reply to us in the normal manner - by letter to Havenstreet, phone during office hours Monday to Friday 01983 882204 or e-mail petedavepw.iwr@btinternet.com. Please reply by Thursday 1st December to allow us time to put all plans into place. We need to know which days you intend to work and if you require a snack lunch.

What's been going on?

November Working Weekend -pipe renewals, fencing & ballasting
Pipes planted, posts placed and plant provided plenty of power plus packing piles put in position

The Works Train is prepared at the Barn Field loading area.

A weekend always consists of two days but never could two days have been so different as those on the November working weekend. A marvellous effort on Saturday with the weather gods looking favourably on our efforts saw us make some super progress on all fronts. As a large number had signed up for the this bash we planned to attack three separate jobs making as much use of the available man (and woman) power as possible. Therefore we had arranged a visit from Kevin Cooley and his digger, a ballast / works train, lots of wooden fence posts and several large lengths of new plastic piping. This was to cover three jobs, which were:- a) digging out and finding faults on two pipe runs which took drainage water away from the railway. b) To clear and install fence posts on a large area of Swanpond Copse where the fence was all but gone and finally, c) to ballast along the line where the track was in need of a top up. After doing the usual stuff in the morning, safety meeting, making the tea, getting the tools out, sorting out who does what, etc, we sent out a Wickham, expertly driven I might add, with an advanced party to set to on the undergrowth at Swanpond. Meanwhile the works train was assembled and once tools and personnel had been loaded we moved down to load Kev and machine on the Lowmac. Once this had been done another move was made to the Barnfield loading area where a quantity of Island ballast was loaded to provide stone for the drainage pipe trenches.

The Works Train heads for Smallbrook, the newly refurbished 'Shark' Brake Van is next to the locomotive.

After all this excitement it was off to our worksite at Swanpond. The red banner at Calloways was reached protecting the Wickham (still being expertly supervised) and after safety arrangements were attended to the train made its way to the first culvert in need of repair. After the digger was in position very quick work was made of digging out the old pipe work. A total collapse had happened, the old clay pipes had broken and several attempts had to be made before we found a good pipe end on which we could fit a connector. A pump had been hired to divert water from the pipe but the water in the trench was still quite deep and only welly clad operatives could work on the pipe! Good progress was made nonetheless and we soon had a brand new pipe leading to the fence line and a good flow of water coming from it. Kev very soon had the trench filled in and looking very presentable. We had to call the ballast train back to get some stone to fill in the trench and then move the digger to the new location at bridge 2. This is the under bridge which carries the railway over the stream between Whitefield and Calloways crossings. The pipe taking drain water from a catchpit to the stream had failed. Once Kev was in position short work was made of digging out the old pipe. A tree root was found to be the major culprit on this one, having grown over the top of the pipe and forced it down making a very bad joint where plastic met clay. A bit of a dig round and some root sawing soon had it sorted, then a new connection and pipe were quickly fitted. Another call to the train got them back to provide stone and transport. Whilst all this was going on the clearing gang was going great guns and fence posts were left at 30ft intervals ready to be put in. The ballast train had gone back to Haven Street and loaded and a first try of the Shark plough/brake had taken place. After a few teething troubles finding out how it worked a bit of ballast ploughing was tried and very successful it proved to be.

Back at Swanpond the light faded fast so the works train returned to base whilst a few fence posts were inserted using the digger bucket, much easier than the shovel or thumper method! The Wickham returned afterwards and a very productive day came to an end.

The digger in action at Swanpond Copse.

Sunday dawned as wet as the forecast had predicted but the show must go on and again the Wickham made an early start with the fencing team aboard enjoying a less expert experience. The ballast train meanwhile was drawn out of the sidings and loaded again ready for more drops along the line. The rain was getting steadily heavier as the day progressed making working conditions a little unpleasant. Down at Smallbrook there was a need for more fence posts which were loaded in the shark brake van so a quick phone call to the train with a request to attend was made. The train crew were very obliging and gave an assurance they would come down to us. Sadly this is where things took a turn for the worse. A locomotive failure caused by a compressor belt fault led to the train being stopped at Calloways crossing. A call to Len Pullinger (duty fitter) was made and he came out to try and fix the problem. An early lunch was taken whilst repair work was attempted. The loco was eventually repaired temporarily and with the rain bucketing down a decision to abandon the rest of the day was reluctantly taken. The train was moved down to pick up the digger and then a slow trip back to Haven Street was undertaken with the less than healthy 03 doing its best. The rest of us followed on behind on the Wickham and with flooding getting worse on both road and rail and stair rods still falling from the sky an early finish was made to the weekend. Many thanks to all of you who took part on both days, we made fantastic progress on Saturday and would have done so on Sunday had it not been for the circumstances that were against us. Lets hope for a kinder weekends weather next time!

Dave Walker gets stuck in!

New Year Advance Notice

Sorry I know it is a bit early, haven't even got to into last minute shopping mode yet let alone Christmas parties and mince pie munching but fore armed is fore warned. As the New Year holiday falls on the weekend of the 31st Dec / 1st & 2nd Jan we thought a bash could take place then and that it might be possible to get another weekend on the 7th /8th which would be the normal choice. I am sure that the first weekend would suit some and not others and vice versa so maybe you could all give it some thought and let me know what you think. The work would be revolving around a quantity of new rail hopefully. I am at present asking Santa if he could send me some new bullhead rail for my train set. If he comes up with the goods then a major relaying project will begin in the New Year and many hands will make light work. We have to bear in mind that trains will be running on the 1st so we will need to work around that but there will be plenty of jobs that will need to be done to get the rails ready to move. Please give us your thoughts.

PS. If Santa turns out to be a bit stingy this year the fall back plan will be sleepers, fencing or drainage work.

Backfilling after the new pipe was in place.

What else has been going on?

Lots of routine work has been undertaken during the last month, after the last working party on the crossing at Ashey we finished off the rest of the work putting up fencing and making sure the new gates self closed correctly. Whilst on crossings we have also renewed fencing at Calloways and topped up the surfaces on most of them along the line. Several small jobs have been done on the signalling side plus some cutting back of undergrowth. A spate of machine failures have been keeping us busy with routine plant maintenance, and we have been fortunate in having had a great deal of help from Phil Boxall, a long standing volunteer who's recent retirement has given him more time and he has given us lots of assistance.

The Friday gang have been doing well on the Wootton section despite the shortage of brushcutters and a very tidy lineside is the result. The work has been carrying on although the weather has been very wet just lately and is a credit to the gang, nothing seems to stop them, certainly not the weather!

Finally, for those of you using electronic means of communication we have a problem with our computer at the moment and it is away being de-bugged. It should be back soon so please send your emails as per normal. If there is any change to this I will let you know shortly and it may mean a change of email address for your replies on this occasion.

Speaking of the Friday and Saturday Gangs gives another opportunity to thank them for their sterling efforts. After spending the summer between Smallbrook and Ashey the Friday Gang have returned to Packsfield and are now busy working eastwards, leaving tidy banks and clear fencelines behind them. Saturday's team are at present clearing the upside undergrowth at Ashey Grounds. This is still of the "mature" variety and requires bow saws and parrot bills to make progress.

John Crang admires the impressive outfall.

October

Howdy from Havenstreet and welcome to the prelude to 2005's penultimate working weekend. With summer memories rapidly fading into the distance the coming train free period presents the opportunity to tackle some of the larger projects in our In tray. There is no time like the present and for November a challenging and hopefully enjoyable project is planned.

November Working Weekend Sat 5th / Sun 6th

Diligent students of this journal and P.Way matters in general will know the import of good drainage to a guided transport system. Uncontrolled water can cause big problems and severe damage, just try running your garden sprinkler in the airing cupboard and see what it does. Not pretty. With this in mind a couple of suspect areas have been identified and their repair will form the nucleus of this weekend. A mini-digger along with a train to move it to site have been requisitioned so there will be the opportunity for those so trained to conduct some guard type activities, any volunteers most welcome. New pipe to replace that fractured or worse is on order. So providing the water levels do not rise to Noah like proportions over the coming weeks an interesting and constructive weekend is in prospect. In all the excitement it would appear the worksite has slipped through without its location becoming clear. The pipes (or parts of pipes) in question are located at Bridge 2, near Whitefield crossing, and about 150 yards to the Smallbrook side of Calloways Crossing.

If everything goes to plan, who sniggered, there should be some time over the weekend to move some of the ballast pile to a more relevant location than the Barnfield. This will really depend on the numbers available so don't be shy in coming forward; there are lots of catchpits in need of a dung out too! The loco and train are booked for both days and it would be nice to get full use out of them. Look forward to seeing you all beating down the hut's door at 8.30am both days.

What's been going on?

October Working Weekend-Ashey Main Crossing
Excellent Entry/Exit Equipment Erected Enabling Extra Enormous Equines Easy Egress

After a non-expert Wickham journey (he was busy giving lessons on the Thames), a larger gang than expected (despite clashing with Jim's Jaunt) arrived at Ashey on the Saturday for the proposed level crossing up-grade and grass level down-grade. With the numbers available a start was soon made on two fronts, one group tackling the grassed areas around the station using the various pieces of cutting equipment. The surrounding area soon thrilled to the note of purring petrol powered plant while a smaller team set to work on the crossing gates. Removing the old gates was not the largest obstacle the gang has ever faced, but as they have been faithfully doing their duty since 1991(the gates not the gang) they do not owe us very much. Maybe some kind curator will be able to find space for these important artefacts in the Society's museum.

Tony O'Brien fits the Mk IV Post Remover.

Ashey crossing proves very popular with the surrounding area's horse riding population but the existing wicket gates had proved a little restrictive to their passing, which meant them having to use the awkward, heavy 12 foot main gates instead. By way of an added advantage, widening the wicket gateway would also allow the new gates to be of the same pattern as those on the existing "heritage crossings" located elsewhere on the line. Obviously the hanging posts would have to be moved further apart to suit the new gates, but first they needed to be removed from the ground. Our old friend the Mk IV post remover, patent 2002, which had previously seen action on the Bridge farm re-fence as well as several other locations came to the rescue here. Fitting it enables a couple of track jacks to easily lift the post vertically out of its hole. Sadly no such mechanical aids were available to excavate the new holes, the process of digging same reminding the graft wealders of the site's use as a chalk and ballast handling area during the Smallbrook extension's construction.

Roger Long (Left) and Robin Tagart demonstrate their Pole Dancing technique.

While all this was going on the grass cutting was progressing at great speed, with the public areas in the station complete the areas of lineside around the crossing, essential to be kept clear for train visibility, were started on. The new fence put up in August around the old materials area received its strainers to complete it. By dinnertime one gatepost was up and the others hole was well on the way while all grass and undergrowth fell at a dizzying rate. The second in a trilogy of unscheduled trips back to Havenstreet for parts or tools, but not chuck keys, followed after which the hinges could be bolted to the first gate and it offered up to the post.

Vetran Undergrowth Control Technician John Crang in action at Ashey.

Once the correct size drill had been found (Trip Three), but not the chuck key, the top hole for the hinge pin could be drilled after a little perseverance and the gate finally hung. Meanwhile to the west of the crossing the cutting back team had set to work and were steadily working towards Ashey grounds while a further person was amusing himself getting to the bottom of a blocked drain. The second post was soon ready for the gate hangers' attention and before long both were adorned with crisply painted, shiny gates.

Sunday began with another chilly morning first thing but the sun soon got to work to give another warm, dry day. A van journey replaced Saturday's Wickham trip(s) due to the service train and despite the reduced numbers everyone soon got stuck in, not literally as the ground was still like iron, conclusively proved after knocking in a few new fence posts. Putting up new approach fences around the crossing took up most of the day, some needing new posts, other stretches utilising the existing ones. Four o'clock appeared to arrive even quicker than it did on Saturday and after packing away the tools a return trip was made to Havenstreet.

One of the new wicket gates in place, self-closing device yet to be fitted.

Many thanks to everyone who resisted the temptation of a day on the Thames, you probably would have had to share an oar any way, and helped to make the weekend be so successful. Hopefully the grass will take the hint and that will be the last cut it needs this year, though don't bet on it, the last few days have been wet and warm! The gates look very smart, even if they do show up the main gates as in need of a paint. Once again thanks to everyone, hope they enjoyed themselves and are looking forward to next month.

(Left to Right) Robin Tagart, Roger Long and Pete Corby wire up the rebuilt crossing approach fence.

What else has been going on?

The customary autumnal reduction in the number of operating days has allowed more time to be spent on the track without the complication of a train. Some time was spent on the area around Rowlands keeping the undergrowth at bay while the slip area will need a further cut to allow easy access for the ongoing monitoring scheme, this despite being completely cleared in the summer.

A tentative start has been made on the winter's programme of lifting and packing, the loop at Wootton being the first port of call. However with that the P.Way manager has promptly disappeared on two weeks leave so this has slowed progress somewhat.

After the Working Weekend further work was carried out at Ashey crossing to erect replacement return fences on the east (nearest Smallbrook) side and install a new self closing mechanism on both wicket gates. The main gates now lie in anxious anticipation of a fresh coat of Savannah.

When the weather has been of the less than clement variety the chance has been taken to catch up on jobs in and around the hut. Both doors have been eased considerably so you no longer risk shoulder dislocation on entry. In the course of its repair the loading door had one final trick up its sleeve to catch the unwary maintenance technician. Next time you are at that end of the hut ask yourself what has happened to the rack of materials that used to be overhead, but don't flinch. Readers requiring the full story should send a plain, brown envelope. The Ashey wicket gates were completed and painted in time for October Working Weekend. A sort out of the Granny Annex has increased the storage space available to the Weekend Cutting Teams and given extra room for Birdman's Boxes.

'Ajax' hauls the service train through Ashey, the former ballast handling area looking very tidy after the gang's efforts.

September 2005

Hello again, here's another edition of Trackpack for your delight. Because of the delayed working weekend last month and a early one next month it has been a little difficult fitting in this edition so apologies if it arrives a little later than usual. The summer is winding down now and we are again starting to get some non-running days to get on with a bit of the backlog of track work. I am amazed how quickly the year has flown by but it seems to get faster every year, they tell me it is something to do with getting older! Anyway, read on to hear what's in store for next month and what we have been up to during the last month.

October Working Weekend Sat 1st / Sun 2nd

We know a few of our usual number will not be available for this weekend due to both other commitments and another of Jim's Jolly Jaunts so we are working on the assumption that a much depleted squad will be mustering for duty. Once again a large part of the working weekend will involve work at Ashey. Another general tidy up with grass cutting and strimming will be done ready for the winter and we will start repositioning the wicket gate hanging posts to allow for the bigger gates to be fitted. We could not fit this into the last visit to Ashey but the gates are ready to hang so whilst we have a few days to finish off the work before trains run again this will be the ideal time to get them fitted. We did do most of the fencing last visit but a few little jobs are needed to finish this off along with some new return fencing up to the gates and alongside the cattle grids. If we manage to finish the gates and fencing we will press on with lineside clearance back towards Haven Street.

Jim's Jolly Jaunt to cruise the Thames - 1st Oct

A bit of a clash of dates sadly but Jim had no choice as the steam boat for the cruise will be laid up for the Winter very shortly. There are still has a few spaces left so if anyone fancies a cruise along the Thames with a buffet lunch included please contact Jim Loe for further details using the usual office number, 01983 882204. We, of course, would like you to come to the working weekend but please support Jim's tour if you can as it will be a very good day and there will be plenty more working weekends to support in the future.

What's been going on?

September Working Weekend -Re-sleepering
Swanpond Sleepers Sorted Swiftly Saturday and Smallbrook Slightly Slower on Sunday

The Saturday Gang.

Quantities of excess ballast made for a hard slog over the working weekend but a good quantity of 25 sleepers were changed on Saturday. A small group started out the day but additional members joined throughout the day and we ended up with a very respectable gang indeed. The track formation along the straight through Swanpond is not the best, soft spots and burrowing bunnies make it difficult to keep the line and level anywhere near what it is suppose to be. Over the years more and more ballast has been dropped to try and keep the track in shape. This makes for very hard work when digging out to replace the condemned sleepers but everyone got stuck in and a good total was achieved.

Swanpond, looking towards Ryde.

On Sunday we decided to start at Smallbrook groundframe box and work round the curve towards bridge 1 where we finished the previous day. We had a much smaller gang but as the conditions were a bit easier we managed a respectable 14 sleepers. So with a grand total of 39 sleepers in over the weekend it was a excellent effort, especially as trains were running on both days.

Thanks to all those who took part over the weekend. A marvellous effort considering the amount of ballast that had to be shifted.

W8 passes the gang at Smallbrook.

What else has been going on?

A large part of this month's work has been taken up with cutting back undergrowth and overhanging trees. Another session of signal equipment lubrication was undertaken making sure all is oily and greasy from Smallbrook to Wootton. A few early morning sessions of packing have taken place to try to keep the levels about right and a slew here and there as well. The sleeper evenings have at last come to an end and a grand total of 71 new sleepers have gone into the line during the 3 months we have been going out. This has been a super effort from the regulars and has seen off the last of the Spring delivery of sleepers. The storage area is not empty though as another 250 lumps of wood arrived from Wales recently just to keep us busy through the Winter. Cutting back by both the Friday/Saturday gang and us has been continued on various parts of the line, much of which is looking very smart. The season has been very good for growth which makes the job of lineside clearance even more challenging, a yearly visit to every section already cut is a must if the brushcutters are to cope with the growth well. If it is left for more than a year it is really a struggle, and this revisiting is becoming more and more of a challenge as we clear additional sections of lineside. We can always do with more people on the cutting back gang so please help out if you can.

Dave Walker hides from a train at Wootton.

August 2005

Hello there and welcome to this month's issue of everyone's favourite grey shaded publication (available in colour in some areas). Since last month's missive that sounded like it was coming from the Sahara Desert things have cooled down a little and there has even been the odd bit of rain, though not enough to soften the ground too much (see below).

September Working Weekend Sat 10th / Sun 11th

Having recently ordered another 250 new sleepers, due to arrive at the end of September, it seems like a good idea to make a little extra space to store them by putting some more into the running line. Thanks to the efforts of the Wednesday gang getting seven or eight in at a time the pile has gone down steadily through the summer leaving a balance of eighty odd left. It would be nice to think we could get the majority of these into the line over the weekend, especially as the worksite in question, beyond Whitefield has a large cess allowing easy extraction.

Trains will be operating, but only the middle service, so there shouldn't be to many interuptions from that quarter. The Wickham will leave at the usual time of 8.30am on both days so we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible. As a final word please make a special note of the date as it is different to the usual first weekend of the month.

What's been going on?

August Working Weekend-Ashey Station Clear Up
Triple Task Team Trim Topiary, Tackle Terraced Terrain and Tighten Territorial Trellis

A combination of Summer holidays and pre Steam Show preparations meant a smaller than usual turn out for July's jollifications. Undeterred a Wickham and trolley groaning with tools, if not staff, left for Ashey at the appointed time where it was unloaded to allow for return to clear the Single line for the service train.

The first task was to cut and mow the rolling acres of grassland that are located around the Ashey site. The piece between the crossing and station did not take too long as it never seems to grow very fast, no doubt due to the thin top soil, see later. Behind the station is a different matter though and even after the recent dry spell the grass was quite a height. As well as being a bit short on numbers our leader had also managed to crick his back, he reckoned whilst using his lap-top (makes a change from Repetitive Strain Injury I suppose). Luckily though his Zimmer frame came complete with wheels, blade and engine so he was able to perambulate up and down on the flat bits while the rest of the gang tackled the banks and hollows with brushcutters.

The former material handling area cleared to reveal what was once a fence.

By dinnertime the grassed areas were finished and after a break attention was turned to the hedging on the northside boundary between the track and the (private) station house. Leylandi being what they are, they grow out as well as up and so need an occasional trim back to the boundary before getting too close to the line. Two hired petrol powered hedge trimmers were used for this, one hand-held type and the other fitted on the end of a six foot pole for the high bits. A clean straight line, upright from the boundary was put in place of the previous straggly hedge which looked very smart once all the cuttings had been collected. Attempts to catch them in the bag as they fell proved that this would make a fairground game to rival the shooting gallery or coconut shy.

Dave Walker cuts through the leylandi alongside the Station House garden.

While the cuttings were cleared and the ground below the hedge trimmed with the brush cutter two brave souls set to on the next project. From Ashey station to Ashey Grounds crossing a large Hawthorn hedge runs along the railway's south side boundary. In places it can get relatively close to the formation so needs a trim from time to time. The only problem is the length, and height in places. It took the rest of the afternoon to work from one end to the other doing just the side; two people being necessary, one to cut, the other to provide the essential Lookout.

Sunday dawned promising another hot and sunny day and turned into such. The fence around the grassed area that had been the first cut on Saturday was the main target as it was in need of some love and attention. It enclosed the area used for material storage (see below) when the extension was constructed (1989-1991) and whilst still providing a boundary was looking a little tired.

The first job was to take it down and rescue what was salvageable. The remainder of the gang continued with the lineside hedge, this time tackling the top with the long reach trimmer. It reached across the whole top of the hedge nearly everywhere but in the odd place where the hedge was extra high, or the cess too low, a little patch had to be left on the farmers side. It still looked very tidy and the rest of the morning until a late dinner was spent tidying the trimmings into neat piles along the lineside.

The work site seen from the platform ramp.

To finish the day off all efforts moved onto the fencing job, a slight diversion being taken to help Ian Corney put up the new lamp bracket he had renovated at home for the station's extensive illumination system, its solitary post.

About eight new fence posts were required and being of the pointy, wooden variety needed to be knocked into the ground with the thumper. You are probably already ahead of me, dear reader, after the subtle clues hidden in this thicket of verbosity, but it did prove a tad tricky to achieve this relatively simple task. After a bit of puff and sweat though all the posts were punched into the chalk below the vanishingly slight layer of soil, except for one. This was trying to go down through the foundations of what could possibly have been a vast Baronial Mansion, well why else would they have built a station in the middle of a field?

Unfortunately a slight dog leg proved necessary to get the post submerged but once in the fence was quickly wired, stapled and tensioned by the day's end.

Many thanks to everyone who turned out to help the job along and make Ashey look so smart

What else has been going on?

Since last month's round up most efforts have revolved around carrying out the usual tasks such as lifting and packing, along with some cutting back where necessary.

Some light relief is provided by the on going construction of a new pair of wicket gates for Ashey Crossing. The positions of the mortises on the gates were marked and then kindly cut out by Pete Jardine using a rotary mortise machine, much quicker and tidier than using our dubious collection of chisels! Thankyou Pete. At the moment one gate is completed and painted to the undercoat stage whilst the other, though cut, awaits assembly.

The Thomas weekend passed off well on the Civils side, to the extent that the P.Way Manager was excused the customary attendance at the Wash-Up meeting. Not unless they were holding at the Oval, (Surrey 29-1 in reply to Gloucester's 350 all out).

The wicket gates are almost as tired as the fence. New gates now being constructed.

A return trip was made to Ashey after the Working Weekend to clear the remaining area to the west of the crossing (successful) and clear out a drain discovered to be blocked during the weekend (only partly successful).

The Wednesday gang continue to change one under the eight sleepers most evenings. If the local conditions (cutting v embankment), staffing and light levels are better it is possible to get in a couple more. The Wootton section is now almost complete for the time being, perhaps a start can be made on Havenstreet/Smallbrook before the dark evenings set in. It's still not too late to subscribe for 2005, the Wickham leaves at 6pm although a note of our location will be left on the hut door.

Lastly, but by no means leastly, the Weekend Cutters continue there triumphal progress along the lineside. Last seen at Ashey moving west the tidy banks and clear fencelines are a testament to their sterling efforts.

July 2005

Hi everyone, here's another edition of Trackpack hot off the press at Haven Street, HOT being the operative word. We are writing this in the middle of the July heat wave and things are a little warm on the work front. A large amount of work is currently being tackled on several fronts which is made all the more difficult with very high temperatures during the daytime. Still we mustn't complain as we do expect to have hot weather in the summer (I think)! So, even though we are a little sticky on with the news…

August Working Weekend Sat 6th / Sun 7th

A large part of the working weekend this month will involve work at or around Ashey. We have had a little chat to some of the regular participants of the working weekends and as a few regulars will be missing this coming working party a decision has been made to concentrate on a few outstanding jobs at Ashey station. The fences around the roadway are looking a little worse for 15 years service and are therefore down for renewal. A general tidy up with grass cutting and strimming will be done and if we have enough staff a serious start will be made on repositioning the Wicket gate hanging posts to allow for bigger gates to be fitted. We will try and get the gates made soon but with other commitments this may be a bit of a pipe dream. The existing gates are very narrow and are gradually falling to bits. The rot has well and truly set in and we think they are only being held together by the paint! Along with these little tasks are also a bit of lineside clearance around the crossing for visibility reasons and some burning of undergrowth that has been waiting since our last session at Ashey. We had a bit of a fire at the crossing a couple of weeks ago when the cattle grids decided to go up in smoke so a lot of half burnt arris rails (the triangular bits of wood on the grids) are also waiting to be fully burnt. So there is plenty to do, hopefully the weather might break a bit to soften the ground a little otherwise planting the new wooden fence posts may be a bit of a challenge but we will see what we can do on the day.

If the Ashey job is finished early a few more pieces of cable troughing may be squeezed in to the Up loop at Haven Street to continue the job from last month or maybe a bit of ditch digging at Long Arch.(see, we spoil you with all the glamour jobs)! Hope to see as many of you as can make it, bring plenty of fluids and sun cream if the weather stays hot!

Advance Warning Notice for September

Due to the Steam Show weekend and/or Stourpaine we have decided that the Working weekend for September should be put back a week to the 10th/11th. This will allow many of our regulars to have a bit of a breather between their hectic show duties and the hard work of the working weekend. We have spoken to some already about this change and they all seemed in favour. If it is OK with everyone else then we will stick with this date. Should anyone wish to come down the week before on the normal weekend then we will try and accommodate you and get something organised. Please let us know what you prefer.

What's been going on?

July Working Weekend -40's weekend Cable Troughing
Concrete Cable Casings Cause Considerable Concern to Crowds

What are you doing? Why are you moving all that stone? Are they heavy? These were some of the questions we were asked whilst working in the up loop last working weekend. Good progress was made on the July weekend which as you all know was the 40's event (War weekend). Many thanks for all those who turned out in period dress or otherwise. The task although not of the highest priority was very worthwhile as the cables which run though the loop are very important and now consist of many different types. We are also looking to the future as we have a major cable to run shortly between the Signalbox and the Goosefield groundframe and this will be much safer in troughing than just laid on the ballast. The vulnerable section by the water tower has been done, this is where any sparks or hot ash will be dropped because the locomotive can stand there for sometime. Both Saturday and Sunday saw a good group of shovellers, digging out many tons of ballast and clearing a level area for the large concrete troughs to drop into. We had to remove many barrows of contaminated ballast from the water tower area and we refilled the beds with clean ballast from the area between the platform wall and the track where the troughs were being fitted. We have a good quantity of excess ballast now in the four foot which will be removed in due course and used somewhere in need of a bit extra to top up beds. By the time we had finished on Sunday I would guess over a quarter of the platform length had been completed which considering the interruptions caused by train movements was very good going.

Thanks to all those who took part over the weekend. A marvellous effort and not a high visibility vest to be seen, even I got away with my POW outfit without being shot by the Home Guard, I even managed to sneak off from time to time.

What else has been going on?

Much of the time we are looking at was spent doing routine maintenance, both Pete and I had holiday during June which made big projects a little hard to do. We have carried on our early morning lifting and packing on Tuesdays. We start at 6am and get a few uninterrupted hours in which to do a Kango packing session. Areas receiving our attention lately have been the ash banks both sides of bridge 8 (the Haven Street slip) and a section just beyond bridge 12 where again ash forms the base on which the railway is stood. We have still to complete both these sites but the trains are riding better than they were. We always seem to run out of time when the end of the job is near and have to clear the track ready for services to begin. Still the overall standard to line and level is not bad, only let down by the really weak points that most of us know about. A few signalling problems have occurred lately, mainly minor ones which have easily been sorted out but take time nonetheless. We have had a variety of livestock that seems to like the lineside to their fields or gardens just lately. We have had pigs, cattle and dogs causing difficulties over the last few weeks. The pigs and dog have been thwarted by increased fencing (fitting sheep wire to the existing fence) and the cattle probably got on to the line by someone not closing the crossing gates at Woodhouse. A dozen or so bullocks had to be rounded up and persuaded to leave the railway line on Saturday 9th July, the weekend of the motor show. Luckily Pete was in early to do a signalling turn and as he had done some work at Wootton on the points on the previous evening he thought a check was prudent before trains but he had to curtail his Wickham trip early when he encountered the bullocks near Woodhouse. A phone call for help lead to he, me and my wife trying to head them off at Guildford crossing. Some went quietly others were a little more stubborn but we got them safely on the right side of the fence eventually.

As mentioned early a fire was reported at Ashey involving a cattle grid. The fire brigade attended and along with help from the train crew the blaze was quickly dealt with but left a burnt out middle grid and a side one also badly damaged. Pete was on holiday so I did repairs to most of the damage with just a few rails left to Pete when they were delivered the next week. Whilst I was on holiday for two weeks Pete was busy doing a variety of jobs including signalling, crossing maintenance and lineside clearance.

The Friday and Saturday clearance gang is working particularly hard at this time of year trying to keep pace with mother nature. The banks are a mass of grass and weeds along with lots of bramble, saplings and flowers. The main work has been along the Smallbrook section with the gang working its way back from Swanpond. At the time of writing the banks have been cleared almost up to Deacons Lane bridge so the progress is very good. Should anyone feel like a day out with Rob's razors please feel free to join them on the day, 8.30 am at the hut, no experience necessary!

Finally the Wednesday sleeper changing evenings are proving very useful with a good crowd most weeks, apart from a blip on one Wednesday whilst I was on holiday which left Pete on his own (I don't think he took it too personally). We have been regularly getting around 8 or 9 sleepers in a week between the hours of 6 and 9 with several old hands and some newer faces joining in the fun. More are very welcome so if you can make it please come on down, we even buy you a beer at the end of the evening! Can't be bad.

Pete foregoes the tea and contemplates his end of work beer.

June 2005

WARTIME AUSTERITY EDITION

A warm welcome to everyone and welcome to this wartime edition of Trackpack. Due to shortages in paper, ink, banana's and pencils we have had to produce this month's offering on Izal toilet paper written with fishplate grease. It has not been easy as the paper had to be dried out and kept tearing at the perforations and the grease keep gumming up the typewriter ribbon but like all good wartime efforts we won through in the end! We have news of an exciting weekend coming up and all the campaigns currently happening at the moment.

TOP SECRET
FROM RAILWAY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
START DATE 2nd/3rd JULY 1942 (2005)

To All Permanent Way Staff
(IW Area) We have been directed from Divisional Headquarters that from the 2nd July use is to be made of labour from several local POW Camps. The manpower shortage will be made good with German and Italian prisoners of war on general labouring jobs on the Island railway system under the guidance of regular PW staff and guarded by the local Home Guard platoon.(Suitable overalls for POW's will be required and regular members are requested to try to provide same).

The first task over the 2nd/3rd July will be located at Haven Street installing cable troughing. This will be along the up loop by the side of the platform. Work will be protected by means of fixed signals. (Suitable arrangements will be made with operating staff on day).
Any staff that can be of help with the above orders are asked to muster at 08-30 hours, in suitable attire if possible at GHQ (PW Dept) Haven Street.

End of Message.

Don't forget - careless talk costs lives………

What's been going on?

June Working Weekend - PTS Courses, Concrete mixing & Fishplate Greasing and Lawn Mowing

Communication from Battalion Headquarters regarding training.

It has been noted that commendations are due to several privates that passed the company PTS course with flying colours. They are to be congratulated in their diligence to duty and are duly mentioned in dispatches, cards that commemorate their wondrous achievements have been distributed or are awaiting the return of the said soldiers when next on duty. Well done men (and lady)!

Pete and Julia Snashall apply the finishing touches.

Several exercises were carried out over the June training weekend, Captain Walker & Sergeant Corby put the platoon through their paces on all three days. The final touches were made to the concrete tank(engine)trap to stop enemy infiltration into Ted Greens Home & Colonial Stores and was finished off very nicely. Next came the last of the grease gunnery practice carried out on several low flying fishplates around the Haven Street area. The expert markswomanship of our grease gunner made light work of the task and all inside nutted plates were given a jolly good pasting.

Dave Walker mixing it.

On parade again for the third day running our gallant troops embarked on a very tricky and dangerous mission. An early start was made to surprise the enemy and upon arrival at the location we quickly surrounded the foe and made the situation safe. (In other words we had had reports the previous day that some pigs near Irongates crossing were getting through the railway fence and wandering on our lineside banks, we made good the fence with some sheep netting to stop their wanderings). Mission accomplished!

It was then that Captain Walker handed over command to Sergeant Corby for the final mission of the weekend, a clearing up operation around the Ashey Station area. Armed with Brushcutters and Lawn Mower a select force of trained bramble bashers caused havoc all day with the undergrowth. Leaving later a much neater battlefield after another glorious victory.

Many thanks to all the Jones, Frazers, Godfrey's & Pikes (you stupid boys) that turned out of this month's bash. A super weekend of work, training and meetings was had and thank you all for turning out.

Julia Snashall and Graham Deegan - Expert Greese Gunnery.

We hope to see you at the July War Weekend, and please come in suitable period dress if possible. For this one weekend Orange gear will not be required!

What else has been going on?

We have been progressing on several fronts as the wartime headlines would have said.

On the S&T front a lot of routine work has been carried out since last month, oiling and greasing, inspections and small maintenance jobs. A couple of small jobs on Wootton points have made things a little more reliable. A lever was fitted to the kick back points in the Griffins complex to allow easier access to the sleeper loading area and to get the Permaquip trolley in and out a little easier.

Lifting and packing has been carried out at several locations, on the Ash Bank slip we also dropped two wagon loads of ballast to make up the levels before our Kango bashing commenced.

After last months working weekend we carried on to completed the fishplate greasing for this year by doing the Smallbrook station area.

We had a clearing session on the banks around Wootton, and found a bit of time to do some repairs to the Wickham and one of the trolley's, both affected by wood rotting problems.

Wednesday night sleeper changing has begun and has been very successful, two weeks in we have had a very good turnout, with 17 sleepers already changed. Many thanks to all evening bods, more would be very welcome!

Once again the gang were sent around the bend into Griffin's Field.

Finally a pump was hired to move the water out of the sump at Long Arch to try and clear out debris that had collected. A concrete lid that had allegedly been dropped in at sometime in the past was also on the list to remove. We spent a interesting day on this task, not only had a concrete lid been dropped in, which was quite easy to remove but a much larger concrete panel had been deposited as well. This was very heavy and even Pete & I on two ropes could not manage it. Luckily we had asked Graham Peters to attend as we wanted him to look at the structural problems and an extra pair of hands was enough to get the blasted thing out of the hole. We now have an obstruction free sump but many problems have been identified with this structure and will need to be addressed soon.

petedavepw.iwr@btinternet.com

May 2005

Hello again and welcome to this month's edition of Trackpack. Everything and everyone is getting geared up for the start of daily running in June. There is plenty to be getting on with so hope to see as many as possible for another inflation busting triple time weekend.

Late May Working Weekend Sat 28th / Sun 29th / Mon 30th

Once again this month it would seem like a good scheme to not make a rigid plan but list a few options and possibilities. Once there is a better idea about numbers jobs can be allocated accordingly. With the AGM and Volunteers meeting taking up Saturday afternoon we could perhaps have a training session in the morning so that those who would like to can be shown the various options.

For Sunday and Monday the local fishplate greasing at Smallbrook and Havenstreet has to be completed, as well as painting and fence repairs at some of the occupation crossings. There are still some new sleepers to go in if you fancy it and fettling and tidying work on the Goosefield crossover. What a wonderfully mixed bag, surely something must tempt you. So if you feel like spending a bit of spare time over the weekend there is sure to be something that can be found to suit you.

What's been going on?

May Working Weekend - Buffer Stops and Bramble Bashing
Many Members Mix Muck Making Magnificent Movement Minimising Monument

With the new wheel drop and carriage maintenance pits coming into use it was clear that some form of stop block would be needed on the siding end to protect it. Unfortunately because of the limited area available a traditional railbuilt version could not be made to fit so it was thinking caps on. A conversation with the Chief Mechanical Engineer and the General Manager resulted in a plan to construct a large block out of concrete to protect the end of the siding and this weekend was spent carrying it out.

Iain Whitlam, Dave Walker and someone with an Iron Bar prepare the foundations.

A start was made by digging down a foot or so below rail level in the 8 foot by 4 foot area the block was going to be sited. The existing rails already set in the concrete road where the siding crosses it were used as a handy marker. Two eight foot lengths of rail were connected to the ends of the existing rails so that they went up to and entered the eventual mass of concrete. While all this was going on a smaller group were building the shuttering for casting the block, ready to be placed over the rails when the foundations were ready. It was carefully planned so the overall shape of the block formed into a curvoid in a bid to follow trends towards more naturalistic forms in architecture e.g. the Gherkin in the City of London. {Yeah right! Editor}

To prevent embarrasment to Pete Snashall,