DEVELOPMENT – TRACKWORK (STEP 1.2.1) – Page 6
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Trackwork through Blaenavon (High Level) station – and the
end of the line (uploaded 18 May 2010 )
We have been
somewhat remiss in reporting on trackwork matters, and it has been over five
months since our last update. Many
things have happened, and there has been a major shift in the emphasis on the
track as the work approaches completion.
Perhaps the single greatest hindrance to progress was the heavy and
persistent snow which covered the track, often to a depth of several feet, and
which had made work quite impossible.
The snow, together with significant and lengthy interruptions in our
funding, made a substantial re-think in strategy a priority, and contractors
were brought in to assist during the final stages, in order to regain
time. We had always planned this, but
the extent to which they were employed was rather greater than first envisaged. This gave us rapid progress, (though at
disproportionate cost) but not enough of it.
It was delay in bringing the track up to standard that was the main
feature, at the time of writing, in causing a two month delay to our opening
date.
If that
pre-amble sounds a trifle gloomy, on the ground, the visual differences are now
clear to see, and impressive by any standards. The first success was the
completion of the apparently endless task of replacing the rotten sleepers.
There was a time when we thought that we’d only need to change some of them,
but in the end, the gold-plated solution was adopted, and we changed all of
those sleepers that were not already concrete.
Completion was reported on Page 5, and, for the record, the last sleeper
was changed on 15 November 2009 . Work had begun in June 2008.
During the
final months of 2009 a technical problem with the rail threatened to seriously
impede progress. For many years the line
had been used to carry coal, and was classified as a ‘mineral line’. This permitted relaxed standards to apply to
track laying. In particular when it is
necessary to cut a 60ft length of rail to something shorter, it was permissible
to burn off the rail end using oxy-acetylene.
However, since the Hither Green rail accident in November 1967 when 49
people were killed as the result of a broken rail end, the use of oxy-acetylene
for cutting has been absolutely forbidden on passenger lines. Rail-ends must now be sawn with saws, or cut
with cutting discs. Although we knew
there were a few ‘burnt’ rail ends, as the sleeper replacement work approached
completion it was clear that the total would be large, and no less than 43
rails had burnt ends. Fortunately an
excess of rails had been ordered for the Big Pit branch when steel prices were
low, so the financial impact was not perhaps what it might have been. Nonetheless during October, November and
December some forty 60ft length of rail were taken down and dumped alongside
the track.
In late
December the first contract was let to contractors KG Price of Cardiff to
replace burnt rails, and the adjust the rails to form correctly positioned and
gapped rail ends. It had been planned to
let this contract somewhat earlier, but delays in securing funding frustrated
our plans. Bad weather ensured this work
didn’t start for another month. In early
January a second contract was let to the same contractor to replace the timbers
and replace points south of Furnace Sidings.
In particular:
(a)
the deviation turnout
(b)
the facing crossover (down main
to up loop)
(c)
turnout to Down Exchange Sidings
and related diamond crossing
(d)
loop turnout south
This was a
slightly more ambitious programme than first planned since the facing crossover
was to have been removed. The usefulness
of the Down Exchange Sidings, which were brought into use in May 2008 for the
purpose of stabling stock, had become clear however, so that, after due
consideration of the cost, the facing
crossover was retained.
You would have
though that it would now be possible for the long-suffering Permanent Way crew
to rest on their laurels (or their shovels).
There were still plenty of outstanding jobs to do however:
(a) removal of some largish tree roots from the
trackbed by machine which were too large to move by means of pick, shovel,
crowbar and profane language
(b) clearance of ditches (including work
associated with clearing November’s landslip
(c) installation of bufferstops and a sand drag
south of Blaenavon (High Level) station
(d) installation of a properly engineered foot
crossing near Forgeside, now called ‘Glantorfaen Crossing’
(e) installation of a properly engineered foot
crossing immediately south of Blaenavon (High Level) station
(f) installation of facing point locks on all
the points noted above:
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With the first load of ballast laid into the
platform by our volunteers the previous weekend, at last, after weeks of now,
contractors KG Price start on the work of sawing off rail ends, and pulling
up the rail. Heavyweight tools are
used for this work, which gains time at the cost of initial capital outlay –
fine if you are at it five days a week, but pointless for weekend
volunteers. Even the use of a
Telehandler is justified (the green thing seen poking in from the left) to
carry the power tools to job. Here the
team rest briefly from their labours and smile (well, almost) for the camera. 0812 – 26 Jan 10 |
A few days latter, with the work extended half way to
the foot crossing at Forgeside, rail appears with brightly shining ends,
showing that grinding has been in progress.
Below the nearest fishplate, swarf is evidence that new rail ends have
been drilled to accept the fishplates, whilst the ‘jump up’ on the nearest
line of rails show how little wear there is the the ‘new’ rail when compared
with our original rail. Special joggled
fishplates have since been fitted to smooth out the difference. 0834 – 29 Jan 10 |
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With the contractors drilling machine
as evidence that the foot crossing at Forgside had been reached, we note that
the crossing is no more than a hole in the face and a track across the rails and up the muddy –
and very slippery – bank beyond 0835 – 29 Jan 10 |
Turning to look south at the top of the broad bank
is evidence of regular pedestrian traffic.
Despite local lore, it is not a Public Right of Way, but a private
footpath established by the railway from its very early days, in order for
the population of Forgeside to gain easy access to the station – just visible
in the distance. This was long, long
before the arrival of any form of motorised traffic PBRCo were determined to retain this pathway,
both on historical grounds and as a service to the local community who have
supported us so loyally, even though stringent modern safety legislation
would demand the erection of a fence on both sides of the path. 0839 – 29 Jan 10 |
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Chairman Robin marches smartly away from the centre
of the work, as ballast is seen to stretch further down the platform. Although there is more to do, the
ballasting in the ‘four foot’ looks decidedly neat. The gang in the background are taking a
breather from tracklaying as they start the job of recovering old sleepers
and arisings from the platform and station building work. In the distance the
Coity is still wreathed in snow 0857 – 31 Jan 10 |
The gang with the works train. Ol’ faithful
‘Llanwern’ is sandwiched between the Lomac (carrying the dumper), then the Shark,
two Dogfish and a pair of Grampuses.
In the background on the platform lie stacks of recovered imperial
yellow bricks which are due to travel up to Furnace Sidings yard, though some
will be retained for use at the station where the chimney awaits construction 0860 – 31 Jan 10 |
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Two photos by our prolific Arthur Llewellyn. Here at the loading point, just north of
Furnace Sidingsstation lie two full Dogfish.
Beyond that the Lowmac, Warflat (painted a disgusting blue! )and a
standard chassis carry sixty foot lengths of rail. Each is 30ft, 40ft and 17.6ft long
respectively - a novel way of carrying long lengths of rails! The train, with a loco at each end, is due
off down the line towards Blaenavon (High Level). Even more novel is the technique for
unloading the rail, and which involves
two locos and a short length of rail ,
Arthur Llewellyn – P1110725 |
‘Shark’ is a BR code name for ballast plough – and
here it is seen doing exactly as it says.
This wagon was purchased at considerable cost, but was in excellent
condition, and has proved absolutely indispensable, and money well spent.. It will soon be turning its skills to
ploughing on the Big Pit branch, and, when not in use for yet further
development, is likely to be seen bringing passengers round from Big Pit in
bad weather – what a novel way to travel! Arthur Llewellyn – P1110743 |
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Comparison of dates will show that virtually all of
February was lost to bad weather – these latest shots being the last day of
February. However here the four-foot
and cess have been ballasted over the entire length of the platform and the
area to the left has been cleared ready for the day when platform 2 is
rebuilt and rails laid. Despite an
extensive thaw, flecks of snow still appear in hollow on the Coity 0938 - 28 Feb 10 |
Beyond the north end of the platform volunteer 0944 - 28 Feb 10 |
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Altogether some 2000 tons of new ballast from
nearby Machen quarry were used on the extension (and some limited
‘topping-up’ on the existing passenger line).
Here 0979 – 6 Mar 10 |
Here 48tons loaded and another 24 to go before 72
tons of ballast roll off down to
discharge their contents along the route. 0980 – 6 Mar 10 |
Foot crossing at Forgeside (uploaded 18 May 10)
As an aside from the
relentless ballasting work, it was necessary to build a decent foot crossing at
Forgeside. For no obviously apparent
reason it has been renamed after one the adjacent terraces Upper Glantorfaen
Terrace, as Glantorfaen Crossing.
Glantorfaen means ’bank of theTorfaen’ an archaic name for the Avon
Llwyd which appears and disappears in to large culverts at the bottom of the
valley below.
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An energetic crew make a start. Ironically rails had to be lifted to instal
six wooden sleepers, which had previously been concrete – the only location
on the extension where this was found necessary. 0981 – 7 Mar 10 |
Still energetic, five give orders, one drilling
‘planks’ ready for bolting to the wooden sleepers underneath. To the left of the telegraph pole the 4 ˝
mile marker indicates the distance from Brynmawr Junction – and a quarter of
a mile to 0984 – 7 Mar 10 |
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A week later and with some tidying up, and a bit of
ballast brings the sight of the crossing into contrast. Dogfish and Sharks are all very well, but
the final touches are still undertaken by the one manpower shovel! 0991 – 14 Mar 10 |
Viewed looking north towards Forgeside road over
rail bridge, it is clear that laying the crossing has not been the only
task. Drainage had been seriously
compromised by the laying of the cycletrack on the up side – a matter of
questionable legality, from legislation enacted in 1845! Once the ditch was dug the ash sub-ballast
quickly drained and water flowed sweetly in the channel. An offshoot off this work was the need to
build a culvert under the crossing, the stone arch of which looks surprisingly
as if ‘it grew there’. On the left,
like a hideous triffid, lie the mortal remains of a large tree-stump that had
insinuated itself between the sleepers 0999 14 Mar 10 |
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Father and son now demonstrate that the two
manpower broom also has its place in PWay work, as a final tidy up after
digging, prepares the track for ballasting 1019 –18 Mar 10 |
Looking down from Forgeside bridge southwards to BL
we see Wayne and Dave sweeping the last part of the last substantive length of track made ready
for ballasting 1020 – 18 Mar 10 |
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The distance to the end of the line gets about
sixty foot shorter as another pair of rails are removed in readiness for the
fitting of a buffer stop and sand drag.
In the foreground , proper planks are cut in readiness for the fitting
of the foot crossing. 1014 – 14 Mar 10 |
At the other end of the line, dust shrouds the
Dogfish- and volunteer Ian – as the Telehandler drops another sizeable bucket
into the hopper. This technique is
very much faster than using our JCB with its limited reach and smaller bucket 1016 – 14 Mar 10 |
Point Timbering (uploaded 18 May 10)
The second major contract
involving KG Price was the relaying and retimbering work for the ‘points’
(known in the trade as ‘switch & crossing (S&C) work. Over the years timbers had rotted, cast
fittings (‘the chairs’) had fractured, and things had crept out of
alignment. Under S&C rails are held
to gauge by timbers rather than sleepers.
Where sleepers are wood – particularly in stations where appearance is
important – they are made of softwood.
However S&C timbers are hardwood, and anything up to 25 feet long –
so they are heavy – very heavy. The use
of hardwood is justified because we don’t want to re-lay and re-align any more
S&C in our lifetime. So the choice
was clear, get in heavy men with heavy machinery – and they did the job in a
fraction of the time we could have managed.
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The first to be done was the lead from the main
line into the yard. Now it’s a legal
requirement that where passenger trains ‘face’ into points (as opposed to
‘trail’, that all such points are fitted with Facing Point Locks (FPLs). This view faces north so trains going south
to Blaenavon (High Level) face into the points. We had spent several years quietly fitting
an 1023 – 18 Mar 10 |
Now this is a rare bird – the facing crossover,
much rarer then its close cousin the trailing crossover. The crossover
consists of two points fitted back to back. The crossover joins two parallel
tracks. We had planned to remove this
feature since it requires the expense and complexity of two FPLs, but its
usefulness where is stands, and our desire to retain as much of the historic
infrastructure as was possible demanded its retention. As yet it awaits fitting of its FPLs. Note thecontractors and their complex apparatus for doing up fishplate
bolts – 1024 – 18 Mar 10 |
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The up side of the crossover – not the finished
product! Here the timbers are being
inched into their final position. Next
the rails and chairs will be inched into place, holes drilled and the chairs
screwed down. 1027 - 18 Mar 10 |
Not pretty, but pretty effective. Contractors from
KG Price get close and dirty to the trackwork 1036 - 19 Mar 10 |
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Here are the point, partly reconsructed leading
across a diamond crossing into the Down Exchange Sidings which are used to
store trains. For the moment only the
diverging route us in use, the ahead route will be commissioned as Big Pit
branch is re-constructed and this is a different project. Since passengers will not be travelling
over this route for a year or two, no 1074 – 28 Mar 10 |
The S&C in this area is quite complex, and
included a so-called diamond crossing.
Over the last century or more
successive modification has resulted in a very poor alignment, and it
was considered easiest with the effort now available to lift everything and
start again. Volunteer Charles looks
down pensively and wonders if it will ever be possible to put the bits back
together 1078 – 28 Mar 10 |
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It looks just as horrifying in the opposite
direction…. 1079 – 28 Mar 10 |
…but a week later things look re-assuringly
normal. The main line is functional
again and a few chairs need changing
on the route to the Up Exchange Sidings. 1093 – 4 April 10 |
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