Wakebridge 18th November - part the second

1. Looking southwards. Most of the shuttering is in place with concrete due to be poured on Thursday. On the right of the picture is a traditional jim crow - I spent many hours as one of a small team manhandling these. I am waiting see how rails are bent in today's world.

2. Seven cubic metres of concrete.

3. The concrete pump can be raised, lowered and rotated by remote control. The guy on the left with the yellow jacket has the remote control round his waist.

4. Wet concrete. The space is where the drain box for the points will be.

Oh dear it looks as though both of the warning signs have been damaged! Perhaps they will be replaced with more attractive signs.

Wakebridge 18th November

Today the first concrete was poured using a concrete pump.
1. The concrete pump is a free standing unit mounted on a lorry chassis. The ready mix truck simply reverses to the back of the pump and discharges the concrete into a hopper.
2. The concrete is then pumped to where it is needed.
3. Look carefully at this picture and you can see the concrete being discharged.
4. There's still some manual work.

Wakebridge 14th Nov

1 &2 The north end with the metal shuttering for concrete in place.

3. A general view looking south showing how the track foundations are being excuvated.
4. The next tram won't be along for a while. The guys in green hats are Museum employees gathering winter fuel.

Sheffield 330 and a new toy

1. The new electric golf cart with Sheffield 330's bumper over the batteries.

2 & 3. Sheffield 330 minus bumper.

4. Some of the rotton wood and rusting metal from under 330.

Wakebridge - 12th November

Wakebridge passing loop was built by volunteer labour during the 1970s using second hand material and hand tools. The line to Glory Mine opened in 1978 and so Wakebridge has been a busy passing loop for 30 years and was a credit to those who built it. However the rather sharp curves were beginning to show signs of significant wear. The track immediately to both the north and south of the loop had been replaced with brand new rail more recently, so the decision was taken to replace the entire loop.
As the volunteer track gang no longer exists and some of the methods and equipment used would not meet today's safety standards, professional contactors are being used.
The outline plan is:

• remove all of the existing track and points
• mark out the new track plan (the points will be slightly further apart so that less sharp curves can be used)
• dig out this area to a depth of two feet or so and establish levels
• fill with hardcore and compact with high tech 'Wacker'
• fill with concrete ultimately resulting in a concrete bed for the entire passing loop
• layout and level the track
• fishplates will be used for point castings but all other rail joints will be welded
• check out all clearances etc before filling to rail head level

1. General view looking northwards, showing the state of the art construction equipment.
2 & 3. Steel shuttering is being laid around the area to be concreted.
4. This machine was being used as a giant fork lift.
5. Levelling the hard core.

Wakebridge 10th November

Wakebridge is now a construction site controlled by the contractors, Balfour Beatty Rail Projects. I will outline the project plan in my next post.
1. The boundary of the construction site is clearly marked at Cabin Crossing.
2. The south end of Wakebrige looking north.
3. All the old rail has been lifted.
4. Looking towards Glory Mine.

George Stephenson, Shanghai and the Library

A small team of employees and volunteers has spent the last few weeks packing artifacts in the library into storage boxes and moving them to temporary storage racks. This will enable contractors to install modern high density storage shelves which will increase the capacity of the library.
1. It is always tempting to look at the artifacts. This is a hand written diary from 1848 that was kept by James Jeffries, a contractor from Crich. On 12th August 1848 he learnt of George Stephenson's death. On 17th August he attended George Stephenson's funeral in Chesterfield.
This diary will ultimately be displayed in the Stone Workshop.

2. Just some of the boxes.

3. Yesterday Bob Hall and I spent a few hours unrolling engineering drawings which will in future be stored flat. One of the drawings by EMB was for metre gauge maximum traction bogies for Shanghai in 1931. I was surprised that all the dimensions were in imperial measurements.

Some of today's work

1. Sheffield 330 wrapped up in newspapers.
2. MET 331's bogies.

Electric loco

The Blackpool electric loco is now in the workshop.
1. Peter Bird sent me this photo taken on 6th November of the loco on the jacks and its motors and axles being removed.
2. Yesterday's picture of the loco as it is now. The motors have been removed and sent away for servicing and other work is being carried out.

Dressed for action

I now have appropriate clothing to visit the construction site at Wakebridge - so watch this space. (It is not everyone who has safety boots for his birthday.)

Winter

1. My first picture of the closed season at 9:15 this morning.
2. Sandwiches for lunch now.


3. The tower wagon is having its hydraulic systems checked.
4. The diesel engine GMJ is to have a paint job completed.
Both these vehicles may have a role to play later in the track reconstruction at Wakebridge.

Where is everyone?

This picture of the workshop was taken last Sunday.