After the terrible conditions of the last machine hire week, when the Trust returned the digger and dumper to Harford Plant Hire (a very supportive firm) in a pretty sad condition, we have had a much better and more constructive
On Saturday May 7th, Trust volunteers helped the Wenhaston Community Café celebrate its first anniversary – there was birthday cake, and general jollity. We are pleased to have been able to contribute to the success of this venture. Over the
Today, after the now-obligatory coffee at the Community Café (in which we were almost the only customers), we made the usual split into workshop and trackbed. The former team completed the locomotive carrying device for the Blyth Valley Light Railway,
On Wednesday April 6th, the team – bedraggled and shattered – completed the first week of work on (non-public) rights-of-way and land access at Wenhaston Station. Most of the area by Blyford Lane is now prepared (heavy farm vehicles will
After last night’s thunderstorm, the trackbed and station were very wet on Monday morning- but two intrepid volunteers braved the mud in the afternoon, and – after three hours’ work, have pretty well completed the turning area. This is a
As we are not allowed (yet!) to rebuild the railway, we have been getting in a bit of practice. Or so it would seem. In fact, the large amount of activity this week is more mundane – the SRT needs
On Wednesday March 23rd, soon after hearing the news that the Inspector had turned down our Appeal at Wenhaston, Trust volunteers showed their support by turning out in large numbers: fourteen volunteers (and on a weekday!) is one of our
On Friday March 11th, the Trust’s Appeal (to be allowed to start rebuilding the railway at Wenhaston) was dismissed. This did not come as a great surprise, given the breadth and power of the anti-railway lobby. We feel that it
On Monday, our Chairman went on another odyssey in Barford’s Merc. Sprinter – this time to Swanscombe in Kent – to collect eleven 15-foot lengths of 35lb rail, and fittings. Getting the large vehicle into the drive, past cars parked
On Wednesday February 10th, the Rolling Stock Group manhandled, with some difficulty, the main sub-frame of the underframe of Open Wagon 41 into place over the rails. Using the convenient sleepers (SR 6” x 3” x 72” are useful for