Wednesday 29 Dec

One of loading gates painted, work continues on extending platform, ditch dug to loading pad for track drainage, new fence constructed at top of bank after removal of the spoil, signal post erected., Christmas party.

Christmas party (before the volunteers arrived...)

Derek & Helen Hard at it before the Christmas Party

Platform extension work Bank and trackbank reprofiling after spoil removal, in preparation for laying second track...soon

Sunday 21 Nov

Work finished on hanging gates. Workshop got a very overdue 'spring clean'

Crane with jib and rigging.

Wednesday 17 Nov

work on new gates and fence for loading area.

Monday 15 Nov

The crane.

Just a jib and a paint job needed!   The jib was attached by evening. Just re rigging to do.

Sunday 14 Nov

Not on site till evening. Instead four of us went over to Bluebell to see extension progress. Fantastic day, with a Wickham ride up to Kingscote, walk up (and over the tip!) over Imberhorne viaduct and into East Grinstead compound. Look round carriage and wagon and a walk down the Ardingly branch almost to the stub of the network rail line. Lots of steam trains flying about! A very useful dialogue with volunteers at the Bluebell - and thanks go to Jon Bowers and his colleagues - a wonderful day off!

On the way back home we dropped in at the RVR - crane had arrived and jib was on route.

Thursday 11 Nov

Several members went to Spa Valley to bring crane up from Groombridge to Tunbridge Wells West in preparation for its relocation to the RVR.

moving crane out at Groombridge A lot of stock to shift first as you can see - and on the gradient down to Birchden passing through Groombridge on the return

Sunday 7 Nov

Loading pad bank gone.

bank gone - now needs levelling through.

Sunday 31 Oct - Sat 6 Nov

Huge progress. The clay bank is being ripped out, and should be gone by the end of this week.

Additionally since last date, the middle road into the station has been reinstated, progress made on the three plank, brake van and other numerous smaller engineering tasks forwarded.

ripping through clay bank for 2nd road   Dumping over the abyss at Oak tree

Wednesday 6 Oct

Point work in yard.

Sunday 3 Oct

Rain stopped play - except hardcore donation for platform in fill and old bricks.

Thursday 30 Sep

Receieved a signal post from Canterbury (due to  modernisation scheme).  Will be used in yard.

Sunday 26 Sep

Continuation of pointwork in yard.  Work started  on extending the platform (block laying).  RVRSA committee  meeting in afternoon.

Sunday 12 Sep

Sponsored Walk.  Left station at 1100.  Walkers: (me!) Chris, Jack, Ken, Liz, Roy, John R, John H, Keith, Janet and Jamie (cycling!) and anyone who gave financial support to the walkers.

 

Sunday 5 Sep

Progress

miniature tram Video presentation Thomas visits the RVR!

made with point work.  Roy's tram weekend with stalls and exhibition, food and drink.

Wednesday 1 Sep

Progress made with point work.  Webmaster not on site.

Sunday 29 Aug

Decision made to relay the point using interlacing as new hardwood point sleepers over £1000!

Wednesday 25 Aug

Clearing shoulder of ballast by near loading pad.

Sunday 22 Aug

New arrival from Ramsgate during the week (very  early in the morning!) - 3 ex BR Banana Trucks, in good condition.  One Will be used for mobile PW tool store.  Jacking and packing near Oak Tree.  Finished ballast shoulder top ups on concrete section between yard and loading pad.

 

Wednesday 18 Aug

Measured up Oak Tree point as reference for point sleepers required  for station yard run round.

Finished cleaning clay encrusted check rail chairs at Oak Tree.

Tuesday 17 Aug

Work on Tug - cleaning down / stripping old paint.  Undercoating front 'bumper'.  

Sunday 15 Aug

Started cleaning Clay encrusted check rail chairs  at Oak Tree.

Wednesday 11 Aug

Titan serviced.  Should see a few years service yet.  Apparently not being used regularly or hard enough...

Started riddling ballast near loading pad as part  of clearing shoulder through this area.  Some ballast nearly a third dirt before riddling!

Sunday 8 Aug

Finished trench for sleeper movement.  Finished recovery of ballast, and filled many shoulders on p way.  Brakevan painting and restoration continued.  Tug - new alternator.   Tightening of chair screws completed from yard to Oak Tree.  Check rail chairs rearranged as far as Oak Tree, as were not all orientated  the correct way round.

Check rail chair reorientation and movement.

Jamie tightening chair bolts.

Wednesday 4 Aug

Dug trench in yard to enable instertion of new point timbers under two roads.  Recovering errant ballast from near

Footbridge site clearance. Advancing pipeline.

loading pad.  Clearing at footbridge site continued.

Wednesday 28th July / Sunday 1 Aug

Webmaster not on site.

Sunday25th July

RVRSA Committee Meeting in afternoon.

Wednesday 21st July

Sunday 18th July

Painted tug 'bonnet' yellow.  Installed subsidence detection  near first bridge (Southern Water pipeline).  Continued work on installing run round at station.  Marked out and cleared area for construction of public footbridge across stream (shortcut footpath).

Southern Water plant near first bridge

Big muddy hole

Marking out footbridge

Wednesday 14th July

Brakevan restoration/3 plank restoration.  Chairs removed from sleepers at the dismantled kick back siding.  Continued  to tidy area at buffer stops near first bridge.

MINI DIGGER WEEK Commencing 3 July

Some serious work, have hired mini digger for the week from Saturday,  through to and including Friday 9 July.

Friday 9th July, last day with digger.  Continued preparing area where point will be rebuilt.  Started to cut out clay and dirt bank by workshop, to allow room for a kick back siding, and more space along by the running line adjacent to the station car park.

Removing the bank

Dumping off spoil at Oaktree

Clear and tidy!

 

Thursday 8th July, tidied up around lifted point area, cleared chairs and clips up to Oaktree/station.  Tidied up sleepers into piles - good and rotten.  Removed straight rail in yard  where point will be placed.  Started moving some of the clay  bank by workshop onto lomac with digger.

Wednesday 7th July, all rail now offloaded at station.  The track where point is to be placed now being lifted in preparation for installation.  Dumped chippings by buffet for invalid ramp.  Weather appaling in afternoon, so had to  abort work early.

Lifting point sleepers.

Tuesday 6th July, webmaster not on site (escaped to London!) but lots of fun had loading last piece of point, then unloading at station end.  Unfortunately the mini digger was feeling  the strain after that lot!

Monday 5th July, continued lifting point rails onto lomac.  Finished  day with one more to load.  Slow progress due to several factors, including getting a genny up and running for angle grinding awkward  bolts off, and the sheer difficulty of loading such heavy rail components and making sure that health & safety was observed at all times.

Angle grinding made possible by a 1965 genny! Continuing dismantling Track lifting Loaded! Old meets...old!

A n gl e g ri n di n g

Sunday 4 July, moved frog (heavy points component) and some point  rails onto lomac.  Shifted chairs and  

Shifting point rails A grass snake evicted from its home under a sleeper!

sleepers off to  edge of embankment to allow access towards first bridge.

Saturday 3 July, loaded lomac twice with ballast with mini digger, and dumped in station yard as bed for second track movement to form part of run round loop.

Mini digger Ballasting Yard