We had hoped to get to work on building the new chamber in the station area at Ruddington today, but as circumstances conspired to prevent that, the same contingent started off the day by removing all the clay spoil from the hole out of the p-way trolley it had been loaded into. The trolley was then washed down and left ready for its next use.
Not far away, they had a go at the sodden leaves blanketing platform 1. This isn't really an S&T job, save that we don't want them getting brushed onto the track, and impairing track circuit performance. It is, however a job that needs doing - and we've seen no evidence that anybody else is planning to do it! This seems like an opportunity for improved management, but the leaves won't sweep themselves in the meantime. We got about halfway-done by dusk.
A few miles south, we paid our first serious visit to Hotchley Hill in several weeks. No dramatic jobs this time, but movement on fronts we've been considering for a long while.
First, the additional bolts on the south door. Having decided that fitting mortice locks into a Crittall door is too much of a headache, we had put simple sliding bolts on the outside. The fastenings we used originally for this were conveniently available, but not really right. Some were of a type that rusts, some the wrong length, and there was no special need for imperial sizes. These are now replaced with shiny new metric bolts, the right length, type and material. Without access to the inside, tying to remove these should be very tedious for any unwanted visitors!
Next, we set about loading the old, and apparently incomplete, scaffolding tower into the van to Ruddington. Scaffolding has clearly become a touchy subject recently, but in view of the railway's newfound focus on safety, there was no use keeping it at HH. It's all rusty, the components don't match, there's no documentation. It would not be safe or responsible to use it without checks and repairs we aren't qualified to perform.
After that, we went on a treasure hunt at Rushcliffe Halt with a friend from the Loughborough end. We once had a tip-off that the original water supply to the signalbox came from a point on Gotham Road - but never had a suitable moment to go looking. Today we did, and found that X really does mark the spot! There's an old concrete box buried in the verge, and a corresponding pipe crossing a ditch nearby. This is probably long past being usable, but still worth investigating.
The next really big job at H.H. is glazing - an expensive one. For that, we are asking for donations, in the 'frame' of sponsoring a window. This currently stands at 16% of our target. Can we double that by Christmas?
Thank you, as always to everyone who has given support to what we do. It makes a difference.
