I keep saying we're going to take some of our clutter at Ruddington down to Fifty Steps, and today, we really did! With the van parked close to our collection of cast iron, we weighed it down with parts we're unlikely to need soon, and cleared three lightly-loaded pallets in the process. It was then a simple matter of driving down to the container at Fifty Steps, and unloading it again.
Not so fast! Driving along the dirt track from Asher Lane crossing, we discovered that practise sessions with heavy plant had led to foot-deep potholes, making access for road vehicles "interesting". While the railway's relationship with the firm in question is generally a very positive and beneficial one, this may be one slight downside.
Nevertheless, we did get through with one vanload before deciding the stunt was one we would be unwise to repeat. That cleared enough space at Ruddington to carry-on arranging and consolidating our stores.
In the afternoon, we lent a hand to the DMU restoration side of things. Like the S&T stores van, theirs is full. Not of iron cranks, but of comfortable seats, piled high to the roof, from end to end. The problem is that having stripped that wreck of a DMU centre-coach of useful fittings last week, we now need somewhere to put them. The exercise, therefore, was to pull out the grottiest seats for disposal, and to re-pack the good ones. We made good progress at this, though there is always more to do!
While not strictly a matter of tidying up, there have been four half-finished stands for ground signals lying around at Ruddington for some time. As illustrated, these have now been welded together, and will soon see service in the station area.
We'll be tending to the lock on the southern door from Hotchley Hill next week. At least we know how to do it this time around.