THE MESS VAN CHRONICLES

The big news this time around has been the complete reconstruction of the north-end switch and crossing (or point) in Broomhill Loop, which was largely made possible by the gifting of the new switch and crossing by Network Rail from the Vale of Leven project. And I genuinely mean new (as in “one owner, low mileage”), not just new to us. In order to permit the construction works to progress on the Leven line to programme, a timber-mounted switch and crossing had to be installed, as the one required for the final design, which sits on concrete bearers, was not available. The timber-mounted switch and crossing were removed after very few trains had run over it as the concrete-mounted one was ready to be installed, and the timber one was put to one side. The project enquired whether we might like it – and as you can guess, we jumped at the prospect.

After a prolonged hiatus required to sort transport, including the tilting HGV trailer, the materials arrived in Boat of Garten yard on 2nd January 2024. Before too long, they had been lifted onto wagons and taken down the line as an out-of-gauge load to Broomhill. They were unloaded in Broomhill Yard, ready for the works to commence.

March arrived, and with it unseasonably good weather. Aided by an SRA-funded small clamshell bucket for the Road Rail Excavator, which had to be a special order and took over 6 months to arrive but arrived just in time, the existing ballast was predominantly dug out by machine, with less manual labour required – which is not to say that it wasn’t hard work! Once the trackbed was levelled as close as it could be with the old track in place, the proposed alignment was measured up and staked out, and an indicative red line spray marked on the ballast. This helped to locate the end of the ‘new’ concrete sleepers when the time came to lay in the new track. Once this was complete, the old track was removed, and the materials removed from the site into the attendant ballast train, apart from the switches from the old point, which were to be re-used – more of that later.

All of this was completed largely over the first three-day weekend, ably supported by extra fill-in shifts during the week from a very committed team of volunteers.

Roll on the 2nd weekend, and after a bit of tidying and preparation, it was time to start laying in the new switch and crossing – and here the problems started. The majority of the lifts of large items and panels were to be achieved using the railway’s Plasser & Theurer Dutch-built 12t P way crane – and on the way to its first lift, it blew a main hydraulic pipe…at 10:00 on a Saturday. After some frantic ringing round, Nathan bravely shot off to Inverness to get the pipe remade. So far, only a few hours’ delay. Then, when we were lifting the three panels of the switch and crossing, the crane started misbehaving. Nonetheless, we persevered, helped by Nathan’s good humour and a commitment by the team; by 1800 on the 2nd Saturday, the whole of the switch and crossing was in place, missing only a few timbers.

These timbers were installed by midweek volunteers and Georgie between the 2nd and 3rd weekends, meaning that after the maladies of the 2nd weekend, and despite everything, we were still on target. All (all?) that was left was the laying of 4 panels of concrete sleepered track, plus a short closure panel. The sleepers were laid in using the Colmar and sat on the ballast bed, spaced and aligned using bars, with the rails lifted in by the Plasser crane. In-between the surfaces of the rail and sleepers were cleaned, and pads were installed, and once the rails were down on the sleepers, they were straightened and if required, lifted so that the ‘biscuits’ (little plastic pads that sit on either side of the rail underneath the fixing) and the fixing, could be installed. By the end of the 3rd weekend, all of the track was in place, and whilst not straight, it was suitable for use as a low-speed passing loop.

It’s safe to say that it was a massive team effort, and I can’t thank the team enough for the sheer number of hours they put in to finish the project in time to start operating trains the following weekend—you know who you are!

By the time you read this, the track will have been straightened using the Plasser & Theurer HG230 slewer, and 200 tonnes of ballast will have been dropped, ready for tamping and lining to take place once the Babcock Rail tamper comes back to our line for a visit.

Didn’t We Have a Lovely Time The Day We Went to…Muir of Ord…’ Well, yes, we did – and are still doing. Especially when we are asked by Network Rail to help them tidy up the yard and remove materials that they no longer require. The process started in March with the bagging up of available materials and ready for pick up. In total, in a day, this ended up being 6 pallets’ worth of fishplates, rail fixings and pads, and some parts for level crossings. On a Saturday shortly after, and in association with the agreed removal of materials from Millburn Yard in Inverness, a truck arrived to uplift the materials we had sorted out on our first visit, plus other material that we’d rescued that morning with the aid of a bigger team. Those materials are now in Boat of Garten Yard, thanks to assistance from our friends at Pattersons Haulage.

There is more to remove at the beginning of May, however – this will include some of the currently in situ track materials that were installed 40 years ago when the yard became the traction maintenance depot for the Far North and Kyle lines following the collapse of the Ness Viaduct in Inverness. This includes a very good condition switch and crossing unit, which was put in 40 years ago and has very little wear. We will find a useful new home with us – all we have to do is get it out!

Tamp it, Baby, One More Time - By the time you read this, our friends at Babcock Rail may have bought their tamper 73916 ‘First Engineering’ back onto our line for its Summer stay – something that I firmly hope will become an annual event given the level of improvement that the machine has brought to the track quality in the areas of track treated in 2023. The main focus of this year’s work will be the new trackwork to the North end of Broomhill Loop, tidying the track onto its final alignment once the Plasser HG230 slewer (known to us as the Muscleman after another manufacturer of similar equipment) has got the line as close as it can. I am sure, however, that if we get offered other opportunities whilst it is here, we will find other areas that need similar treatment. Hopefully I will be able to report on more activities with this fantastic machine later in the year.