Article & photos supplied by Graham Peacock
After delivering our newly constructed check rails alongside the junction at Pitsford Sidings the day before, the job of fitting them was tackled. This would ensure we maintain the correct tolerances through the junction on all routes i.e. through the running line and siding points, as shown in the following photographs.
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- Start of the day, with one of the newly made check rails lying on its side ready for fitting. Note how short the existing check rail is. Photo: Graham Peacock
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- This shows the sharpness of the bend on the splayed end and short lead in on the old check rails. Note how the splay is not held in a left handed check rail chair. The rail is only seated within chairs where it runs parallel to the running line rail only. We’ll soon sort that though as the pictures below show. Photo: Graham Peacock
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- Next step. Chris and James Coulson have just pushed the trolley along the line from Pitsford & Brampton with half a ton of tools, generator, and new check rail chairs to accept the left and right hand splayed ends of the new check rails we’ve just made. Time for the team to get to work. Photo: Graham Peacock
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- We were soon dismantling the track, and quickly had the old check rails unkeyed and removed and were soon removing plain chairs and substituting for the correct handed check rail chairs. Nearest the photographer is a new CCL (left hand check rail chair). This was only cast in 2014 and the society track fund purchased a total of 15 check rail chairs to enable this renewal to take place and finish an outstanding installation task elsewhere. They’ve been stored under lock and key indoors so haven’t rusted yet. You don’t normally see chairs like this on the running line. It will not be long before they rust in the rain! We were due a downpour and gale a few hours later – before we had finished the job! Photo: Graham Peacock
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- Chris Coulson digs out the ballast in preparation for removing a plain (CC) check rail chair, to enable insertion of a CCR (right hand chair) for the splayed end of the new rail. Lots of work involved here. Someone has already taken the coach screws out from the old chair, using a manual tee-bar or the petrol impact wrench. Photo: Graham Peacock
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- Once James Coulson had jacked the rail up slightly to get the weight off the timber, with the old CC chair removed (but destined for a trip down the line to be re-used on a point on the Boughton extension that needs finishing off), Ian Nicholls and Chris Coulson get ready to manhandle the new CCR chair into place. Photo: Graham Peacock
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- Once in the point timbers need drilling and the coach screws putting back in. Job for David Millard with a big 1500W drill and either a 16mm bit for the softwood point timbers or 19mm for the hardwood point timbers. To be followed by James Coulson, Daniel Peacock and others putting the screws back in. Not an easy task either, especially with the hardwood timbers. Photo: Graham Peacock
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- With screws put back in and the new check rail installed, Ian Nicholls supervises as David Millard backfills the ballast and inspects the new track work. Photo: Graham Peacock
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- View of a completed running line point check rail on the running/main line side of the point. New CCL chair nearest, with new wooden keys to keep the rail firmly in place. Note the improved splayed end and compare against the old ones in step 2. We now have a decent check rail with no side wear on the head, with a more gradual lead in over the correct length, and properly seated in chairs and held firm. The lead in now has an initial flangeway gap of 3 ½ inches and the flangeway gap is now 1 ¾ inches along the parallel section and opposite the crossing nose on the point. It looks much better than the old one. Photo: Graham Peacock
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- With the first two check rails done on the first point. This is what is should look like and we now have a gap from back of wheel against the checkrail to the rail on the opposite side next to the V shaped splice rails on the crossing of 1391mm – this is an important measurement to us here. David Millard looks like he’s done a hard morning’s work. Never mind, we can all have a break now, as I’ve arranged to head back to the station before lunch to have our PTS (Personal Track Safety) 2 yearly reassessment done by Grahame Every. If we don’t pass we won’t be competent to come back on the line in the afternoon and finish the job! Better make sure we all pass the test then! Photo: Graham Peacock
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- We all passed out PTS (Personal Track Safety) exam and after a lunch break, we came back and finished the 4 check rails on the next 2 points, braving a shower that was the onset of storm Imogen in the process. Stretching into the distance, we’ve now renewed all the checkrails on the entire junction. Better get a move on Graham Peacock – the rest of the team in the distance are ready with the trolley to take the tools and recovered parts to Boughton and a rewarding end to the day. All ready for passenger trains at the start of the next running season. Another job done. Well done everyone! Photo: Graham Peacock