WAVERLEY ROUTE HERITAGE ASSOCIATION

Reeth House
17 Hillview Road
South Witham
Grantham
Lincolnshire
NG33 5QW

EMAIL: info@wrha.org.uk

 

Archive 2003

27/12/03 - WHITROPE EARTHWORKS TAKE SHAPE

To provide solid grounding for any new buildings and the Visitor Centre, our squad has been busy at Whitrope with the mammoth task of "earthworking". This will eventually provide stable formations for any track, sidings or the centre itself. Also, a new path is currently being developed over the top of Whitrope Tunnel, which will link the Visitor Centre with the northern portal of the tunnel and Shankendshiel. Thanks must go to Ian Cairns for all his help.

Drainage channel near the crossing gates

Drainage channel near the crossing gates

Earthworks take shape south of bridge 199

Drainage channel on the approach to Whitrope Cutting

Flat land reclamation and drainage improvements near Whitrope Cutting

Whitrope earthworks

Whitrope earthworks

The new path being constructed over Whitrope Tunnel

13/12/03 - TRACK TO WHITROPE

120 track panels were delivered to Whitrope in late September & early October 2003 by Jim Lawson, a haulage contractor who assisted in lifting the track from the Waverley Route in the early 1970s.

W.R.H.A. member 200, Jim wanted to help put something back on the route - he certainly did that all right!

The Waverley Route Heritage Association has yet to pay the full costs of the haulage, and donations are welcome towards this cost. Individual panels can be sponsored, at £200 per panel. Contact us for more information.

Bill Blake (Waverley Route p.way man), Len (WRHA), Alan (Hiab operator/driver), Jim Lawson

Len & Jim check the stacks

Unloading the panels

Banksman silhouetted

Another panel lifted

View from the trailer

Loading the trailers - Jim Lawson heads a convoy

Drivers eye view

Photograph courtesy David Liddle (EWS Driver)

EWS 66151 with the engineers train at Ribblehead Quarry Sidings

Photograph courtesy David Liddle (EWS Driver)

WHITROPE TUNNEL PORTALS BLOCKING - FEB/MARCH 2003

After first submitting plans for blocking Whitrope Tunnel way back in the spring of 2002, which were initially unsuitable, the Forestry Commission finally approved a design for the blocking which got underway during a rather snowy February & March. Problems were encountered at the northern portal when it was found that one of the grilles (the last piece) did not fit. It turned out that measurements for the fabrication had been taken from one portal (south) only! Final checks throughout the length of the tunnel were made by three of the W.R.H.A. Committee members on what would be a rather sad occasion. The tunnel had been walked regularly by several of the Committee until a collapse took place at the southern portal in March 2002, a collapse which would eventually lead to the set of photographs below.

WRHA Committee members provide scale against the North Portal

North Portal from inside

North Portal during blocking

North Portal during blocking

North Portal during blocking

North Portal during blocking (& cold weather!)

South Portal during blocking

South Portal during blocking

South Portal during blocking

South Portal prior to blocking

North Portal during blocking (whilst correct sized grilles were sought)

South Portal after blocking

South Portal after blocking

Len Ashton, Steven Black & Jasper walk towards the north portal prior to blocking

Central drainage channel - the last time it is ever seen? Hopefully not.

CARRIAGE RESTORATION BEGINS IN FEBRUARY 2003 - MKII BSO E9400

The day following the Annual General Meeting, 10th February, saw the first determined effort to restore the MkII carriage to something like it should be. It was to be a mammoth task which would eventually end for the year at the beginning of October, work stopping due to the snow flurries and the need to replace the doors on the carriage to stop any snow getting inside.

The task: Clear away tons of rust & dodgy paintwork

22nd February 2003

Bill Morrison hacks away years of rust

22nd February 2003

Alan Anderson attempts to scrape paint off the entire roof using nothing more than a 1" scraper

2nd March 2003

Floor brackets are removed by Len Ashton

7th March 2003

More brackets are removed, this time from the goods compartment ceiling

7th March 2003

Joe Taylor removing the base of the goods compartment

8th March 2003

Matt perches aloft whilst priming the roof vents

24th March 2003

"How do I get down?" was the cry

24th March 2003

Ian Crooks removes the windows for stripping & re-glazing

26th March 2003

Only a bit more of the lurid "green monster" livery to get rid of

17th June 2003

Our chairman shows off his balancing skills

25th June 2003

Ian Baxter works on an Information Board whilst Len hovers above him

25th June 2003

Len applying the last of the roof paint to the aluminium bar above the gutter

26th August 2003

Primer: Green or red oxide? That is the question

26th August 2003

Nearly there for this year's work

18th September 2003