Welcome
to the Feb 2008 Trackwork Page
of the FSMR website
These photos were taken during the
mid February track weekend in
2008 when 6 panels were lifted and replaced on chestnuts curve on one Saturday breaking the previous record
of 5 over two days,
with
the final ballasting completed on 8th March
The first task was to set up a laser level to maintain the
gradient profile between the two untouched sections of line
This section was heavily contaminated with mud and clay and the
sleepers were not visible and so a fully renewal of track bed was required
following on form previous work carried out in the Autumn
on the curve.
After cutting off the fishplate bolts and lifting the panels out
onto the bank with the tractor, the next step is to use the tractor loader and
hand tools!! to remove about 4 inches of the old track
ballast (mostly mud!)
This is done in sections to allow the track to be re-laid behind
the tractor as it continues to work forward
After the track-bed had been dug down to remove contaminated ground, the geotex membrane is added and newly sleepered track is put back. The track is then jacked up to correct height using the laser level datum points, ready for provisional ballasting under the sleepers
The works train in front of the tractor is on the start of the
original track which will be hopefully joined up with newly sleepered
line
The fishplates are then fitted with new bolts and greased to
ensure trouble free movement
(critical
to avoid thermal damage in the hot sun!!)
The packing depth under the sleepers can be seen from this shot
Three weeks later on a dry Saturday in March, and the ballasting to full depth is completed and
track aligned and then cross level
checked before final tamping and further ballasting. Restraining spike posts
are also hammered in on the outer radius edge of each main joint sleeper in
order to maintain alignment under train cornering forces on the curves
The only remaining task is to build the single sleeper retaining
wall and grade in the banks with the JCB
