Saltworks Sidings Refurbishment

In preparation for filming Diesel Saves The Day, I have refurbished the Saltworks Sidings area of the railway.

Preparation

Re-painted

Sir Topham Hatt's Paint Store has been repaired

The Right-hand side of the garden

All yards need some rusty wheel-sets

Making G Scale Gabions

For my gabions I used 6mm galvanised welded mesh. A 600 x 900mm sheet can be purchased from Wickes for £5.50.  This is enough to make 20 gabions.

My finished gabions measure roughly 107 x 40 x 33mm which in G Scale equates to gabions measuring approximately 8 feet wide by 2 feet 6 inches tall and 3 feet depth. I've no idea of the sizes of real gabions but these look about right to me.

1. Cut out a rectangle 28 squares wide and 23 squares high. Obviously these dimensions can be altered to suit.

Note: The bottom edge is cut as close to the cross wire as possible.

The left, right and top edges are cut so as to leave as much wire as possible sticking out.

2. Cut out this shape.

Carefully Note: The left and right edges of the centre piece are cut close to the vertical wires.

The edges of the two side pieces have the wires sticking out.

3. Fold to make this rectangular shape, 6 square by 5 squares. The sticking out pieces of wire on the top side poke through the top row of holes on the side piece.

4. Using the flat blade of a screwdriver carefully fold the sticking out wires over the top wire on the side piece. Use a pair of needle-nose pliers to finish the folding and crimp tight. 

5. Fold up one end and use the sticking out wires to crimp it in place.

6. Upend the gabion and fill with pea gravel.

7. Close the other end in the same manner as before.

For about the first 20 gabions I closed to two ends first and filled the Gabon from the top, but I've found that closing the top and leaving one end open has been more successful.

The completed gabion wall.

Gabion Wall

 My G Scale gabion wall is, at long last, finished.

The finished wall.

Under construction.

A close-up.

James Checks Out the Mainline

Overnight it had rained heavily and in the morning some of the railway was flooded again.

However, in the afternoon the sun broke through and I couldn't resist running a train.

WInter Maintenance

I've made a start on the most urgent jobs that need to be completed before I can begin filming Thomas' next adventure.

On the mainline the crumbling concrete has been broken up and it's now shuttered ready for re-concreting.

The embankment at the start of the branch line has been completed.

The trackbed has been prepared for the siding at Brookside Station.

I've taken an angle grinder to the planter and this is what the low stone walls will look like. I now just need to make the mould and get casting.

Thomas Inspects The Line

It's approaching the 2024 operating season for the Wychbold and Stoke Prior Railway (WASPRly) and there are lots of jobs that need to be done before trains can be run.

More Railway Jobs for 2024

I've made a list of jobs around the railway that I would like to complete this year.

This was one of the first bits of the railway to be constructed in 2020. I didn't put enough cement in the concrete mix and it has started to crumble, not to mention the excessive moss growth.

I intend to replace this with a cut-down paving slab.

Main Line

This is where the branch line enters Wychbold Station. It's the one piece of trackbed that was never finished.

Last year I eased the curve and concreted the footings. This year I aim to make the embankment. I will be constructing it from  broken slabs.

Missing Embankment

This is Brookside Station in the middle of the branch line. The siding will be completed this year.

The Siding at Brookside Station

At the approach to Stoke Prior Station, I need to repair this wall. I'm also getting some derailments of the longer wheelbase stock on the curve so the track will need relaying.

Curved Viaduct at Stoke Prior Station

Another job for this year is is to complete this gabion wall.

Gabions