Tynedalesman - Members Jottings

Steven Dyke recalls:
Thirty Years Ago

Although probably very few of our current members will have first-hand memories of the occasion, the last British Rail trains on the Alston Branch ran on 1st May 1976. In relation to the present-day operations of the STR, the Council of Management felt that it would be a somewhat “negative” aspect to mark in a major way, but efforts were made to generate some local publicity for the anniversary date.

A link back to that occasion, however, is planned for the Gala weekend on 30th September / 1st October, when Mr William (Billy) Dodds, who drove the last British Rail train to depart from Alston, has been invited to be our special guest. Now in his 82nd year, he was also our guest when we marked the 10th anniversary of the closure and we were pleased to re-establish contact with him recently, thanks to Society member David Kirkhouse.

British Rail trains stopped coming to Alston in 1976, but our Society began to go elsewhere on the British Rail network by initiating what later developed into “South Tynedale Travel” railtours. The first venture was a block booking on a British Rail-promoted excursion from Newcastle to Keighley on 22nd May - a forerunner of several “Pennine Panorama” trips that we ran over the Settle & Carlisle line in later years, which proved to be excellent fund-raisers.

Our first train charter was on a more modest scale: a 3-car diesel multiple-unit from Sunderland to Ravenglass on 18th September 1976. Attracting a full complement of passengers, and enjoying excellent weather, it was judged to be a success and opened the way for the railtours that were to be a major feature of the Society’s activities for the next fifteen years. Our first locomotive-hauled charter train, incidentally, was from Sunderland to Oban on 17th September 1977.

Anything else to recall from thirty years ago? Perhaps just a mention that at the Society’s Annual General Meeting, held in the Manor House Hotel at Haltwhistle on 24th July, I was elected to the post of Secretary. Now, oddly, I am both the youngest (in age) and the oldest (longest-serving) member of the Council of Management!

Steven Dyke

Deputy Chairman’s Cogitations
by Richard Graham

I inherit this spot somewhat unexpectedly. Thankfully, it is because our erstwhile Chairman has taken over as Treasurer. Mike Ryan’s tenure of that post dispelled the mysteries of finance and the glorious light of understanding spread upon the laymen. Mike Le Marie brings his expertise as a businessman to the job, and we definitely won’t let him baffle us with science!

In this litigious society, we find that nobody is responsible for anything. Incomprehensible and extensive regulations are written so that the hapless person going about his normal business cannot claim against the authorities if anything goes wrong. So it is on railways.

Gone are the halcyon days when Her Majesty’s Railway Inspector’s word was law. Everything is now governed by rules, regulations and codes of practice, and the Inspector’s job is to decide whether or not the regulations are being met rather than whether the works are fit for purpose.

When it comes to accidents and incidents, there are now national reporting procedures in place for all railways. There is the RAIB (Rail Accident Investigation Branch), the one-stop-shop to which all ‘reportable’ occurrences have to be notified. Sometimes a RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) report also has to be filed. We are grateful therefore, that, in spite of all this, so many of our staff have agreed to take on the role of P.I.C. (Person in Charge).

There have been some tragic fatalities recently in other parts of the country, involving shunting operations. We, on the S.T.R. must not be complacent, but we have a straightforward set of rules and operating procedures and a training regime that are designed to avoid simple errors that could have far reaching consequences.

It’s been a funny sort of summer so far. Passenger figures are a little down from what we had expected. Perhaps the weather has been too hot, and people stayed in their back gardens, or perhaps it was that troupe of over-paid prima donnas performing their Thespian antics in a Teutonic field that was to blame. Then just as things might have started picking up with the school holidays, after two lineside fires, we had to suspend the steam service until it rained substantially. Back to normal then. It’s raining!

Outdoor Week 2006

When swifts and swallows fly low, it’s a sign of bad weather. No it’s not just a superstition or an old wives’ tale, it’s because the flies that they feed on are near the ground as the humidity rises. So it was in the last week in May at the site of the original 1983 Gilderdale Halt terminus.

When the line was opened to Gilderdale proper in 1986, the old terminus loop was removed and the main line roughly realigned. Since then, nothing much has been done with it, apart from a few new sleepers and a bit of packing here and there. Drivers were starting to slow down over this hundred yards as it was getting distinctly ‘bumpy’, and catering were apt to complain that tea was getting spilt.

The ballast was the old ash, much of which had been disturbed. The task for this year’s Outdoor Work Week was going to be to re-lay the old rails on new sleepers and new ballast.

There was one slight problem, though. The ‘week’ wasn’t really a week at all, it was 3 days! Although there was no scheduled service that week, there was a pre-booked party due for a special train at 11am on the Thursday. So the track had at least to be continuous again and useable within three days.

What you may not realize either, is that not all the work on an Outdoor Week project happens in that week. It usually starts some time before, and often ends weeks afterwards.

Earlier - Ro-Ro wagon repaired and re-decked ready to transport plant.

Sunday 14th May - 50 sleepers drilled.

Tuesday 16th May - 50 sleepers drilled. 60 tonnes of ballast delivered.

Sunday 21st May - Prepared sleepers laid out on the embankment at the site adjacent to their required positions.

Monday 22nd May - 12 workers present. Sections of wire fence were removed to allow plant access. Rails were removed and laid next to the dividing fence. The old sleepers were lifted and loaded on wagons for disposal. Alan Blackburn on the hired mini digger removed the old ash ballast and cleared down to the foundation over 2/3 of the section. The mini digger then transferred to transferring ballast from a bogie wagon to a mini dumper, ably driven by Jim Harper. A ballast bed was then tipped, spread and raked level, before being rolled solid by Mike Smith on the roller.

Tuesday 23rd May - 15 workers present. The remaining southern one third of the bed was prepared and 10 panels of track were laid, starting at the northern end.

Wednesday 24th May - 11 workers present. The remaining track was laid and some basic levelling and ballasting done. Alan Blackburn spent the day on the mini digger excavating the ditch alongside the footpath northwards from the three quarter mile post to Wanwood Well. Initially this made an awful wet mess of the footpath, but has subsequently proved worthwhile. A five mile per hour, temporary speed limit was imposed on the new track and the line signed back into use for Thursday's special train.

Thursday 25th May - 17 workers present. After the special train, further ballasting was done. There were complaints: “Why are we using pink ballast?” True enough, the ballast was from a different quarry, but most of the pinkness was as a result of the dust left from the crusher. Most of it has now washed off.

Friday 26th May - 7 workers present. The wire dividing fence was reinstated, with the help of John Sutton and his wire strainers. Meanwhile the loading dock at Kirkhaugh was being filled with rubble, in preparation for the eventual repairs of Bridge 46, this time with Andy McIntyre on digger duty. A new pair of gates was delivered for securing Alston Station car park at night, and 20 tonnes of quarry waste arrived for repairing the car park itself.

Saturday 27th May - The lineside telephone cable was reconnected.

On the Tuesday and Thursday some of the regular engineering department workers swelled the attendance as they continued their jobs in the workshop.

That brought the week to an end, but it was so cold that the rail straightener could not be used to get rid of the dipped joints. This job had to wait until the 11th June. The 18th June saw the final packing and levelling of the re-laid section and the lifting of the temporary speed restriction. It was not until mid July that the entire job was finished when the final ballast dressing was applied.

Each of these subsequent tasks meant 8 am starts to get materials and equipment to and from site before the first passenger trains of the day. This is now one of the most even sections on the entire main line, and the method of working has defined the template for the extension to Slaggyford.

Talking of Slaggyford, we mustn’t overlook the work done by Mark Wigley and Tony Charlesworth with their continuing maintenance, in between the showers. They even managed to apply some paint to the station building, and they have identified some urgent repairs that must be done to preserve this listed building.

Richard Graham

Slaggyford Station Project Part 8A
- August/September 2005
by Mark Wigley

Slaggyford Update

Came back again between 30th August and 4th September 2005, for Part 8A. Tony Charlesworth came along to help for 2 days (as Trevor Tattershall was working on Buffet Car duty all week of that week) and that was the team this time. As it was not a slave driving session this time, I did 3 days and then went to visit the Ullswater Steamer on the Saturday.

Wednesday 31st August: The place looked like a jungle so the first job was to mow the platform together with strimming from the road end to the end of the current platform. Needless to say it looked a lot better. The drainage ditch along the front and the side was also cleaned out as well.

Thursday 1st September: Decided to go looking for the end of the extended platform and found three more platform edgings. The end of the platform does go right up to the large tree but we found that it starts to ramp down just past the end of the old gents toilet block. Did some more strimming as well and the canoe has finally gone!

Friday 2nd September: Went digging trial holes to look for the drain back towards the platform. The first location about 10 feet back from the gully, the drain was broken (a piece of old pipe put over the break), but another 10 feet back the drain was broken and blocked up completely. Further back I think I found the edge of the platform. Swept out the building, removed all the rubbish, etc. Found some old fishplates, chairs, etc. (should clean them up, dab a coat of paint on them and sell them in the shop?).

So what about Part 9? The Haltwhistle end is now definitely needing some serious attention plus the Alston end is starting to give cause for concern. It could be done as essential maintenance as it is a listed building. Will have to approach the Council of Management to see if this can be authorised. Other than that a repaint job again plus ongoing vegetation clearance I’m afraid.

Entered two Quiz nights during my stay, one at the Blue Bell on Tuesday with Trevor. We called ourselves the Dynamic Duo and came fourth. Also entered the Quiz in the Turk's Head on the Thursday night, Trevor and myself called Don't ask and we came second.

Footnote: A golf ball was discovered whilst platform hunting so with this in mind and to earn extra income for the Railway, the Slaggyford Station Golf Driving Range will be opening at a later date - for all of those golf fanatics.

Mark Wigley

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SOUTH TYNEDALE RAILWAY PRESERVATION SOCIETY
Registered Office: The Railway Station, Alston, Cumbria, CA9 3JB
Tel. 01434 381696. Talking timetable tel. 01434 382828
Registered Charity No. 514939.

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