Of flooding and winds again
16th February 2020
I've had a lot of to-ing and fro-ing this week but mostly personal or commercial. I really could do with a few dry days to get some outside jobs done...
Where to start this week. Only last week was I talking about the situation at Okehampton (and I see I've been quoted on the National Preservation forum) and I was further informed that it was on the Friday that the manager was in the office when the administrators arrived, telling employees to remove anything personal as they were here to change the locks. Meanwhile RMS Locotec - rumoured to be almost certain to be snapped up by Andy Goodman's RSS company - was wondering if/when it might take place there and worried as to what might happen to their workshops at Wolsingham if the Weardale line went the same way. Now there are sources saying that the Llangollen railway has entered into a CVA: not as serious as administration but a further indication, if any were needed, that heritage railway management must be professional and is not a casual pastime detached from the harsh rules of commerce. When I was at Thomas Hills in the Hunter Group period, the oft repeated phrase passed down from on high was 'turnover is vanity, profit is sanity' - and didn't someone tell me there was a third line, summat about 'but cash is king?'
On Thursday Steph and I went to collect grandson for half-term, and as we neared home, passed an S A Smith railed low loader heading south down the A6, empty, but the only reason to come that way would have been to deliver to Rowsley so my interest was aroused. It didn't take long for a snippet to come through that it had delivered Mr Civil's RSH 0-4-0ST. I managed to get down to the shed on Friday, and having picked up some new fence 'feather edge' boards earlier in the week closed the gap on the main part of the fence, just leaving a short section to the front wall to finish off. I'd also brought the fuel pumps back from overhaul for the Lister: these are going on the hand-start LV2 but had come off the electric-start LV2, and the first comment at the repairers was that they were seized, as the spings were compressed, so that engine wouldn't have started either!
On Saturday Andrew and I had a meeting over at Butterley. MR-B was operating a service with a dmu with only moderate loadings that we saw, but Storm Dennis was due (traffic advice earlier was that the M48 Severn bridge was closed due to wind, but it hadn't got as far north yet) and MR-B's management weren't expecting much traffic. At least they said, they hadn't the commitment to paying steam loco hire fees when passenger revenues might not have covered them. Over at Wirksworth, the EVR had declared earlier in the week that they were abandoning operating any service for the weekend in view of the forecast.
It was lunchtime by the time we got back and a quick turnround was neccessary as we were expecting guys from the East Lancs to collect a couple of exhausters that Andrew was parting with. I got down first to open up. With James out of action, Ludwig has been principle shunter until Charlie returns, so was fired up to clear the way for the forklift and the visitors' hired pick-up. It fell to me to drive Ludwig, and make the tea for the visitors while Andrew did his host act, and eventually drive the forklift.
Peak Rail had elected to run trains for the weekend, and the newly-arrived RSH was hauling the train to Matlock. I wonder how long it is since since a 4-coupled steamer last worked regular service trains here? With our locomotives back in their places, we retired inside and while I got on with a wiring job, Andrew endeavoured to sort out more of the recent consignment of bits that I'd brought in from Roger W.
Storm Dennis really set about us overnight, and once again, Four Lane Ends, a hundred yards or so down from Darley Dale station, was flooded and the road closed, though without any abandoned vehicles this time.
Peak Rail had cancelled services for the day so I was initially alone at the station anyway. Inside the shed, the flooding in track 3b was worse than last week, so I thought I had best set about pumping it, but despite priming and priming, the pump refused to deliver, so for the moment the track remains with an inch or two of water. Andrew arrived a little later, and having invested in a torque multiplier, in between heavy squalls had another go at undoing the wheelnuts that have prevented us from changing those wheels on the trailer. Unfortunately the dimensions of the multiplier means that we need a specific extension length in order that it can reach something that it can lock itself against, and we just don't have the right combination in that size drive. In desperation he tried a set of adaptors that included a half-inch drive - that was the right length but all he succeeded in doing was bending the half-inch portion. Somewhat deflated he threw the deformed piece in the scrap and decided to return home instead.
So not a very productive week really: must try harder. Oh, I've been meaning to put in a service announcement. Every now and again someone reports back to me that their browser advises them not to proceed as the site is 'unsafe'. .Actually the usual message (I've even had it myself!) warns of both this site and andrewbriddonlocos,even though you have only clicked on the Latest Post tab here on weekendrails. If you look at the symbol just left of the https on your address line you'll see a padlock symbol that proves the site is secure. It is not on any blacklist, and the phenomenon is seemingly just some obtuse software glitch that has so far eluded us, and in all probability will disappear in some future upgrade of the core software. (Oh, and a general tip, if you see the padlock symbol with a red line through it, that means the site you're on is NOT secure!). Nothing to worry about then, and doesn't seem to affect accessing via the quarterly tabs underneath.
Right, that's it :until next time, see ya then.