Equipment purchases

Equipment purchases

Things are rumbling into gear along the proposed Snapper track lay. Equipment is being organised, stuff purchased - can't talk about all of it yet, but maybe next time. 

Taking that heavy ballast fill down to the site of the culvert several hundred yards away has got some of the working members to think, and for a decent price they got hold of this 3 tonne swivel dumper.

As you can see, it's already there, and going well. The 3 tonne size is the largest that can sensibly be used on the 2ft gauge trackbed, so it's just what the doctor ordered. When the track goes down there will be a lot of ballast ferrying. It's road registered too, so can travel between sites.

 

 

 

And another acquisition !

It's not the biggest thing since sliced bread, but interesting nonetheless - the B&YVRT have obtained a standard gauge Honda powered track trolley, a four seater. It's a EGO4, as per fourth picture below.

The trolley was gifted to us by a member, and has spent a long time in the undergrowth. 

Trolley as recovered.

 

Beneath the vegetation and surface corrosion, however, the basic machine appears remarkably complete and structurally fairly sound. We even recovered the original detachable load platform, although that had become almost a flower/weed bed in its own right.

The EGO4 is designed and currently built for standard gauge, so one of the major parts of the restoration will be converting it to 2 ft gauge for use at Snapper. The intention is to shorten the existing axles and upgrade and reposition the axle bearings appropriately, while retaining as much of the original Geismar running gear and character as possible. Back conversion to standard gauge will be a simple matter.

 

 

 

Power comes from a small Honda GX120 petrol engine, driving through a variable-ratio belt transmission and then by chain drive to the axle. At present the engine doesn’t run, and the whole drive system is seized and clearly been standing for many years, so both are being carefully stripped, inspected and recommissioned rather than simply attempting to fire it up and hope for the best. The chain transmission itself is pleasingly simple and substantial, which should lend itself well to restoration.

There is quite a contrast between the photograph of an EGO4 in service and the machine we dragged out of the weeds, but that’s really the attraction of the project. The aim isn’t to create something new that merely resembles an EGO4, but to bring this particular machine back to life, adapted sympathetically for the L&B gauge.

It should make a very useful - and rather unusual - addition to the railway once completed. There is certainly plenty of work between the “recovered from the jungle” photograph and its first run at Snapper, but that’s half the fun!  

 

 

 

What they are meant to look like when they're in fine fettle.

 

It’ll be several months before the project is complete and its first run, due to there being more pressing issues to overcome, including the culvert at Snapper and the Goods Shed.

Appeal:

As the trolley has spent several years outdoors in a member's back garden, the engine, once tested, proved to be a write off, sadly.

Hence an appeal:  

Does anyone have a Honda GX120 4 hp engine, preferably with 3/4 inch keyed shaft, to donate - that would be appreciated. Our trolly engine is in worse condition than anticipated. Even a non-running engine would be nice as an organ donor.

Thanks for your help! 

News from the culvert.

 

 

 

 

 

A Telehandler was rustled up to take the new concrete culvert sections up from their delivery site to the cut through the track.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Initially the idea was just to carry the 4 sections down to the culvert site.

As you can see, the sections are substantial. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After some reflection, the idea of actully dropping them in popped up. So here goes, after changing from forks to lifting eyes. And that worked.

Let's try some more... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another section was brought up. Their locations on the prepared bed had been marked out beforehand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second section also dropped in perfectly, and, more importantly, was able to be locked in with the first. Initially it was thought that a second, different machine would be needed to lock the sections together, but with the skill of the Telehandler driver they managed it in one. 

 

 

 

 

 

Then the third section was dropped in, and with a bit of steering swivvel and manhandling it was pushed into place to lock with the second one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Here are the three sections in place, perfectly behind the marked out line. Note the sealant gun on top, we don't want wash outs due to leakages.
 

A look down all four sections of the culvert, now in place and fitting perfectly.

 

A final look at the completed set of installed culvert sections. The next jobs will be to construct the headwalls, and to back fill, then it's ready for some railway track.

 

And then the team congratulated themselves.

Note that there are only three of them, plus the photographer. If you want to join them on the ground, they would love to hear from you. Get in touch with Andy Hearne, or send a blogger contact form.

We're now spending money, not just on trackbed purchases, as you can see. If you'd like to help, this is the B&YVRT funding support page:

 https://yvt.org.uk/donations/

We'd love some help !

 

 

Bratton Fleming.

Here work continues wiithin the half completed goods shed. 

Two members on the ground - and a third holding the camera. The job here is the excavation of a trench for the waste pipe from the toilet.

It's not as easy as it sounds, as the ground is compacted and hard.

 

Due to a well deserved holiday for your scribe, and a week's special work on another railway, we expect the next blog post after the regular open meeting of the B&YVRT in Barnstaple on Saturday 26th September. Those meetings always provide interesting news, so a good reason for another blog update.

 

Hope to see you there, now in bigger premises in the Roundswell Community Centre on the other side of the river.