The Museum appreciates greatly the work of all their staff – all volunteers.
With so much of their work being done on Saturdays, those involved in trackwork are seen least of all.
The trackwork team turn up in all weathers, partly because surplus concrete is on offer frequently on little more than about an hour’s notice. The team always endeavours to have suitable formwork or prepared track in place to receive this.
Then, there’s the urgency of the current restorative work. Like many much larger rail-based organisations, due to unusual weather events, some of our track requires restoration ahead of schedule.
The team comprises a wide variety of backgrounds: it includes two Board members and a previous one. Some of the team members soldier on heroically despite various physical conditions. One worked right up to a hip change operation. He returned almost as soon as he was off the strong pain killers which are part of the routine for that procedure.
The first pictures show the initial stages of pouring, before any smoothing stages and second with some smoothing almost to the desired height .
There is a varied range of fields of work available.
But life on Team Trackwork has its own rewards. The pleasure of seeing some cubic metres of concrete which your team has poured and smoothed as just part of a day’s achievements.
Completion of such a long lasting piece of vital infrastructure is hard to beat for a feeling of achievement.
Unless, perhaps, it’s a rare piece of fancy engineering.
Some of our trackwork members have enjoyed the exquisite delight of seeing their careful handiwork in producing a meticulously engineered section of a line crossover, “a frog” ready for incorporation in a vital junction.
Pictured is this piece, fresh after welding and still requiring the smoothing procedures. Our Museum has access to qualified engineers for advice and eventual certification.
Would the team like some volunteers?
Why not? Enquiries can be made to Greg Sutherland …on his mobile. Of course there are occasions when he can’t take calls, so please leave a simple message with your name and number and he will get back to you at his first opportunity. Greg’s mobile is 0429 337 471.
Recent photographs show an overview of recent work producing an extensive area of recent track.
At lower centre in the adjoining picture is the work shown in close-up in our third photograph. It shows the substantially completed work within the “four foot” relating to the 4’8½” gauge – the space between the rails.
Photographs on this page have been kindly supplied by Danny Adamopoulos.
