Captain Kernow

There will be 30 mph speed restrictions on both lines in the area of the main breach, pending consolidation of the track and formation, and a 50 mph on both lines where the track was relaid adjacent to the landslip site - this is standard on this kind of plain line relaying site and will be removed within normal industry timescales.

Don't think that this is happening just yet, if what I've more recently heard about the mode of removal is correct - need to do a bit more checking first.

Don't think so, actually, as it was in use in the Whiteball blockade as well, but at the Tiverton Jct relaying site, not even in the tunnel! Some people might think that fellow looks like me, I could not possibly comment...

Yes, thanks, I heard it in the background as I was posting the above photos! (got it recorded, though!).

Hmm, I can see that I've had a lucky escape!...

More views of the relaying site: A series of photos showing a rail being cut to size to be clamped to that already laid in: More scenes, including chaps on ropes de-scaling the cliffs of loose material: A couple more views of the 'clipping up machine': The view from Sprey Point: Finally, here is a view taken by a colleague of the completed relay, taken yesterday:

General view of relaying site looking back towards Teignmouth - the RR machine is now moving rail into position on the 'missing' bit we saw earlier: The view in the other direction: Machine to fasten clips that secure rails to sleepers (an attachment on a R/R vehicle): Some shots of Brian, the buzzy, helicoptery flying thingamabob: More views of the re-laid Up line: Top ballast for the Up line was waiting to be unloaded from the engineering train stood on the Down line: More photos in next post.

OK, here are my photos taken last Sunday at the earth slip site between Smugglers and Sprey Point. The track relay of the Up line was well underway, although there had been some minor falls of debris from the bank, so this was also being tidied up by fellows on ropes. The Down line relay hadn't yet been started, so you can compare the condition of the slurry-clogged Down line with the new ballast and track on the Up. This time I used the available transportation (there's no truth in the vicious rumour that some paint had rubbed off, revealing the former logo of 'Wessex Trains'... The view as we went along: And approaching the site of the relay: Temporary clamped joint detail - anyone seen this modelled at all? Details of the relay site - just a few yards remaining that needed rails - these were laid in whilst I was there: Repairs on the parapet walls were still on-going: Comparason with Down line: Terram fabric being laid on the new ballast to protect it from possible debris from the bank, and temporary wooden sections being placed behind the metal uprights to catch any material that came down: More repairs to the parapet wall: More photos in next post.

And nor do I or the TRUST system, for that matter! - not on 4th April, anyway.

It's a beautiful model, Al, in a lovely setting. I'm afraid I succumbed to the colourful, pretty version, though!...

Sorry, Julia. I do have some more photos to upload later - the ones I took on Sunday, showing the Smugglers Cove relaying site.

No!

In fact, the main breach at Dawlish washed out on 5th February, and the main line between Cogload Jct and Bridgwater closed (due to the flooding on the adjacent Levels) on Saturday 8th February. Full, normal signalling etc. should be restored over that section in just over a week, although we are only talking past one signal in each direction at the moment...

Sorry about the delay with the photos, folks. I was going to put them up on Sunday night, but was too knackered, then on Monday morning I managed to pull my back when getting ready to go to work (don't ask, it's the simple things that tend to do it!), so I've been laid up until now, resting it. I've logged on at home today for work. I will put my photos from the Sunday plain line relaying site at Smugglers up later on this evening, if I can sit comfortably for long enough! Certainly as regards some of the points raised in the last couple of days, the Smugglers relay was delayed (should have been finished Monday lunchtime, instead finished today), due to further falls from the adjacent cliffs and the need to make this safe and install temporary fencing to protect the track workers. Having seen it firsthand, I don't think that huge amounts would have come down now, but they were rightly playing it safe. The delay in completing the track relaying will have absolutely no effect on the reopening on Friday morning. Dawlish station has now been officially handed back to FGW, by the way.

You hum it, son, I'll play it...

Actually, I think it's called Brian.

That's exactly what these lads do - their company is based on Torquay and they work for various organisations apart from NR. Apparently the Church of England use them to inspect high spires etc. (beats climbing up one, AFAIC!).

I've got to agree with Jerry, this is one of the best threads for us S&D fans for a long while - many thanks!

Here's a close up of the buzzy helicoptery flying thingey: More photos from my site visit today to follow.

Well, it might be possible to pose it, but not to run it, because it's in OO (in the photos the opposite side wheel flanges are standing on a piece of card!)

Ha haaaa, mi 'andsomes! Now wouldn't you like to know!!

An elderly retired friend of mine here in the village has long wanted to have a layout based on the LBSCR in Sussex, with the option to run it in either SR or BR (S) periods. He's not yet in a position to put baseboards etc. up at home yet, but for some time he's been accumulating RTR locos and rolling stock. Two locos that he's always wanted, though, were a Brighton Atlantic ('Beachy Head') and a 'K' Class mogul, both of which have specific family associations for him in the past. Of course, at the time, neither were available RTR, not even in terms of a planned future release (although the Atlantic has since been announced by Bachmann). Consequently he has commissioned a friend of mine to build both for him from kits. I helped him source the kits and other bits, such as wheels, gears and motors, and we sent them off to be built. I may have already posted a photo or two of the completed 'Beachy Head' on here, can't remember, but here's a view of the completed loco, which was to have been delivered to me at Scaleforum last September. As it turned out, I couldn't go for family reasons, but Re6/6 kindly brought it back to Devon and I immediately took it round to my friends house. The Bachmann one had only been announced about a month prior to that! The Atlantic was a DJH kit and was reportedly pretty straightforward to build. My friend was absolutely delighted with the result. The ACE kit for the 'K' Class mogul was a different story, however. This was a 7mm kit reduced to 4mm, and the friend who built it said that it was an absolute pig to put together. Most of the parts didn't fit properly, and the kit hadn't really 'translated' down to 4mm well, including problems with fold lines not really working etc. In the end, many of the parts were so comprehensively fettled to get them to fit, that one might as well have scratchbuilt a lot of parts (which the builder said he found easier to do, in some situations). The build took quite a long time, as it was fitted in around other jobs and the builder found that after a certain amount of time he got so exasperated with the problems, that he put the job aside for a few days and did something else! Eventually, however, the 'K' Class mogul was finished, and it was a real pleasure to travel up to Salisbury to rendezvous with my friend to pick the loco up. John F (Re6/6) also came along and we made a nice day out of it. Before I took the mogul round to my friends place in the village, I posed it on 'Callow Lane' and took a few photos: The deal is that I will add smokebox door number plates and coal in the tender, which will be done in due course. The locos will not be weathered, because my friend likes his engine pristine, which is his privilege.