After a week of intense back filling activity, the rhythm at CRC2 is now back to its normal level, i.e. once a week on a Monday. So here is this Monday's report:

Raking the scalpings level

The first thing we had to do was rake the scalpings, ready for rolling. This didn't go quite to plan, as our order for more could not be filled immediately, and with some grumbling the gang set about moving the piles dropped last week by hand to the right places. Nonetheless John seems to have a welcome grin at the sight of a well filled barrow arriving. The roller waits in the background.

The roller seems to work very well.

After spreading out all the piles we had dropped the week before, there was enough for a go at rolling. We had found an additional supplier for the scalpings, but not until lunch time.

Making the platform wider.

We decided on an alternative activity, which was to dig out the rear of the new platform, clearing a long pile of bits of clay, ash and remnants of the old platform. Along this new line will go the new GWR lamp posts.

Tony takes the long, bumpy green road...

A destination then had to be found for the material being dug out. Eventually, after much poking around in the undergrowth north of the signal box - disturbing 4-5 rabbits, unfortunately - a dump site was found. This was down by the bracket signal, quite a long way away and down a very bumpy track. This made progress so slow - the digger having nothing to do until the dumper eventually arrived back after each long sortie - that a second dumper was hired in for the day.

Found that conduit yet?

Another activity for the mini digger was to locate the junction boxes for water and electricity at the rear of the platform, and dig a new channel to them. Three men investigated the hole. You can't be sure enough.

Tote that bag !

At lunch time, Fairview arrived with a load of scalpings, and with the instructions to take the last two bags/pallets of imperial bricks back to Broadway. There seems to be some brick exchange activity between CRC and Broadway, as a party of new bricks recently delivered to Broadway from a college are about to be sent to CRC. Nothing goes to waste here, and we are saving money.

Digging out the rear of the platform.

As the platform is now a bit wider, we have a sort of 'loop' where dumpers can pass - see picture. The photograph was taken from a full dumper about to leave (in reverse), and an empty one has just arrived. This worked pretty well, and the mini digger was hard at work all day, pretty much non stop. In fact the driver complained of a sticky bottom - the seat is made of plastic, and the engine compartment is right underneath. On top of that, there was brilliant sunshine again. All very hot. I can see where the expression 'redneck' comes from !

At the end of the day.

Although the mini digger was at work most of the day, progress was slow. We completed 35m of the 100m, so it looks like two more sessions will be required. Then we need to bring up, rake and roll in the scalpings.
The above picture shows the state of play at the end of the day, and a lovely old laurel tree in a bed of foundry stones. Very CRC ! A scrape around the old ramp also revealed that there is a tarmaced road underneath all that grass - who knew? This could do with clearing off by a couple of people, it would make the platform look a lot newer very quickly.

The gang will be at Broadway pretty much every day this week ( a push is on to get as much done on the box before JC takes up his Rotary chairman's crown for the year) so we will be back at CRC2 next Monday.