Track Maintenance

Track Work

We are pleased to report that our last track work weekend (March 2010) was so successful that the second day was not required. Thank you to Alan Ward and Graeme Linkenbagh for organising it.

The Sleeper Inserter used in the last couple of track work days has remained in Cooma, on loan from Australian Rail Historical Society in the ACT.

It has now been joined by a Ballast Regulator and Hopper, also on loan from Canberra.

Both of these units need some restoration and Alan (their accredited operator) undertook some of the work this month. With both of these units functioning, CMR will be able to schedule track work immediately the need arises, enhancing our already good record of track maintenance.

Talking about Trackwork....

Thanks to the assistance of members of Canberra and Thirlmere in June '09, most of our larger line kinks have now gone. The boys did a top job of straightening them out. The only real hitch throughout the weekend was the unnamed president who forgot the tongs and matches for the BBQ lunch on Bunyan platform (note use of ordinary knife to turn sausages in photo below). John Gibson was the man on the spot with the camera.

I've been Workin' on the Railroad...

Track work: it's a fact of life for a heritage railway (or any other railway for that matter). A few like doing it, but many think it's a necessary chore. Certainly it is made a lot easier with some mechanised help.

Now after almost ten years since train operations commenced the CMR committee decided that a comprehensive examination of the track should be carried out during winter 2008. While ongoing track maintenance has been carried out by Peter McFarlane and his track crew it had become apparent that at some locations the hard labor required was beyond the capacity of our volunteer members.

The ARHS ACT agreed to allow us the loan of three track vehicles for a period of three months at no charge for which we are grateful. Alan Ward, who is a member of the ARHS ACT Division, generously offered his assistance as he has qualifications in track maintenance and as an operator of track vehicles.

Lindsay McLachlan organized for the Track Vehicles to be transported to Cooma. Phil Rye of Berridale donated the use of a low loader and Damon McLachlan donated his time as the driver. Fellas, an enormous thank you from all of us at CMR.

In the first photo below, the largest of the three machines is being unloaded from its low loader transport. It is a Ballast Regulator, which has blades that pull up the ballast, pack the sleepers and plough the excess ballast off the track.

The next machine is a 'track jack'. It grabs the line with its jaws, then lifts it a little so that the whole lot is

able to be moved to the left or right to remove kinks.

The third machine pulls out the old sleepers and inserts new ones.

Here is the CMR 'work train', with the CPH pushing an L truck carrying the sleepers and other supplies.

Having all this machinery doesn't mean that manual workers are not required. There are still such tasks as removing and tightening of bolts to contend with!

And when the kinks are straightened and the sleepers replaced, then it's over to the sound and the fury of the Ballast Regulator to ensure that everything stays right where it is supposed to.

Our sincere thanks go to Alan, who does a great job with the machines. Thanks also to the omnipresent John Gibson, who provided the photos.

Another Example

So when visitors to the CMR often ask us 'Who looks after the track'?, well, the answer is 'We do'! And here are some more photos to prove it.

We had a great time playing 'fettlers' in mid December 2006 when the whole decking of the big culvert near Chakola was replaced using a digger and a local operator (which made the work very easy). John Gibson took the photos.

Whilst this job was a little bigger than normal, it is typical of the tasks performed on a regular basis by our track maintenance team.

Our thanks to the boys for a job well done. Without them the railway would soon cease to operate.

Trackwork During Winter Break

The reduction in services during winter gives volunteer crews a little time off, but also allows more time for track maintenance work, which at times is difficult to fit in when the regular timetable is maintained.

Some of that work was being done on 25th and 26th of August 2005. A wooden culvert under the line opposite the Cooma race course at Snowy Junction came in for some attention. A heavy corrugated plastic pipe replaced the old wooden box culvert. The backhoe made it all so easy. A culvert at Cooma East, just north of the Bailey Bridge, had timber boards replaced and more ballast added. John Gibson took time off from the work gang to take the photos below.

But Wait There's More...

On Saturday 3/4/04, a team was engaged in replacing sleepers at Cooma East. The newly acquired L truck was put to good use to cart the sleepers and tools.

Our thanks to CMR member John Gibson who supplied the photos of the occasion.