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• The WSRA have issued the following update...
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After an atrociously wet winter work has recently restarted at Norton…only to be stopped almost immediately by another ten days of rain. However the surface is drying out again so we hope to bring the plant back and continue work again shortly.
So far this year we have cast the raft across the fourth and last culvert and have put up the shuttering for the wing walls. The walls were due to have been cast ten days ago but this coincided with a couple of days of heavy days of rain and the pour was cancelled. This culvert is located where the East Chord rejoins the Barnstaple formation back toward Taunton. Once completed we will be able to join the East Chord and Barnstaple formations and have the basic triangle formation completed. Before you leap to your feet with anticipation there is still a fair bit of clearing and ballasting before the trackbed will be ready!
Most of the rest of the work so far this year has been concentrated on getting Norton ready for the Steam Rally so we have topsoil and seeded where the ground had settled or was still uneven from previous construction and made up the various crossings across the formation for foot traffic. The arena and show area is being currently being fenced with a multitude of gates to allow vehicles and visitors to move from one area to another.
Car parking will be in fields across the WSR line from the Norton site, and the disused accommodation crossing has been refurbished and resurfaced and will be brought back into use for pedestrians to access the Rally from the car parks. This alone took 6 tons of ballast – the loading shovel having just an inch to spare either side when passing through the gates onto the line – good driving Andy!
A water main is being brought to the site to terminate in a hydrant supply close to both the line and stone roadway so that it can be used for the Rally and to water visiting locomotives if necessary. Although volunteer labour is digging much of the route where it parallels the rail line the pipe, connection, hydrant, manhole and of course the meter (!) are being installed courtesy of Wessex Water and we extend our thanks to them.
Meanwhile the Steam Enginemen courses pass frequently to check on progress and we briefly hosted The Duchess which was coaled at Norton during her recent lay over on the line. Almost routinely now the HOBC continues to call most weekdays and to build up a stock of ballast ready for a push onto the Barnstaple branch and yet more track laying.
West Somerset Railway Association
8 June 2008
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Norton in June 2008
