Paul Barlow
Rony Kosys
The Barnstaple line
Tony Hill
North Devon line works 10-18 April 2021
Two pics taken on Saturday 10th April 2021 of the works by NR Contractors to slightly extend the platforms at Eggesford
to fully accommodate a three car cl 158 DMU.
Also a pic of loco 66780 with 'Falcon' bogie opens (some empty, some with spoil and some with unused new ballast) standing at Kings Nympton at 1330 on Sat 10/4/21 awaiting passage that afternoon to Crediton (for eventual return to Westbury on Sun 11/4) within the Crediton to Barnstaple North Devon line Blockade of 10 to 18 April.
This blockade, with associated Double Decker Bustitution, also includes the installation (postponed from April 2020 due the 'plague') ) of a replacement steel underbridge by a large Road Crane at Penstone near Coleford Jn.
This train (with another class 66 the other end) had worked at Lapford earlier that day. A second train worked by 66704 and similiarly formed was stood at Portsmouth Arms, having worked at KN earlier that day, and it too ran to Crediton (for a Westbury ) following the train worked by 66780.
The works at Lapford and Kings Nympton were in connection with track removal, digging out ballast etc with machines ( and loading into wagons) to improve drainage, reballasting (mostly from adjacent stockpiles of ballast previously delivered by TRAIN ) and reinstatement of the track; both sites of long standing poor drainage conditions.
Regards Tony