Generous donation helps puts the points in place

Members of the Permanent Way team have worked long and hard to realign and rebuild points 2 and 3 at Oldminster Sidings, which are integral to our future shunting operations.

An important element of the rebuilding was replacing the very rotten sleepers, which would not bear the weight of a wagon, let alone a locomotive. Whilst sleepers for plain track are generally a standard size, point sleepers are considerably larger, with varying lengths determined by where they’re located. They’re also bigger in cross-section than plain sleepers: 12” by 6” compared to 10” by 5”. Consequently they’re considerably more expensive than standard sleepers.

Fortunately a generous donation from the Veronica Awdry Charitable Trust allowed us to purchase the bespoke sleepers required. The Veronica Awdry Charitable Trust (VACT) was set up with the objective of enhancing the lives of local people. Veronica is the daughter of the Reverend Wilbert Awdry, a vicar and the author of the well-known Railway Series featuring the adventures of Thomas the Tank Engine.

The VACT’s grant funded the purchase of six essential extra-long sleepers: three at 14'6", one at 13'6" and two at 12'6". Their impressive size is very apparent in the photo.

Our grateful thanks to the Veronica Awdry Charitable Trust for funding this vital part of our trackwork and ensuring we could progress our project.

New point timbers courtesy of VACT