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Track Maintainence.
The Hamworthy Goods branch.
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Photographs of the mainline end of the Hamworthy Goods Branch at Hamworthy Junction with track repair work being carried out.
The Hamworthy Goods Branch now sees little in the way of traffic, the scrap metal terminal (on the site of the old cement terminal at Hamworthy Junction) is served by two trains a week with the occasional working to Hamworthy Quay/Poole Ferry Terminal, so the oldest stretch of standard gauge track in Dorset is still in use and being kept in working order.
Set One
The night shots were taken between 23:45 (5th Jan) and 1am on 6th January 2002 whilst a permanent way gang were replacing damaged sleepers on the Hamworthy Goods branch.
Image 4 shows what happens if You try to use flash photography at night when the subject is wearing high visibility clothing. All other night shots were taken on a long exposure without flash.
The work undertaken included replacement of 39 standard track sleepers and two crossing timbers, this work was done manually with hand tools (rail jacks, shovels, rakes etc) and a portable powered driver to ease removal and replacement of the large screws that fix the railchairs to the sleepers.
Set Two
Image 1: Using powered driver to remove track screws.
Image 2: Sleeper replacement work being carried out viewed from the Down platform. Notice the large gloworms used for lighting ;-)
Image 3: The Hamworthy branch line leading down to Lower Hamworthy, the connection on the left used to serve the cement transfer terminal which was demolished in the 1990's. The right hand road is the branch line which leads down to Lower Hamworthy, past Poole's first station and into Poole Harbour Commission's ferry terminal site. Mechanical excavators/grabs are used at the scrap terminal to directly load wagons standing on the branch line, the former cement terminal siding (left hand road) is now out of use with the gates closed and somewhat overgrown.
Image 4: Hamworthy Branch connection to the Down mainline with flashing red safety "Stop" sign fitted to the track warning track workers of the close proximity of the mainline.
Set Three
Image 1 & 2: Track gang gathering up the old damaged sleepers that have been removed using the hand trolley.
Image 3 & 4: Stacking up the old sleepers on the down side of the branch line near Hamworthy signalbox.
Set Four
Image 1: Track workers enjoying a well earned rest.
Image 1: Two of the track gang gathering up their tools onto the hand trolley..
Copyright Notes
