The ancient Greek mathematician and physicist Archimedes may have said “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world”. Well give us four talented and handsome track team volunteers and four levers, and we can move the track…
The track team was back on the Loop Line on Saturday. Their task was improving the alignment of this important section of curved track. We aim to bring this section back to passenger standard to make it available for special events and public trains.
The working methods probably haven’t changed much since Edwardian times or earlier. Although the planning designed using computers would blow the minds of our Belfast & County Down Railway predecessors.
Wooden markers are secured in the ‘five foot’ between the rails and each section of track has a specific measurement calculated. Good old Simplex track jacks are then used to shift the rails and sleepers into their exact position. The results speak for themselves. A nice curved line instead of a series of straight rails joined together
