Those of a certain age will associate the word “Pit” with Professor Quatermass. Sadly, he seemed to be unavailable this weekend – probably due to the inconvenience of being fictional. This was a pity, because we would have appreciated his help to dig the pit for the new Wagon Traverser. This is part of the HLF-funded site development project which also saw the construction of the new field railway. The objective of the wagon traverser project is to allow the current “dump” of stored wagons to be moved to a less conspicuous location on the site, and also allow the restored wagon fleet to be displayed properly. The use of a traverser allows maximum siding length in minimum floor space. The traverser itself was built by Howard of Bedford, and has been in store for a few years since an initial restoration project. The photo shows it upside down on its current resting place. The pit itself has been progressing nicely, and most of the digging is now completed – it is estimated that more than 3 tonnes of spoil was shifted in the day by a small team of Moseley members. Mind, it helped that the gang included the All-Denmark Pick-Axe Champion. The next stages are to use concrete sleepers to create the pit longitudinal walls. Consideration is also being given as to how to prevent the pit becoming a swimming pool! As ever, get in touch here.
