The story of the CSLR so far, 2009
Click on the pictures for larger images.
The
year begins cold, -5 degC, but dry here in the South of England. No snow at
all...!
Meanwhile, a couple of videos of the completed circuit, taken January 2009.
2. Engineer
February gave us a fall of the White Stuff, just enough to test the plough on No.10.
Karen had a go too, for some Real Steam action...
The
climb away from Castagnola Station requires a good head of steam and a careful
loading to ensure reaching the summit successfully. Late in April 2009, some
work was done to remove the top of the hill, thereby shortening the steeper part
of the ascent, the part near the summit that was also on a curve. Time was taken
to lift the track, remove the base blocks and take away the bridge too, for use
elsewhere. Next, the base material was lowered and reset so that the complete
curved section is almost flat, engineering a 1:100 gradient to the end of the
main climb.
The changes have given some remarkable improvements in running. Both electric and steam power can easily drag longer trains over the rise, a dual effort having good effect here.
The photo (left) is #10 on the new flat summit.