Nigel reports on the progress at Chelfham Station during the Winter.
Chelfham is usually open for any visitors every Wednesday and Sunday throughout the year, although please be aware at present of the current works underway as access and parking may be restricted at times.
Chelfham sign and our friendly robin.
Staying late after a work day recently with all the lights on at dusk.
More platform lamps are planned and we hope to show off further the Chelfham evening scene again very soon.
Most of the work throughout last autumn and this winter has been to build this wooden workshed located out of sight from the station building and platforms. Here's the view showing how the sheds are below the site line and accessed from the original path to the road.
The new workshed is nearing completion and is now being fitted out inside. As well as partly providing a basic mess room facilities for volunteers, the shed will further permit workbenches and some storage shelving for the gang to continue a variety of restoration projects for along the whole railway. It will also support the maintenance of the Chelfham site and future enhancements and improvements.
Meanwhile here's the trackbed view between the platforms.
The frequent calls by members and visitors for laying track at Chelfham need to be aware there's still a need to keep an area clear for road access and extra volunteers parking this month as....
.....this early January at Chelfham contractors are on site, and requiring skips to be positioned here to be loaded and swapped.
The work underway is high up at the former summerhouse site to dig out a larger area for the new lodge as per the agreed planning permission. The old derelict summerhouse was disposed of and the contractors dumper has been moving spoil from here down to the skips for removal off site.
The lodge site will be prepared for the foundations next. This work once completed will secure the site for the eventual future construction of a pre-fabricated woodland lodge for members/ volunteers holiday accommodation.