On 16 th February a works train consisting of the guards van, flatrol and powered by the UDV left Dufftown. The flatrol was loaded with 22 concrete sleepers and a steel cabinet for PW use and was conveyed to the current PW site at Mill of Towie. The PW team went by road and met the works train when it arrived at the site. The flatrol was then unloaded, one sleeper at a time, by the Kubota mini digger. The sleepers were dropped alongside the line heading
towards Keith.

The steel cabinet was then unloaded, using the Kubota, and positioned at the side of the track for the use of the PW team. The UDV then proceeded towards Keith and began the run back towards the PW work site. The works train crew were replacing damaged or missing mileposts so it took them a couple of hours to return to the work site.

Whilst the work train was away the PW team replaced 3 sleepers before reinstating the track. The works train crew replaced a milepost sign just before the work site then passed safely through. The PW team tidied up the site and returned to Dufftown catching glimpses of the works train replacing milepost signs on the way.

The PW team consisted of 3 people on this occasion but more volunteers for PW work are urgently required. The use of the Kubota, on the sleepers, has removed much of the hard physical work but there is still some manual physical work required. As the old saying goes “many hands make light work” so if you enjoy working in the fresh air please consider joining the PW team.