Lost Property
Posted: 20th February 2025
Found on the ballast at Horsted Keynes
If anyone has seen any Unicorns on the line please let us know.
A Temporary Replacement for the Wickham Trolley
Posted: 16th February 2025
The PermaQuip
The failure of our Wickham trolley with transmission has impacted our ability to carry out maintenance activities. The wickham and trailer were used for transporting tools and all sorts of infrastructure and S&T spares to all parts of the line. The Wickham has been sent away for repairs but with the problem that the non-standard build state is requiring a bespoke solution which is not going to be ready any time soon.
To overcome the problem, and with a dearth of Wickhams available, we have secured the long term loan of a PermaQuip Personnel carrier from the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. A comparison between the Wickham and the PermaQuip gives quite a number of similarities and differences. Both have a driving position at one end but whereas the Wickham can travel as fast backwards as forwards (albeit giving the driver a still neck in reverse), the 
PermaQuip has a party trick where it can rotate the body of the vehicle. The pirouette is performed by a lift which raises the body clear of the rails, the body can then be pushed round to face the opposite direction.
Although the PermaQuip does have a reverse gear, its maximum reverse speed is walking pace. We do not have a trailer for the PermaQuip and this will severely limit out ability to move equipment and spares around. However the PermaQuip is enclosed giving the personnel a less draughty journey.
Another point of note is that the PermaQuip is the prototype vehicle, serial no #1.
The comment has been made a number of times that in yellow livery, the PermaQuip looks like Peppa Pig’s camper van only on rails. This has led to a plethora of nicknames.
All images: Bruce Healey
Track Relaying in Sharpthorne Tunnel
Posted: 9th February 2025
Track relaying completed
Relaying of the track in Sharpthorne Tunnel has been the first major task of the year for Infrastructure. The wet conditions in the tunnel has caused severe deterioration of the rail although the cast iron chairs were mostly reusable. The wooden sleepers were also mostly in reusable condition so the task was to replace the bullhead rail and change out any bad chairs and sleepers.
Wooden keys had been used in parts of the tunnel which degrade slower than the metal keys in the wet conditions and also provide a good anchor for the rail. The decision was taken to replace them with metal keys. Some of the wooden keys had swollen to such an extent that they were particularly difficult to remove.
As the re-laid track has yet to be tamped, a speed restriction through the tunnel remains.
Cutting a rail and the state of the removed track
