External renovation of the Speyside Signal Box at Aviemore continued

External renovation of the Speyside Signal Box at Aviemore

10th to 14th August,

By Colin Frost

While we are still waiting for the scaffolding to be erected, we were only able to concentrate on the lower portion of the box accessible by low ‘hop ups’.

Only Colin was available for the first three days, so work was concentrated on areas accessible from the veranda, loose putty was replaced on the windows and the window and surrounding timber-work sanded down and painted with two coats of undercoat.   Dan, Jim and Nick were available for the final two days when a great deal of progress was made with the west and east walls.

Being a live railway, train movements were observed and no work could commence on the west side until the coaching stock had been moved from the carriage shed at about 9am, and as the weather was very hot,  work on the west side was preferable in the morning.  The west and east sides and the north wall under the veranda have all been sanded down, and two coats of white undercoat applied.  

On the north wall rotten timber was cut out and new timber panels installed and primed.

All the painted areas are now ready for the final top coats to be applied, but this won’t be done until the remainder of the upper areas of the box have been finished.  Where is that scaffolding, which was ordered back in July and may not be available until mid-September!?

Work by Dan Courtier, Nick Courtier, Colin Frost & Jim Pittendrigh.

External Renovation of Speyside Signal Box

 External renovation of Speyside Signal Box at Aviemore

Over 27 – 30 July.

By Colin Frost 

The access staircase and veranda on the North face of the box are both in very poor condition, so the first task has been to take measurements and order new timber for the replacement of the staircase.   For which we are immensely grateful to Dave Childs who has taken the new build in hand.  

The repair to the decking of the veranda was our next task and-as the box is in daily use, we set up a temporary ladder access and blocked off the stairs.  The walkway is supported by three 6x 2inch timber beams, so the first 5ft of planks, forming the walkway, were removed and the top three inches of rotten timber in the centre beam cut out, this was repeated to a lesser extent on the other two beams and treated with Cuprinol preservative.  

New wood was then screwed down into place and primed. However as happens, further rotten timber then came to light on the east side beam and main NE corner vertical support of the building. After removing more rot, treating with Cuprinolnew timber was installed, so following two and a half days work, the walkway and staircase was restored to use. 

In the meantime another 5 planks of wall cladding had been delivered to Boat yard, so we proceeded there; cut to length two 4.2mtr planks (to fit the car) and stored the remainder under cover. 

Back at Aviemore we installed further pieces of wall cladding onto the south wall, applied filler to some small gaps and completed primer and undercoat painting on the newly installed timber. 

The plywood timber facing measuring 92 x 20inchs, which covers the exit of the signal wires and point rodding on the east side, has also now been replaced with a new sheet of thicker plywood, (care of Ray) and transported in my car from Newburgh, anyone would think I had a van!!

(see enclosed photos) 

By Ray Kenyon and Colin Frost.

Sorry for the late posting Robert Law.