External renovation of the Speyside Signal Box at Aviemore - the final chapter.

 External renovation of the Speyside Signal Box at Aviemore  - the final chapter.

Work over 15^th to 19^th March 2023.

By Colin Frost

 

In order to complete the final chapter of the renovation. The two sidings connecting roads 6 & 7 of the Roy Hamilton carriage shed would need to be blocked by scaffolding, so with agreement of the Operations Department we were allowed to have scaffolding built for a very short period from 15^th to 20^th March to provide access to complete the painting of the West side of the box. 

 

With help from the Georgie and the P-Way team the new staircase was moved down from storage at Boat to the Speyside platform.  It is constructed from Iroko hardwood, and is very heavy; it takes four men to carry them.

 

On Wednesday the old stairs and all the handrails were soon removed, and more rotten timbers were cut out and replaced, then it was onto the technical bit. 

The new stair case had been built oversize so with much measuring and judicial cutting they were trimmed to fit and offered up, so it was with great relief they fitted perfectly.  

The two paving slabs that the stairs rest on, at the base, were leveled by Steven Muirhead who also fitted tensioning rods beneath the steps to strengthen them horizontally.  

 

A spare plank of Iroko had been provided with the stairs so this was used to fabricate the handrails and supporting posts, these were all measured and cut to shape. The use of the circular saws in the carriage workshop was invaluable and without them the job would have been virtually impossible – Many thanks to Willie Dodds for allowing us access, so finally it was time to assemble the handrails and posts to complete the construction.  

 

Onto the painting of the timbers on the veranda and the west wall, to complete the work started last year, and meanwhile Mike Tough attended to the wriggly tin roof.  

The renovation of the Speyside box was now complete.  We had been advised to leave the Iroko unpainted as it contains natural oils, which act as a preservative and the stairs will darken over time. 

 

There was just time to undercoat the woodwork on the newly rebuilt ‘Old Toilet’ block, which is located on the eastern boundary outside the steam shed.

 

With thanks to the team:  Nick Courtier, Colin Frost, Jim Hardy, Ray Kenyon, Jim Pittendrigh and Dave Childs (who procured the redesigned staircase) and also with thanks to those mentioned above.