Giving a new meaning to leaves on the line. Tracks around the loco shed completely covered by leaves as winter moves in.

The view from the Diema loco as it travels up the line chasing rainbows!

After the run up the line the Diema pulls up by the Moes prior to running back to the shed.

The Spoorijzer stands near the end of the line.

The Diema was taken on a few test runs with some skips to assess how bad the issue was with the overruning pump.

The Moes pushes the diema loco out onto a flat stretch of line to give it a good push to get it started.

Before the engine cover and fuel tank was put back onto the Diema, it was tested by dripping fuel into the pipe of the fuel filter via a funnel.

The Wingrove and Rogers loco waiting to haul a couple of loaded skips back.

With the extension built the previous year the muck could now be taken down to the bottom of the field for tipping and spreading.

A couple of empty skips on their way out for filling again.

A busy time at the shed with 4 locos in view.

The low sided timber open wagon had not been under cover much in the last year and the timbers needed some attention to ensure rot did not set in. The body is able to be lifted off the skip chassis once unbolted from the frame.

Back at the muck heap again, this time with the clayton loco in charge.

Wagon No.18 finally completed. The end stanchions are removeable so it can also be used as a basic flat wagon if needed.

The Spoorijzer at the back of the stables.

There were definitely rails under there last time I looked.

Getting to the end of the large muck pit by the end of the season.

Wagon No.18 taking shape with one of the end stanchions being bolted together.

The new wagon needed a little bit of welding to set up the slots for the steel supports at each end.

A never ending activity seems to be the repair of fences especially when the horses seem to enjoy eating the fencing almost as much as eating the grass!

The single cylinder engine with the cylinder head bolted back on.

The single cylinder engine with the cylinder head removed to check how tight the piston is. A dribble of diesel was put into the top of the cylinder, and confirmed that the piston and piston rings were still tight enough to give a good compression.

The Wingrove and Rogers assists with filling a skip and a flat wagon of compost bags.

More post and rail fencing being taken out for more repairs.

If the grass is not eaten down it's surpsing how quick it grows at the start of the season.

Looking a bit lonely in the countryside, the Moes trundles to the end of the line with a solitary skip.

The Hudson frame for new wagon No.18 receiving some welding to add buffing strips at each end and weld the cross member back in place.

The rails on one of the points were working a little loose, so the rail spikes round each sleeper needed digging out, checking, and respiking.

Getting to the top of the field with another short train of flat wagons and a skip.

Each spring the skips of compost and bagged compost are left down at the driveway each weekend, for the neighbours to help themselves and it proves very popular.

What was to become wagon No.18 in the 'as received' condition. A little bit of work with the wire brush lies ahead!

A short timber train heading to the timber pile with various cut branches and small trees that had come down over the last year.

More muck being tipped at the bottom of the far field, for speading at a later stage.

Heading away from the muck heap with a couple of well filled skips.

The two workhorses of the line side by side. These locos take the lion's share of the work on the railway.

At the start of the year one task is to paint creosote subsitute on the top of all the flat wagons to keep the timber in a decent condition.

Who needs a mini digger?

It was found that one of the soldered joints on the microswitch under the joystick was melting and breaking the circuit, presumably due to the current now being too high in the replacement cells. The solution was to loop out a couple of the newer cells to lower the overall current, resolder the microswitch, and all now works as it should. The surplus couple of cells are swapped over at regular intervals to keep them in good condition.

After some of the batteries were replaced at the end of last year, the loco was cutting out after going just a few yards, and until the joystick control was removed and examined, the cause was unclear.

The Wingrove and Rogers passes the relatively new loco shed.

The Spoorijzer trundles out to the muck heap for another session of digging out.

In the bleak winter conditions it is time to start digging out the compost from last year.

The few trips made to the end of the line over winter involved transporting the large round hay bales.