Out with the old…

A big part of getting the Dartmoor Line ready for regular passenger services is renewing old sections of track.

A cropper machine is used on longer sections of track where the track is being scrapped. The machine is quicker than burning or cutting sections of track. Above is a video of it snipping up the track like a giant pair of pliars.

Here’s the result once the cropper has finished its work:

The old track panels are then removed, and the track bed is dozed and prepared.

This video shows how the track bed is levelled and excess material is removed:

The ground is then compacted using a Whacker:

Here is the finished scene, ready for the track laying machine to lay new sleepers and rail: