Planking Installation

First Shift February 2018

Installing the planking began on the day the timber was flown to Windy Moor, but was interrupted when rain arrived midway through the next day and rained on the Saturday. John and Mark, the contact team, resumed on Sunday

Greg K re-joined them on the Monday 26th and Greg B, Sue & Peter helped lay wire and unpack a timber bundle. The stapling machine was not working properly and that made the wire work very slow and tedious. The track layers had got the planking about 120 metres over the moor by the end of the day. Rock under the surface was causing considerable problems.

It was pleasing to see good progress had been made by the time Dave, Rhonda and Peter arrived the next day. We unpacked three loads of timber, with Dave & Peter putting the planks beside the track and Rhonda varying the associated timber. The track layers, John, Mark and Greg, were joined by Andy from PWS and made very good progress over some of the muddiest and heavily braided sections.

By the time we left the distance planked was a ground distance of 254 metres and that covered a straight line distance over the moor of 245m. That is 27% of the total distance of 910 metres.

The track work continued until midday Thursday, (1st March) giving 5 days, after allowing for rain interventions.

On the final days planking was progressed to the the halfway point on the moorland.

Second Shift March 2018

Work resumed on Tuesday 6^th March with Greg K again camping and working through to the Thursday. Peter O and Rhonda spent the Tuesday unpacking and moving planks and giving other assistance, whilst on the Wednesday Shirley walked in to help and returned on the Thursday. Shirley was given a job of helping steady posts and drilling in the bugle screws.

On the Thursday 8^th Greg B, Chris and Peter F went in with Trevor. Previously we had trouble getting the staple gun to work and after sending it to be serviced, we had it back but again it was very unresponsive. After a bit of investigation, it seems likely that the altitude is the problem because the operations manual indicates a different valve is required above 1200m. Attempts are being made to procure one.

Some planking was carried from the start of the moor to the current work site, a distance of 600 metres one way. The planking progress is very impressive and 750 metres was finished at the end of Thursday 8^th. More of course was done on Friday, the last day of the 5 day shift.

Third Shift March 2018

Monday 12^th was wet and windy, but Snapper and Mat worked until the weather got too bad in the early afternoon. Greg B, Trevor and Brendan put down netting and found the staple gun from Lake St.Clair worked well enough to make it worthwhile. The weather also drove them out.

On the Tuesday 13^th it was misty most of the day and Greg K joined the track workers as they continued to progress towards the end of the moor. Adrian and Peter F unpacked the last of the timber and, after spreading it out, were left with just 2 spare planks. Adrian managed the staple gun despite it frequently not firing, and almost 100 metres of wire was placed.

It was a more pleasant day on Wednesday, but some rocky sections slowed the planking work. Snapper, Mat and Greg were joined by Andy from PWS for the day. Thursday was a return to wet weather, but work went on and the last bit on the northern end of Windy Moor completed on somewhat nicer Friday 16^th

A short section of about 30 metres enclosed by thick bushes will be hardened. This area tends to get muddy and there is just sufficient timber for the job, which is scheduled for next week when fine weather is expected to return.

Final Day

The final 30 metres of planking was done, using up the remaining planks. The location was at the very southern end of Windy Moor surrounded by thick bushes. It was always marked as a potential place for hardening because it often becomes quite muddy. In fact, knocking the support posts in proved to be easier than most other spots on the moor.

Since the work began 900 metres of planking has gone down in 15 days of work spread over a month. The planking looks good as it winds it way over the moor, with not any great length without bends to breakup the what otherwise could have been a straight line. The stain helps blend the timber with the environment.

All that remains to be done is the wiring, which has been difficult because of the failure of the stapling gun. At the best of times it was slower than expected because of the machine failing to fire. The first machine was so bad it was replaced by one borrowed, but that eventually broke and is waiting repair. Another has been borrowed and hopefully will allow work to proceed, otherwise manual stapling with hammers may have to be employed

The planking took 15 days of work spread over one month, 22 February to 21 March 2018 for 890 metres of actual planking.