Work weekend round-up

The second work weekend of this year's 'off-season' came to close on Sunday with a dedicated band of regular and new volunteers braving the elements to achieve some great things.

Contributing 86 work days in total with 36 on Friday alone, here's the long list of achievements of which they should all be proud:

• Two new rails installed to improve ride quallity across two joints.
• Sleeper replacement along the line with 40 recycled plastic sleepers installed, aligned and tamped level and the ballast shouldered.
• Completion of the carriage shelter ballasting, final levelling and infill around the portal frame. 
• Carriage shelter buffer stop area filled in and levelled together with the installation of a stone drag in front of the stop itself.
• Webcams located to their final locations on the carriage shelter.
• Final clear-up of the completed shelter site.
• Pathway and car park levelling and pothole filling.
• Completion of the miniature railway gates.
• Christmas decorations removed, checked, packed and stored for Christmas 2026.
• Station building, cafe, shop and store, cleaned and sorted in readiness for the new season.
• A dead tree made safe. 
• Fire wood cut and the store filled.

Powered by countless cups of tea and coffee plus seven trays of cake work weekend volunteers came from right around the country joining our regular Woody Bay volunteeers, staff, directors and trustees. It was excellent to see some new faces in the team who were given a warm welcome.

Whilst the North Devon weather served up another storm everyone worked safely and with utter determination. They rightly rewarded themsleves with a well deserved social at the Old Station Inn on Saturday night.

The last work weekend is on March 20th to 22nd 2026 and new volunteers are welcome then as well as during our regular weekday activities.