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The Purbeck Mineral & Mining Museum
Progress Photographs

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Clay Trailway

Temporary Clay Trailway installed May 2005      One of the trailway arrows - May 2005 Information board for Skew Arch Bridge - May 2005 Norden Works board on Scotland path - May 2005 Engine house board - May 2005 At last the slope at the end of platform is underconstruction. 10th May 2007 Sub base to the path being installed. 17th May 2007 The 1952 Pavement Roller in operation on the new permissive path to Corfe which will be part of the trailway. 3rd June 2007 For those of you who want to know more about the Roller. 3rd June 2007 The Team laying the top surface to the Permissive Path. 3rd June 2007  The start of the day's work on the new path. 10th June 2007 and the result - top soil laid alongside the path. 10th June 2007 Pailings being added to the posts and rails. 8th July 2007 Wonderful new fence. 8th July 2007Fencing finished 15th July 2007 The team with "Bonzo" - the 3 wheel tipping truck adding top surface. 22nd July 2007 The finished job with the sign post to be erected when path is opened. 22nd July 2007

 

Engine Shed

Surveying size of Engine shed. 9th October 2005 Excavating Engine Shed base. 9th October 2005 Another load of loco ash unloaded and transported to the pile adjacent to Engine shed foundations. 20th May 2007 

New location 

 Trees cleared and area for the Engine Shed fenced off. Sunday 11th December 2011  Tree roots being removed. Wednesday 4th January 2012 Area cleared of tree roots. Wednesday 4th January 2012 Shuttering complete. Sunday 8th January 2012 Waiting for next load. Tuesday 10th January 2012 Pumping Concrete. Tuesday 10th January 2012 Concrete being pumped through the trees. Tuesday 10th January 2012Concrete poured. Tuesday 10th January 2012 Nearly done. Tuesday 10th January 2012 Engine shed frame starts to take place. Sunday 12th February 2012Bolts galore! Sunday 12th February 2012 Roof purlins being installed. Sunday 19th February 2012 The frame of the engine shed moves towards completion. Tuesday 20th March 2012 Wall Girts cut and door supporting steelwork installed. Sunday 25th March 2012 Front Mullions installed. (Temporary wooden frame of roller opening can be seen. Sunday 25th March 2012 Engine Shed ready for cladding. Sunday 1st April 2012 The white side of the wall! Sunday 6th May 2012 The green side of the wall blending into its natural surroundings. Sunday 6th May 2012 Cutting one of the panels to fit round the door. Sunday 20th May 2012. Panel around the door being fitted. Sunday 20th May 2012. The side and rear walls are on, now for the roof! Sunday 27th May 2012 The roof goes on! Sunday 10th June 2012 The roof provides shelter from the rain for some well know characters. Sunday 10th June 2012 Dropped It! A screw goes missing as the roof goes on. Sunday 10th June 2012 Roof Complete. Sunday 17th June 2012 PA Door installed. Sunday 17th June 2012 Engine Shed blending into the environment. Sunday 17th June 2012 Roller Door mechanisim being installed. Sunday 24th June 2012 Roller Door under construction. Sunday 24th June 2012 Roller Doors complete and working with team looking out. Sunday 1st July 2012 Cutting the final clading sheet. Sunday 8th July 2012 Fitting the final cladding sheet - only a few flashings to go. Sunday 8th July 2012 On goes the guttering. Sunday 22nd July 2012 trackbed being laid to Engineshed. Thursday 9th August 2012 Tracklaying inside Engine Shed. Sunday 13th January 2013 A wagon load of ballast inside the Engine Shed. 1st rolling stock movement insiide Engineshed. Sunday 13th January 2013 Cemeting the track into the floor of the Engine Shed. Sunday 27th January 2013 With one line tramwayed in, thoughts turn to laying the other. Sunday 10th February 2013 End of the day of yet another day. Glistening in the background is a days mixing & laying. Sunday 17th February 2013 Ruston in its new home waiting for friends to join. Sunday 24th February 2013 It is warm in here! Sunday 24th February 2013

Click here for short movie of the Ruston entering the Engine Shed for the first time. (don't forget to have the sound up)

 

 

General Site Maintenance

Removing Nettles from fence 7th August 2005Strimming Work 7th August 2005Waynes Gang helping to install "Crocodile teeth" to prevent damage to grass by vehicles 18th September 2005 Weeding and Strimming - 14th May 2006 Creating bench space - Norden Nest - Surveying ground before digging - 4th June 2006 Creating bench space - Norden Nest - PMMMG helping Waynes Gang. 4th June 2006 Creating bench space - Norden Nest - Job well done - Waynes Gang resting after a hot and hard days work. 4th June 2006 Tidying up the site. Thursday 2nd May 2013

Mine

Ventilation Shaft cover awaiting restoration and instalation. 11th June 2008 Recovered mine steelwork and bells for restoration. 11th June 2008 Excavating the Mine entrance using the railway to remove spoil in the skip. 28th June 2009 Shovelling the tippped spoil to fill alongside trackway - note the shorts - it was hot! 28th June 2009 "Working at the face" Creating space for the bottom of the ramp. 19th July 2009 Wire brushed and primed RSJ for retaining wall construction. 12th August 2009 Mine entrance area dug out and first RSJ for retaining wall installed. 12th August 2009 The first stage of the wall complete. 23rd August 2009 A very temporary track for offloading spoil from Mine. 23rd August 2009 A watching crowd waiting to push skip load of spoil from trench digging to other end of railway. 6th September 2009 The result of a day's work the drainage trench for the start of the mine, has been dug and back filled. 6th September 2009 Foundation of transition shed ready for pouring of cement. 24th September 2009 And now the concrete is set. 28th September 2009 Further work on the foundation of the transition shed. 11th October 2009 Extending the ramp to ground level. 18th October 2009 A soil retaining wall constucted from recycled blocks. 18th October 2009 The Ramp reaches ground level. 25th October 2009 Emergency exit number one under construction. 25th October 2009 Framing of the lower ramp almost complete with back wall part installed. 27th November 2009 Progress of the ramp and the exit at the bottom. 17th December 2009 Generator to povide power for the winch and compressors arrived on site. 17th December 2009 Emergency exit number one being clad. 20th December 2009 The bottom of the ramp on way to completion with first tunnel section in place. 31st December 2009 View from inside ramp of first tunnel section. 31st December 2009 Tunnel Arches arrive from store. 21st February 2010The mine base with drainage trench. 1st July 2010Amazing what can be done in a day. 1st July 2010 Thats the way to do it!! 1st July 2010 Installing the drain in the tunnel floor. 11th July 2010 Tunnel begins to take shape. 1st August 2010 Inserting the Wedges for the creation of the false tunnel © A.P.M.Wright. 22nd August 2010 The present end of the tunnel (Ist Stage) © A.P.M.Wright. 22nd August 2010 Inside of the Tunnel © A.P.M.Wright. 22nd August 2010 Tunnel recieves it waterproof covering and French drains © A.P.M.Wright. 22nd August 2010 False Tunnel framework under construction. 2nd September 2010. Copyright J.Rowley  False Tunnel Framework receives first piece of tin. 5th September 2010. Copyright J.RowleyFitting the tin to the False Tunnel frame. 5th September 2010. copyright A.P.M.Wright Alistair Hall points out to John Rowley, what needs to be done next week. 5th September 2010. Copyright A.P.M.Wright False Tunnel complete. 19th September 2010 Mine tunnel being covered with clay. Sunday 3rd October copyright A.P.M.Wright The "land" above the tunnel being installed. 10th October 2010 Ballast being loaded into the Drainage trench in tunnel floor. 17th October 2010 The tunnel steel awaiting it's wood cladding. 31st October 2010 "They said it was going to rain!" 31st October 2010 Side of the trench covered to prevent the clay being washed, by the winter rains, back into trench. 15th November 2010 The tunnel gets longer by the week. 15th November 2010 A little bit of thinking and a good thump with a hammer is all that is needed. 21st November 2010 Plastic everywhere sucessfully directs the winter rains to the drains in the bottom of the trench. 21st November 2010 Andrews have supplied a digger and driver to assist us. 29th December 2010 Will it be clearing snow or moving clay next Sunday? 2nd December 2010 Progress - Tunnel now 88ft long. 28th November 2010 Will it be gone by Sunday? 2nd December 2010 Tunnel receives its covering of clay. 5th December 2010 Chairman at work with a digger. Sunday 24th July 2011 Area cleared ready for concrete slab for base of tunnel box. Sunday 24th July 2011 Groundworks, including drainage, and ducting complete for tunnel junction. Sunday 31st July 2011 Tunnel Junction Groundworks ready for concrete slab. Sunday 31st July 2011 Mixing Concrete in the Sunshine. Sunday 7th August 2011 Laying Concrete for tunnel junction. Sunday 7th August 2011 Swanage Railway's RailRoader helping out to tidy up the excavation of the Tunnel Cross. Sunday 14th August 2011 Base for Tunnel Extension being packed and leveled. Sunday 28th August 2011 The tunnel extension steelwork starts to be erected and in the background the prepared timbers are awaiting the steelwork beams. Sunday 28th August 2011 Tunnel Arches being erected. Sunday 4th September 2011 End of the tunnel. Sunday 4th September 2011 "A Design Moment" during the construction of the side tunnel. Sunday 11th September 2011 Tunnel box under construction. Sunday 18th September 2011 Discusion time at the end of the day. 18th September 2011 In goes the one of the closing pit props. Sunday 2nd October 2011 Newly arrived Pit Props for tunnel and store. Sunday 9th October 2011 Tunnel covered in timber. Sunday 9th October 2011 Mine tunnel complex exit. The concrete floor is to support pit props on soft ground. Sunday 16th October 2011 Chain saw in operation during tunnel building. Sunday 30th October 2011 The sawdust is building up as the pit props are being used for the tunnel. Sunday 30th October 2011 Ex Norden Skip framed in the exit tunnel for the Mine. Sunday 30th October 2011 Lifting pit prop roof into position. Sunday 6th November 2011 Our secret Wine Cellar - Sunday 18th December 2011 - Hic Walls for the Exit Building being constructed. Sunday 18th December 2011 Tunnel exit nearly ready for clading with steel. Sunday 18th March 2012 Tunnel Exit receives Cladding (soon to be painted) Sunday 15th April 2012 Tunnel Exit receives all it cladding before the rain set in. Sunday 22nd April 2012 End of tunnel blanked off to take clay face. Sunday 22nd April 2012 Derusting the arches in the dry! Sunday 29th April 2012 Installing the track from ramp to tunnel in the dry! Sunday 29th April 2012 New Floor screed being added to Tunnel Exit. Sunday 22nd July 2012 New floor lighting for tunnel. Sunday 22nd July 2012 Tunnel Exit floor screed complete. Sunday 29th July 2012 Work in the tunnel. Sunday 5th August 2012 Bending the rails! Sunday 5th August 2012 "We have gone round the bend" Sunday 5th August 2012 Imerys supplied 15 tons of Ball Clay for Tunnel face. Friday 10th August 2012 Loading clay into dumper. Sunday 12 th August 2012 The first ball clay to be tipped into the hole at the end of the tunnel. Sunday 12th August 2012 Very long lenghts of water and air piping being walked from Storage to mine tunnel. Sunday 12th August 2012. Laying a waterproof membrane over the ball clay. Sunday 26th August 2012 - Bank Holiday weekend. Tunnel end lighting installed. Sunday 30th September 2012 Underground tub turntable installed in display area. Sunday 5th May 2013

Click here for a movie of the tunnel floor being dug

 

 


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Contacts:-  The PMMMG Chairman (Peter Sills)    Website queries ( John Rowley)                              Telephone 01929 481461