08/03/2026 - Sunday

 08/03/2026 - Alex Randall, David Kinzlett, Sam Coleman, Wilco, Kay, Sam Hill - 8 hrs

Epic Sunday session. Coleman and Wilco making the trip up from the furthest reaches of Cornwall. They're both steel fabricators and have come up to bring our inclined railway up to the standard of infrastructure seen in the rest of the cave. Great example of a team sharing projects, as me and Sam met Coleman through the Aggy-Daren dig connection being led by Mushroom Dave Kinzlett, who also brought Kay along for the morning to see what we were up to.

First a whole skip off equipment and materials was sent down in the skip: postcrete, stick welding kit, 9" and 6" grinders, 110v transformer plus all our usual tools for making loud bangs. Once this had been ferried down to Echo Pot the plan was to clear just enough of Wednesday's bang to allow Coleman and Wilco to see how the railway runs now so they know where to work their magic. This done, the postcrete was mixed into the puddle at the dig face to fill it in, hopefully improving working conditions, and Wilco and Coleman set to work. 

Those few bags were then hauled to the 166'. At this point the other three of us had a choice, watch concrete curing, watch the welding work (without a mask), or find something else to do. The something else was to help out the North Pot team. The stack of mud at the 242' level was hauled up to the 166', and then along with the mud already there, was hauled to surface, 2.5 skips worth.

Just as this was almost done Coleman and Wilco came up for lunch, and to let the welding fumes clear. Over lunch the last skip was brought up, and the mud then tipped on the heap. 

After a lunch of pot noodles Kay headed home, citing a hang over, and the rest went back to work. Myself and Dave heading down the bottom to check on the concrete and finish bagging up all of Wednesday's spoil. The concrete has made a big help, but another bag will be needed to completely remove the puddle, and a better screeding tool.

Spoil clear AR got to drilling assisted by Dave, with more time than usual a series of 600mm holes were drilled to enlarge the corner to let us go right next time, and a rake of 1m holes was drilled above the puddle as there's a hump here that reduces the headroom in this section of the dig. 

During this Sam Hill arrived, having been down Wigmore, and assisted the welders.

A deep thirst now over took the team, so the rail joints that were being worked on were finished, a loud bang was made, and the equipment hauled out the cave, before all but Dave headed to the Vic.

On the railway, all the joins up to the ladder section have been welded, and the tubes have been welded to the cross members. At the change of angle the bends Sam and I butchered have been remade properly, the roller has been repositioned so the skip doesn't hit it and the angle of the lower ladder changed so the top half of the railway is straight with bottom half. 

There may be some light rock removal needed on Wednesday as there could be new rub points on the skip.

Wilco and Coleman are keen to come back to continue the project as time allows, but have requested that no future steel work is done in galvanised tube, as the post activity risk assessment identified that the fumes are not healthy.

Epic photos below:
















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