32 Regiment were on site from 18^th November, 18 guys & girls. After an introduction at DLW we walked them round the site explaining the work to be done. In the afternoon work started on correcting sleeper spacing and squareness as well as replacing some sleepers on the existing track beside 1861 shed. This continued on the following day and the gang moved onto laying new track north of the existing track beside the 1861 shed. On Wednesday everyone was trained in using the Robel battery tampers on track north of DLW and continued laying new track north of existing track. This continued on Thursday and as well as surveying ballast south of 1861 shed, plant arrived and ballast was rolled. On Friday new track was added to the southern end of the existing track.

On Monday 25^th November, the track was extended south towards the turnout north of Otley Terrace, the Pioneers took over tamping duties, ballast was surveyed and rolled on the northern end of the track and on Tuesday new track was built on this ballast. Work then started on levelling then rolling ballast north of the network rail turnout up the headshunt on Wednesday and track was connected to the turnout north of Otley Terrace. Ballast levelling and rolling continued and new track was built north of the network rail turnout. This continued on Thursday, top ballast was put on the track beside 1861 shed and the Pioneers started to tamp it. Friday was a "work from home day" for the army.

Monday 2^nd December work continued up the headshunt (levelling, rolling then building track) at a rate of about two and a half panels (50 meters) per day and the Pioneers continued to tamp track at about two panels per day. This continued for the next three days so by the end of Thursday the track reached to Honeypot Lane bridge and the top ballast had been tamped beside the 1861 shed. On Friday we finished connecting the track with fishplates and had a tidy up of the site.  In total we built 24 panels of track so that's about 430m of track over the three weeks.

Over the following four weeks we had 780 tons of ballast delivered. In total we've now had 2200 tons of ballast delivered which includes the first 400 tons delivered last October. So, 1800 tons delivered since the ballast fund started in March, paid for by the generosity of our Covenantors.

After 32 Regiment left Volunteers built the turnout south of the network rail turnout and laid two panels of track which connected up all the track from Honeypot Lane Bridge to Otley Terrace bridge.  Darlington Borough Council brought in contractors to finish the trackbed for the run round loop. Over 700 tons of ballast were delivered in December and January for the run round loop and the contractors spread and rolled the ballast on the run round loop.  Volunteers from DRPS started building the tandem turnout which connects all three tracks into the 1861 shed.  The team removed two waybeams from Honeypot Lane bridge and started to cut down the trees north of the bridge to the end of the headshunt.  You can find out more about supporting this initiative here.