They were working on Saturday and Sunday 9th and 10th March during one of the Railway’s regular Outdoor Weekends. Operating the Talyllyn’s Tamping Machine were Rebecca Sharpe, an engineer, Pippa McCanna a film editor, and Deborah Sharpe a school laboratory technician. All three had travelled to Tywyn especially to work over the weekend. Pippa McCanna stated: “Why have a pamper day when you can have a tamper day it’s a weekend with a difference for all of us?” The work was taking place on the ‘extension’ above Abergynolwyn between mileposts 6¾ and 7.
They were finishing off the work started during the railway’s Outdoor Week, held from 23rd February to 3rd March this year, when twenty-four 30 ft lengths of track were re-sleepered with 264 new sleepers being installed. Following this effort the track required re-ballasting and tamping to complete the work, which was undertaken on the 9th and 10th March. A total of 40 tonnes of ballast was dropped and tamped over the two days of the weekend.
