Batley track work party Sat April 22nd
 

At the members meeting last night we decided to fix the rostrum in it's current position whilst fixing the steps and guard rail around the top of the cabin.

Some lads are going down this sat to remove the old steps as they are currently a safety hazard. However we then are having a MAJOR work day on Sat 22nd April (day before NECR regional), with some (skilled) people working on the rostrum and the rest of us doing various track clearing, grass cutting/strimming etc.

There really is a lot of work to do but if we can get enough people then we can break the back of it on the one day, maybe look at astroturfing the clay corner which to be honest has had it's day now. Do Bury have any spare old astro we can have, doesn’t need to be that much really!

So we are appealing for as many people as possible to come down and help on the Saturday, bringing any tools, lawn movers, strimmers they can.

Dianne is typing up a calendar as we speak, we hope to run all the free weekend in the NE calendar and also some when the nationals are on for those that don’t go, they can still have good local club racing.

First meeting will be Sunday April 29th !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I should make it, is it an all day thing?

Don't know if this is helpful but I saw a feature on Stotfold RC Club, they got used astroturf from a sportsfield supplier. Maybe if yu contact Stotfold they could put you in touch with them.
2 or 3 of us will be down for a few hours on saturday to lend a hand.

OK, just a reminder to people about this weekend, really hoping for a good show of bodies. Not sure on start time, will try to find out from Steve tomorrow though I know he's starting early as is going hot rodding down south in the afternoon.

I think it's fair to say we'll defo be there for 10 at the latest!

No steel as far as I know Dan :(

Ah, will try to contact Steve and Jim today then,

Even so the rest of the track needs loads of work ahead of the rostrum being fixed so we still need people there I think.

Why can't we get steel?? surely its a buy off the shelf situation?
Has Jim arranged the welding kit?

I guess the best suggestion is everyone be down there for 10am, and even if the welding is not possible, the rest of the track could be fixed up?

Clay Corner Batley
 

I do not think a lot of Drivers would like the Clay Corner at Batley being altered to Astroturf [ We tried this years ago at WORKSOP ] [Note Still plenty of Astroturf there Free For Collection contact James Helliwell]
Would think a Forum discussion is worth considering.

Sorry, we havent got any astroturf left...

Ive just made a new contact for astro though so let me know if any is needed and i'll pass on the details..

James

clay is good, we like clay, astro turn ruins your tires....


























alot. can we do sunday aswell incase most people cant make sat?

Re Astroturf
 

There is Astroturf under the grass at the back fence. It needs digging out.
It's full of sand so is very heavy. But don't take it yet as the fire damage is not yet repaired.

Lindsay,

I know what your saying, but the clay corner is knackered, it's not actually clay anymore on the racing line but stones sticking out. Since the soaking wet nationals a couple of years ago it's erroded away severely, it's also essentially on a different level to the astro off the straight and the stuff off into the top corner. Oh course the other problem is it's the main corner the kids on bike/motorbikes like to rag round which has also helped ruin it.

If someone who comes to help tomorrow wants to take responcibility for buying of, laying of and protecting the clay then be my guest but it would be a big job make no mistake. I think I'm right in saying the first committee/memebers meeting this winter we agreed to astro turf it.

B4RS, I can't agree with you, I think you'd find astro is way kinder than the stone filled dlay we currently have. Laying some astro comparred to relaying a clay corner is much easier and for time I really don't think there is any choice. Fell free to go down SUnday and do anything you might think helpfull, but most people will be at the regional.

Roger, thanks for that, we'll contact you in a couple of weeks if we've not sourced anything local!

lol ok, sorry , i thought it was pure clay, not stone filled, anyway i can make tommorow so i wil be there, but wot time do we finish so i can get home

Mate it's all voluntary so come and go whenever you want, all help appreciated.

Seems the rostrum welding defo won't be done tomorrow, some confusion of the size needed shall we say.

thts really dissapointing to say the least, the fees we pay i know most of it goes towards rent of sports halls etc but wyhat about the rest, surely theres enough money to buy the steel and can we not take the sizes form the rostrum at batley swimming baths indoor?

Urm, I didn't say it was anything to do with money, more busy people and the measurements didn't get taken and passed to Jim. Hopefully we can measure it all properly tomorrow and any prep works with view to coming back soon to finish the job.

yeah, ok sorry i took it the wrong way.

Well good news all round really, we had 8 people there this morning (many thanks to all) and got loads done.

All the grass is cut all round the track and the fence and all round the back, we've strimmed and weedkilled around all the edges. Smoothed out some of the end of the straight into the CLAY banking ;)

Seems I was particularly wrong here and after a lot of work from Tom and Rich it may not be as pretty as it once was but seemed to drive round OK, so it certainly has a stay of excecution.

The plan for now is to use the indoor rostrum on the far side of the track whilst Jim Dixon fabs up new rails for the top of the containor. The steps will be relocated to the side of the cabin at the back alongside the window. This means we can completely block off round the back of the rostrum to stop the kids getting there and creating mischief.

Lastly we hope to aquire some patches of astro to cover the old pieces that are dotted around and lifting/breaking up. Having a bit more astro is not a bad thing in my opinion as means we should have consistant high grip there which is what we need for a club track. We hope to put these down every now and again, maybe on the mornings before racing starts.

Anyway the future for the club this summer is looking MUCH better now and I hope as many people plan on coming as possible as though we may not have a national this year, if should be an excellent track for setup and practise!

Dan

whooot whooot, i was there.......super dan. your smooth.

[Dan,

How about some new features at Batley, im sure that the bank account would allow for a few new bits? Its a awesome track dont get me wrong but with all these new tracks being developed recently why not jump on the band wagon and think about the future?

Any suggestions to what people would like?

Personally, id like to see a jump on where the double is that is actually a challange or make it into a nice big table top but double the length, would also be nice to make the landing a bit nicer.

Just a thought

Danny

a tarmacced straight may be with inset bumps, tht would be kool

Tarmac :o:o do you have shares in an RC car tyre business:confused:

It already has lots of bumps, thats why it needs re-laying ;)

"Tarmac"

I think you should go away and think about what you have said.:eh?:

Agree with Rich tho re-lay the straight and try and finally sort out the water issues (thats if its possible with the water table over that way).

I'd like to see a few more astro jumps (quite big ones too) just make them table tops then people wont have problems with them. Make em huge....... Please

Danny

Danny,

You’re right, we would like to do some new features in time, we talked about a few things on sat inc another jump either before or after tts so to create an upslope and down slope triple. What I would say though is that it’s all a matter of time and availability of people.

Most of the people that help are people that do regionals and nationals, which doesn’t leave much time for attending club meetings never mind major works on the track (maybe this is just my personal situation but my missies thinks I’m nuts for working on the track when my own house stills needs a load of work).

If a party of people wanted to get together to do something (after the rostrum and astro patching has been done) then great but in my opinion they have to take priority.

Also (this still makes me mad), we recently had to pay £700 to the council who removed the top of the rostrum as if had become dangerous in the high winds a few months back, but it was only dangerous because of the vandalism from the kids IMHO. Needless to say that made a notable dent in club funds. We’re hoping to get those back up by having good successful club meets, starting on Sunday!

Alex, maybe you need to attend a few more tracks, wasn't it you that said astro wore your tyres? tarmac would be 10 times worse at least!

lol sorry, how about a big loop the loop! :D

If someone said to me that coming down for one whole day would mean that there were new things to be added i would fedo be up for it, obviously im only one person but im sure there would be at least 15 people that would be more than happy to help. Bear in mind that i'd have to travel 50 miles but i think it would be worth it to improve the track (this might also helped get more people there to practise as it would not all be the same as we are used to) Take Bury for example, im pretty sure that people are going to want to try out the nre track features with the up and coming events. It makes such a difference with the possible track layouts that we have now.

In order to help justify my thinking the clay corner was a gonner I found I took this pic the other week

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...1042007088.jpg

I have to say again though what a top job Tom and Rich did and it's great again now. I didn't take any pics of that after the work but I did take these two of the rest of the track, I'm sure you'll agree it looks good!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...1042007091.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...1042007092.jpg

So remember there is a club meeting THIS SUNDAY. Not sure what time we're officially starting, I hope to get there for about 11am :)

I'll be there, Dan. You need any tools bringing or are we good to turn up and race?

I don't think so, as we've not arranged any astro, I think this week should just be cutting the grass and assembling the rostrum from indoors, well and laying the track out.

Its now on the Website. Official start time is 12:00:)

wot about rostrum?

sorry, queston answered:)