Velodrone on-line: June 2007

Our nice new track ...............

Well, here it is. The build has gone much quicker than was thought and we are now taking bookings to commence 16th July, so get in there whilst you can!

Walter's lads

Whilst I have been doing other things in the mean time, I have taken the opportunity to go up on the concourse (and take a few pics to show how things are going) every so often and just stand and watch the lads crackin' on with the work on the track.

Their work rate is amazing. It's really been a privilege to be able to watch these men working. It really IS a craft and we could have probably sold tickets just to watch what they do!

I had a nice comment this morning from Walter - their line manager I suppose - he was very complementary about the last post and the acccompanying three photos. Credit where credit is due, they did a great job in the last week or so and it is worth recording.

1pm June 24th 2007

It is a momentous occasion at the Manchester Velodrome - the last piece of the new surface is nailed into place.

The 14 strong team of German track builders line up to cheer and acknowledge the significance of the moment.

The Team.

Nearly done.

The new track surface is nearing completion and it has been quite fascinating to watch the men working on it.

Looking at the picture, all three have checked that the 'best edge' will be uppermost, that the knots are running the right way and aren't in the way of the nails.

The furthest man has butted the new lathe into position and waits for the nearest one [to the camera] to tap the lathe towards him. The first then hammers the first nail sideways to the lathe below. As the middle man also commences nailing, the nearest one has already 'eyed up' the cut point and make the cut across the new lathe so the joint will straddle the mid point on the truss below.

Five teams of two or three men constantly 'circling' the track in a clockwise direction, each one adding a lathe to butt to the previous one. Each piece is in place in a matter of seconds and the men move to the next piece of wood.

Night time at the Velodrome.

The Velodrome webcam doesn't really do the refurbishment justice so I thought this might show the track in all its sleepy glory.

It's around 10pm and the German track builders have long gone for the night.

The illumination above the new surface is that of the fluorescent tube lighting in the track void.

Resurface update......

The new track surface is coming along nicely.

An interesting fact - it takes around 500,000 nails to fix the track together! "Not a lot of people know that".

Whilst the laying of the track may be finished quite soon, the re-opening date of August 1st has not changed. There is still quite a lot to do to. The track has to be re-lined. There is other work still to be done and a clean up will be necessary.

In with the new .........................

The new wood has arrived and the first lathes of the new track being are painstakingly positioned to butt against the Cote D'Azur of the old surface. This will be done all the way round before the main build commences.

There are already three or four rows already in position in the middle of the back straight.