Thursday 28 June 2012

Wednesday 27th June 2012

At last a warm day, and 20 volunteers turned out to enjoy the sunshine.

The "Dig" adjacent to the  old platform 2 waiting room continues to reveal treasures from the past. Both Footbridge support posts have been recovered virtually intact, apart from where they were brutally snapped off at the base. These would be easily repaired, but I'm not sure how they might be introduced into the construction of a new bridge. We will see! The coping slab tally has reached double figures and we will be able to say that sections of the new platform 2 will  have coping slabs from the old platform 2, quite an achievement I think!


 Across the way a team has placed more coping slabs on 1B and with 7 added they are approaching  half way. Of all the jobs so far this is the task that is trickiest to get right - conversely it sticks out like a sore thumb if you get wrong. It will look brilliant when completed and a reminder that, apart from the gap at the gate, this platform will take an 8 coach train.

At the southern end of the site work continues on finishing the current section of 2A and very fine it looks too. The Worcester lads were not allowed to come out and play today, but one more course of corbelling will see it finished.

We had an on-site meeting with Malcolm Walker (S&T) and Neil Carr(Ops Director) to  discuss the fine detail of the Signal Box ground works. These concluded with agreement on an exact specification and preparation for the footings will start next week. When all the "behind the wall" building work is completed the Platform  2 wall can then continue northwards.
A sketch of of the Signal Box access points in the platform 2A .

Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader
For those who are regular visitors to the site, will know that the wet weather has caused the weeds and undergrowth to build up and the embankments were beginning to look very sorry for themselves. However, if you visit this weekend, what a difference you will see!. Andy Protherough and Steve Bucknall have worked tirelessly with the strimmers and brush cutters to bring the driveway and  platform 2 embankment back to normal.  Why not come and see us this weekend? Marguerite will be pleased to see you and on Sunday the Olympic Torch is going past, so take time out to see the progress.

On other fronts Jo continues his labour of love refurbishing the the Telephone Box. Virtually all of the layers of old red paint have been removed and a rust inhibitor introduced to keep the box in good order for a primer.

Whilst  I was away, Clive has taken the two lamp huts under his wing and they now look resplendent in a coat of dark and light stone. Such a transformation from the pile of corrugated tin and angle iron that was dropped off by Network Rail!

Brick cleaning continues to be our No.1 priority task and Dave, Ron  D and Chris & David (they come as a team!) persevered all day.

Finally Hilary looked after Marguerite's Shed today and her sales and PR work was much appreciated.


Other good photos  -thanks Jo:
I'll see your 10 Reds and raise you 5 blues


Bob Chopping Bricks --- that's CHOPPING!?!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

How is the brick hunt coming along /?

Cheers Gavin

Bill said...

Still looking!