Saturday 28 June 2014

Saturday 28th June 2014 - Dodging the Showers!

The forecast rain storms passed through today and 12 volunteers got a soaking at one time or another.

Sticking with the Signal Box theme from the previous posts, 4 bricklayers (JC, Bob W, Tony B and John S) did their best to keep up the bricklaying momentum from the  previous 3 days. Steve B kept the muck and materials coming...





The completion of the courses above the  front locking room windows was one of the challenges of the day. Its a slow process with all the cuts required, but by the end of the day (with an hour and a half missed production because of the weather) the job was done. Three courses end to end... brilliant!






The other challenge for the day was to define the setting out of the floor joist positions - seen here, the  marked locations with the temporary bricks on end.  The mind then starts to wander to floor.... windows... lever frame... roof......







Roger and Clive in  action...

At the northern end of the site  Platform 1C is literally taking shape. The ramp now visible, will soon want some  diagonal cut bricks. We could see this platform finished a month ahead of schedule.  Just out of shot in the brick laying shelter, Robin continued with the brick cleaning and Peter K and Phil kept the brick supplies going.









Last and by means least the clearance work was continuing on the fence line south of the Road Bridge. Its now several days camel ride to the farthest point  of work and I commend Ron T and  Dave for their determination to keep going, despite the weather.

AGM post script
Thanks to the many supporters who but their cross by my name!
 It would have taken a miracle to top the Board's supported candidates'  proxy votes. I will happily continue to make my contribution at Broadway in whatever role my volunteering chums wish. I salute them all!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

The box is looking great. Makes me, leaning on my broom at Washford Sta, feel inadequate. Keep up the sterling work.

Anonymous said...

The box certainly is looking great, not long until the scaffold is extended up I presume for the upper levels? Just a quick question and one more out of curiosity, how will the levers and frame be installed into the box?

Bill said...

The lever frame will be dis assembled at Winchcombe, and rebuilt at Broadway. The way things are going, that might not be far away!

Anonymous said...

Any news on the footbridge restoration project?

Goz said...

Bill

You may have missed the word "no" out of the penultimate paragraph as I'm sure you wouldn't want to slight the clearance team

Anonymous said...

Another lever frame question - is reassembly at Broadway done after the signal box structure is completed, i.e. all finished, roof on, or do parts of it have to be installed as the build progresses?

Similarly, I read mention of floor joist positions being set out. When is the actual flooring installed?

Best wishes,
Nigel

Anonymous said...

Are the plans to fit the footbridge and start the station building this year?

Toddington Ted said...

I think it will be some time before the footbridge is installed and the station building started, at least 2 years, given that some of the team are working at Cheltenham Race Course Platform 2 as well (Don't they have any other life?). But then again, just see what has been done this year at Broadway. Two years? perhaps not! Anyway, too soon won't be soon enough for the restoration team - you are doing a superb job folks!

Bill said...

I will post an update on the Footbridge when my colleague Jim Hitchen returns from his Summer Break - he is masterminding the refurbishment.

The Station build? Not 2 years TT! Watch this space.....

Graham said...

For those of us who live near enough to visit and see the work progressing it is amazing the amount that has been achieved in a relatively short time period.
Once the bridge is restored and the signal is installed the back of this monumental task will have been well and truly broken.All power to the lads who have selflessly given their time so we can all have the pleasure of travelling on this line again.