Wednesday 2 July 2014

Wednesday 2nd July 2014 - A Warm Sunny Day!

There were 20 Broadway Volunteers on site today, supplemented by Andy Smith and Graham Morris from P Way for part of the time. They were on a specific mission which I will relate separately.

Its difficult to know where to start, because that implies there is some sort of  relative importance to the sequence of reporting! Not so - ever ounce of energy expended today by everyone, takes us that bit further forward.

So one of the many treats for me was seeing the bricklaying on Platform 1C nearing its completion point. Here Clive is putting the first course of corbelling on the last stretch and Peter H is in the background, backing up. Others were working on it also (Peter Q) and brickwork will be completed in a few more sessions.








Down on the Box brave attempts were being made to get the brickwork up to the same height all round so that  the scaffolders can come in for the next lift.

Here JC and Bob are making sure the front and rear corners are level to bring this section up to height.


Tony seems to have drawn the short straw to keep up with everyone else, backing up on the inside. He seems to manage quite well!









The end result today was impressive. Each course now seems to deliver an exponential warm feeling about the great character this Signal Box is going to have.







Who said shorts cant be sexy....



Elsewhere there is much to be done. We are in the process of tidying up the eastern boundary adjacent to the Garage. In order to do this we have to firstly clear a space so that we can get in to put some drainage in and level the ground. In order to do this the 3 panels of  GWR spear fencing had to be temporarily removed. Prior to this the Station House B&B sign needed transferring to the other side of the gate. This part of it was fairly straight forward - a couple of  bolts and the job was done.






The spear fencing was a different matter! When they put it in 100+ years ago they didn't intend for it to come out easily.










 In the end the angle grinder was brought into play, which will require the fence to have a bit of discreet welding here and there! Most of the hard work was done by Dave H (picture) and  Ron T.  Long after I left for the day, Jo snapped this shot of them both happy that the fence had gone.








In the background you can see the relocated  B&B sign and here the chaps look pretty please with the great refurbishing  job they did - good as new!


Terry and Tony.... and Brian in the background







It was a great day - full of camaraderie - just what volunteering is all about.


10 comments:

Buccaneer said...

Photo 7 indicates that your Bric a Brac sign has been returned.
Is there room at the end of the B&B Gibbet for the offender's punishment?And atiescip

Bill said...

That's the old sign I'm afraid so the gibbet will still be handy!

mack said...

I noticed the lamp post at the end of the drive near the letterbox and other side of the bridge Opporsite the car park.. I don't suppose the council would swap them out for Victorian lamps to give the area that bit more of a retro feel? ... Second thoughts don't know why I posed that question, they won't even give me a new wheelie bin after mine got stolen 4months ago..

Anonymous said...

Can't wait to see the upvc signal box windows.

can you put some pallisade fencing up like Network Rail?

Anonymous said...

^ What a pathetic question.

Alex said...

^ Agreed, has a decision even been made regarding window materials yet, people keep asking but I don't remember an answer? Either way I don't think it makes an awful lot of difference, and anyway, we're not doing too badly for authenticity considering some railways' extensions have just scaffolding platforms at their terminus, Broadway station will have returned to its former glory well in time for trains to arrive, as both the building and the extending seem to be coming along very well.

Mr Anonymous, will you be contributing to buy much more expensive glass if the decision is made/has been made to use UPVC?

Anonymous said...

Will enough clearance be left under the footbridge for overhead catenary equipment?

we need electric locos in preservation

Alex said...

Already been asked - reply last time was don't be so silly, we're supposed to be creating a heritage experience, the line was never electrified, and besides, if you want to see electric locos, the big railway still does them, not really much of a heritage experience...

Anonymous said...

I feel so silly- what a silly billy

Anonymous said...

^If you're going to make silly comments, you're not welcome on the blog!