Wednesday 24 August 2011

Wednesday Gang beat the Record!

18 Volunteers turned out today which is the highest number ever. A great deal of work was planned for today and much was achieved. The major focus was moving our materials container to a new position opposite Platform 1A. This required a significant chunk of the west embankment to be carved out. Steve Warren (JCB)  sorted us out! See photo right. The space chosen is the planned siting of the Signal Box and the excavating was effectively making a start on that job.



We need some more battleship
 grey paint lads!
Having emptied the container of materials it was dragged up the trackbed from beyond the mess hut in pretty spectacular fashion. It remained to maneuver the container into place and the job was done. However this understates the complexity of the job and Steve and the lads performed a minor miracle in rotating it and pushing it into place.

Unfortunately  this work did take longer than planned and rather than spin their wheels  a second group set to at cleaning off the platform  surface within the old station footings. This turned into the next major challenge of the day. Here Terry Andrews and co horts (named Terry.s TA for the session) set to at levelling the last section of ballast behind Platform 1.  After much sweat and tears the end result is really excellent giving us an area we can utilised temporarily for exhibitions and open days.
Terry's Terrace


Last but not least the brick cleaning gang managed to keep going - I don't know how. Brick cleaning is now on the critical path. All the blues that we have will be needed for Platform 1A and there is still 5000 to be cleaned! We really need some more SDS electric chisel drills and scutch chisels, so if there is a benefactor in the trade out there, please help!

PS Dear old Dot the Drott is nearly back in action with the installation of a new engine virtually complete. Thanks to Bernard Dudfield for organising this. Steve B Dott's only driver will have a smile on his face when she is finally is fired up!

6 comments:

Jim Boyles said...

Hi Bill (and all).
It was good to meet up with you today, on site, and finally put a man to the name! I really hope you take me up on my tip as soon as you can - these things have a habit of disappearing very suddenly, when anyone of a slightly nefarious turn of mind comes across them (speaking of which - why are the polite "public information" signs, put up at both ends of the path between "our bridge" and Childswickham Road, constantly vandalised?)!
SDS chisels are all well and good, once you've got them finally (and finely) honed and set up. Give me a bolster and club hammer any day. And I promise I'll be there, cleaning bricks with the best of you (or whatever) as soon as I've sorted out my induction and H&S.
Finally, I gather that you were out of concrete blocks for 1A at the close of play last week but had some more delivered this morning. So, was any more work achieved on 1A, or was everyone tied up with removing the foundations of the old station building?
All the best and keep it going, at least, until I can join you!!

Toddington Ted said...

It says something for the regard in which the GWSR, and in particular the Broadway rebuilding project is held, in that no fewer than 18 people attended the work party on Wednesday (wish I could have been one of them!). I am sure that there are a number of railway heritage projects that would be absolutely delighted to have that many motivated volunteers to progress their scheme and so I feel that the future is in good hands regardless of the current problems the GWSR has had to suffer over the last 12 months or so. I say once again, well done indeed!

Anonymous said...

Keep up the great work lads, the GWR volunteers on other sites and occupations look on in awe!
You are not alone!!!

Keith Patterson said...

Hi

Congratulations to everyone for the remarkable effort put in.

May I ask one question? What do the yellow poles signify in your photo entitled Terrys Terrace?

pwllyn-veg said...

rather than gray light and dark stone for the container.....

Bill said...

Hi Keith,
The yellow pegs are the footprint of the new Station.
Bill