One of those enjoyable laid back days, where the Saturday Gang set about a variety of jobs in the bright winter sunshine. This post starts with a great photo of Platform 1A. From this high level perspective you can see the fruits of everyone's hard labour over the past weeks, that include 20 tonnes of ballast shifted today!
As you can see the inner back fill is complete, bar rolling and then finishing with a top surface. The back fill behind the slabs is 50% complete with perhaps 50 tonnes of soil still to be moved in, compacted and profiled into the rear embankment. A job for Wednesday, perhaps!
The following set of pictures from Jo give a good feel for the bright day yesterday and the the sharp shadows which made for some excellent photography.
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| Steve and Dot removing surplus soil out of 2A |
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| Just a Great Picture! |
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| Two old lags shovelling the soil! |
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| Robin Cleaning the the Wisley Bricks - only 2000 to go! |
I managed to start the the task of setting out platform 2A, but this requires the western side of the track bed to to clear before this can commence in earnest.
13 comments:
Hi Bill and all,
Excellent work, as usual! I managed to get in a walk to site today and am amazed at progress, especially in the propose car park. I just wonder if we should rename Andy P, "Edward Scissorhands"! The amount of clearance achieved, I can just imagine him with a chain saw in each hand, hacking and slaying!!
On a more serious note: Is there to be a platform 1C? I see that the pegs have all been set up, for what appears to be an even further Northwards push. Or is the section now being built as far as it goes?
Hi Jim,
Still under discussion _ I will let you know when I know!
Bill
Hi Bill,
I am in awe of what is being achieved at the station by you and the team. One question if I may?
I notice that the new appeal bar states that the signal box foundations will be part of platform 2. I presume this means the new signal box will be on the station side of the main road rather on the site of the old box?
Thanks!
Geoff
Hi Geoff ,
Yes we somewhat reluctantly decided to put in a more accessible place that could be viewed by visitors to the station.
Bill
What form will the new signal box take now? Will the box from Exminster be revived? If not what does the future hold for it? I hope whatever is decided for Broadway an authentic box as near in style to the original as possible will be reinstated.
Keep up the good work!
The old, currently dismantled somewhere, Exminster signal box is, if I remember, rather large and constructed completely of wood - which makes it rather tempting for pyro-lunatics. I would think that it would not be appropriate for a platform location. I guess the original signal box at Broadway, which was also entirely made of wood, was located where it was (t'other side of the road bridge) in order to have full view of the Broadway Goods yard as well as the station. With the demise of the goods yard, it would seem that a platform 2 location would be a good idea. Although I am sure that none of the Honeybourne Line stations had platform sited signal boxes, a good example of a GWR platform 'box was at Hook Norton and I'm sure that people can cite other examples. I reckon a platform-sited, brick-based signal box would look great and would be good for visitors too. In the meantime, thanks for the reports and the brilliant progress!
Bill,
Are you sure of your comments in one of your pictures regarding two of your gentlemen. I've looked up the definition on Google and found this " lag2 Slang
n
1. a convict or ex-convict (esp in the phrase old lag)
2. a term of imprisonment
vb lags, lagging, lagged
(tr) to arrest or put in prison
[of unknown origin]
Are you now using offenders on the "Community Payback" scheme to assist in the development of the station site. ?
pity we didnt acquire the old Shirley 'box from the North warwicks which was a platform 'box and only bulldozed 14 months ago...
As a local to Shirley I can assure you attempts were made to save it(including by the local MP)but Network Rail were unusually quick at disposing of it...
All,
TT is pretty much on the money with his assessment of the Signal Box. No doubt there will be some debate about what it should look like, I for instance would like to see a something similar to Bodmin Parkway
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bodmin_Parkway_signal_box.jpg
but the powers that be have not put in their 5 penny worth yet! I know that the end result will GWR to the last finial!
As far as the old Lags observation, as one of them I feel as if I'm doing time at Broadway with no remission for good or bad behaviour!!
The Bodmin parkway box does look good, I hope the end result will look similarly aged and not new looking like the box at Cheltenham race course for example. Who knows perhaps another box may yet crop up for salvage and resiting at Broadway!
That looks like an enormous signal box just to control a couple of points at the ends of a run round loop!
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