Jim Hitchen and a BAG team were at Wishaw today carrying out further work on the Broadway Footbridge. Here is Jim's report. I can support a follower's comments that it really is going the extra mile to have a hard day's work, after a long commute(130 miles RT), and then go home and right a report.
Cheers Jim!
Bill
We had another small but very hardworking team in action
again today. We got off to a rather slow start due in part to a lorry
catching fire and parking itself under the motorway bridge.
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| The lorry on fire |
Plumes of
black smoke and the sound of bursting tyres were clearly visible and we just
had to investigate. The main access road was still closed when we left
although the M6 Toll road had been re-opened by then.
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| The lorry burnt out |
Once back in the yard we concentrated on chipping away the
old paintwork and the large chunks of rust. The heavy investment in
chipping hammers paid off as these were ideal for the job. But
nevertheless this was a very tedious and an extremely slow process. Later
on Roger powered up the grinder with a wire brush attachment and rounded off
the already chipped areas. I think we will need another two sessions or a
lot more chippers to complete the work on the two towers.
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| Three happy paint chippers |
Having now gained access to a storage container, Keith and I
spent some time in transporting the walkway timber, recovered from the spare
span, some 100 yards to this container. Whilst Keith joined Roger, Ian
and Peter on the rust removal I marked up and then put in store, some of the
timber previously taken from the two towers, which will be needed as templates
when we come to re-assemble.
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| Before chipping started |
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| After chipping, note the word Henley as no doubt painted on when the footbridge was built |
Late in the day the local telehandler brought up the two mid
platform step supports from the outer yard so we can attack these on our next
visit. We were also pleased to see that the two step sections have now
all but dried out following the sheeting up exercise undertaken on our previous visit.
Finally we had a very useful meeting with Jonathan Symonds,
a consultant who we hope, will undertake some drawing and design work for us in
a number of areas.
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| The two step supports now in the inner yard |
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| The recovered timber now in store |
Regards
Jim H.
4 comments:
Wow, about the bridge. The last time I visited this page it seemed that it was going to be put up at Cheltenham. It's great news that Broadway has got it!
You'll be able to get a good view of the approaching track from it?!? Or will it be erected late in the piece?
Would be brilliant if it could be installed as soon as it's finished, I can't think of anything it would obstruct unless you'll be needing cranes or other tall things for anything, which I wouldn't have thought you would. It will certainly add to the image.
Wonder whether CRC will get another footbridge?
Re chipping away at rusted steel, when we did the Queen Mary brake van, we used an SDS drill with a flat bladed chisel.
It fetched it off quite rapidly.
Ken thanks for the SDS drill tip. Unfortunately we don't have this kind of kit. Any chance we could borry it on Wednesday, or better still how about coming to Wishaw and giving us a demonstration of your skills??
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