The weather tried to spoil our plans today but didn't quite succeed. Some storms came through about lunchtime, but either side it was ok and actually turned into a sunny afternoon. There were 14 of us on site today.
The main task was to try and complete the infill behind Platform 2B. We are trying to do this before the Evesham Road bridge is closed, which will probably prevent us from bringing ballast over the bridge for the duration. However we were only able to get a 1 tonne dumper, which was always going to make it challenging! Adam from Graham Morrison came in to drive the excavator - Jo was on the dumper.
The tedious and hard part of the job was to rake and level the ballast when it arrived. Here Ron, Brian and Dave await the next arrival. Jo made 30 or so trips in the end, which equates to 30 tonnes of ballast shifted and levelled. Mid afternoon the dumper decided it had had enough and spluttered to a halt. That's two dumpers Jo has beaten into submission in two weeks! Work had to stop with about 50% of the job done. There is always another day I suppose.
At either end of the site there was better luck, with some more bricks being laid on Platform 1C and some bricks being laid on the Signal Box.
Here a cheery looking Roger J and Jim continue with backing up the the blues that Clive laid on Thursday. He will have his laser level out next time for sure!
On the Signal Box, JC and Bob W where laying bricks whist Peter K mixed the mortar. Here one of the many interesting challenges, which is creating the arch over the locking room door. One of many authentic features the Signal Box will have.
Further north Phil was sorting out the ex Stratford bricks into correct sizes. You wouldn't think there could be so many thickness of "3 inch" bricks!
The other task that was going on today was the setting out of the eastern boundary line. Here Dave B and John B are setting out marker posts to establish a straight fence line northwards.
Here is the northern end looking south. All in all it was a very productive day - Jim, JC and myself did some measuring up and pretty much agreed the exact siting of the footbridge - we will have more news on the footbridge in a week or two, as I will on the bracket post.
A good shot to end with - our regular Summer Volunteer from Hong Kong, Ron Taylor helped Jo at the end of the day (see the blue sky!) with his china mining south of the bridge. Jo is ever hopeful of finding a whole plate or a big tube of super glue.
At either end of the site there was better luck, with some more bricks being laid on Platform 1C and some bricks being laid on the Signal Box.
Here a cheery looking Roger J and Jim continue with backing up the the blues that Clive laid on Thursday. He will have his laser level out next time for sure!
On the Signal Box, JC and Bob W where laying bricks whist Peter K mixed the mortar. Here one of the many interesting challenges, which is creating the arch over the locking room door. One of many authentic features the Signal Box will have.
Further north Phil was sorting out the ex Stratford bricks into correct sizes. You wouldn't think there could be so many thickness of "3 inch" bricks!
The other task that was going on today was the setting out of the eastern boundary line. Here Dave B and John B are setting out marker posts to establish a straight fence line northwards.A good shot to end with - our regular Summer Volunteer from Hong Kong, Ron Taylor helped Jo at the end of the day (see the blue sky!) with his china mining south of the bridge. Jo is ever hopeful of finding a whole plate or a big tube of super glue.
7 comments:
Excellent work on the signal box as ever. Perhaps when Broadway is finished the team could rebuild CRC and Gotherington signal boxes in the same style!
How long is the road going to be closed for?
Gotherington possibly Dave, but I think the best thing to do to Cheltenham would be to clad it with wood to bring a far more GWR style appearance - similar to Exminster Signal box for example!
Anyway, keep up the good work! Have you got some time yet before the arrival of George Law to move ballast from the trackbead across the bridge or will you have to move it (and the signal post?) up the driveway and onto the station site?
Richard,
We still have a few days to shift the ballast - if we don't manage it before the bridge is closed we will leave the job until afterwards.
The bracket post will be delivered up the drive and is not affected by the bridge work.
The images about the boundaries had me looking at the map and I have just realised (or I forgot) that Broadway is in Worcs!
So when the line is extended this far, it should be called the GWSR, the Gloucestershire Worcestershire Steam Railway.
If we have some nice bits of pottery from the spoil heap,I'll make a donation for them :-)
Re. HowardGWR
I think the railway has a few more miles to go beyond Broadway to get to Warwickshire as per the name - perhaps being pedantic we are currently just GSR soon to be GWSR as you suggest :)
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