There were 19 of us on site today - a good turnout for a Saturday - which is just as well because there was much to be done!
The energy sapping job for the day was the continuing infill behind Platform 2C.
A procession of barrows were filled by the excavator for the transfer of ballast to the front and back of the recently set slabs.
Note in the background Peter Q is putting the door frame in the footbridge enclosure. By the end of his session he had a door frame in either end.
The troops lost count of the number of loads, but they were nice and warm by the end of the session! The exercise included concreting in the last lamppost socket and running the ducting and draw string through.
What I'm confident about is that this hard work has stop the movement of the clay on the bank.
There are a few more slabs to be set on Wednesday and the following infill will make the job complete, Has anyone got 60 tonnes of good top soil they can let us have, to finish the landscaping!
On the front of the platform 2C wall, Clive was laying the next section of corbelling. We need to get this up to height in order to complete the infill.
Fun and games over for the moment on 2C the bricklaying team move back onto the Signal Box. What a successful session it was! Only one more external course to completed the job.
There were only two complaints the wind chill factor made it feel cold and some hail chards came down just to make the point.
Jo picked up on a point of detail showing the window sill in place on the south front corner and the tenon joint that will locate on the bressumer beam, which supports the roof.
We continue to plan for the delivery of the footbridge steps. Here the stools in place and calculations are being made to rest the stairs at the correct height. Note Jim is standing firmly on the metal stool.....
At the other end of the site Gordon and Dave B were tending a very good bonfire of the tree debris cut down from the banks of the cutting on Wednesday. I have to say it was the right place to be in the chill wind!
Lastly Jo is on a mission to gather together all the Station refit items that he can. Here he has loaded the 2 ticket barrier post, dug out of the Broadway embankment (treasure indeed!)
Here is Jo's explanation:
The energy sapping job for the day was the continuing infill behind Platform 2C.A procession of barrows were filled by the excavator for the transfer of ballast to the front and back of the recently set slabs.
Note in the background Peter Q is putting the door frame in the footbridge enclosure. By the end of his session he had a door frame in either end.
The troops lost count of the number of loads, but they were nice and warm by the end of the session! The exercise included concreting in the last lamppost socket and running the ducting and draw string through.
What I'm confident about is that this hard work has stop the movement of the clay on the bank.
There are a few more slabs to be set on Wednesday and the following infill will make the job complete, Has anyone got 60 tonnes of good top soil they can let us have, to finish the landscaping!
On the front of the platform 2C wall, Clive was laying the next section of corbelling. We need to get this up to height in order to complete the infill.
Fun and games over for the moment on 2C the bricklaying team move back onto the Signal Box. What a successful session it was! Only one more external course to completed the job.
There were only two complaints the wind chill factor made it feel cold and some hail chards came down just to make the point.
 |
| Roger and Jim in cogitating mode.... |
At the other end of the site Gordon and Dave B were tending a very good bonfire of the tree debris cut down from the banks of the cutting on Wednesday. I have to say it was the right place to be in the chill wind!
Lastly Jo is on a mission to gather together all the Station refit items that he can. Here he has loaded the 2 ticket barrier post, dug out of the Broadway embankment (treasure indeed!)
Here is Jo's explanation:
They are on their way to
be cleaned up, shot blasted and coated. These are of course the originals,
found on site. On arrival at home, I cut off the jagged remains of the base
plates underneath.
Another post in slightly
better condition has been lent to us by the SVR and it will be used to cast two
additional replicas, to cover both future ticket windows.
The quote of the day goes to JC who announced to the Mess Room that he had "Compo stuck in his zip" - I thought the First Aid kit might be required but JC quickly went on to explain that he had leaned across some wet mortar and blocked up the zip on his jerkin.
12 comments:
A plea for someone to lend us original GWR 12 inch running-in-board letters for 'BROADWAY'. We only want to borrow them, to make replica castings.
I have managed to borrow an R, an O and an A. Who can lend us the B, D, W and Y ?
Seeing the Ticket Barrier Posts brings back memories of my time as a Booking Office Clerk at Princes Risborough Station in Buckinghamshire working for Chiltern Railways. Shortly before I retired in 2008 the Waiting Room was modified and the GWR Ticket Barrier Posts removed. Sadly, I don't know where they went but I suspect they were 'preserved' rather than scrapped.
I sent an email to the CPR but no reply, alas. Luckily we should be able to replicate them fairly easily, thanks to the kind help of the SVR.
Excellent work on the signal box and it's brilliant to see the other progress on the station site too - Keep up the excellent work! Regarding the top soil, is it worth contacting Network Rail on that one given Harbury seems to be producing a more soil than wanted? I don't think any of my contacts have any running in boards but I will ask around.
Hi, how was the other running in board name plate made?... Can't you just copy that or is that not an original. Call me silly, but I prefer just too young!:) .. But what are those nice cast posts actually for ? What do they look like in situ.. Do you have any old pics of booking offices etc?
Hi Mack,
The other running in board letters are made of plywood. This is OK to start with, but doesn't last as the plywood delaminates after a while. The original letters were made of cast iron.
The cast posts were fixed to the booking hall floor in pairs in front of the ticket window. There were two cast iron notices, IN and OUT, to allow the crowds (!) to circulate around them.
You can see a picture here: http://www.wsr.org.uk/ba.htm if you look at the second image in the row.
I couldn't get the photo of the cast posts at the wsr.org link to open on my iPad but I found a similar photo at http://fobas.org.uk/shop-and-booking-office.html
Also, shouldn't the sill (sometimes cill) be at the bottom of the window frames rather than the top or am I missing something? Fantastic progress on the signal box and, indeed, on the whole site. I love reading your blog and look forward to visiting in the future when I make a trip home from Tennessee. Cheers, Jim B
Jim B
Terminological inexactitude on my part - a drip sill or cap would be nearer the mark.
Bill ex Waynesville North Carolina.
Perhaps the SVR could help.
Bewdley station has all the letters.
Burt Pembroke
On the approach to Exeter St David's from the north someone has a fau GWR sign in their garden depicting the word "WORK" the letters look they are originals and are all in unrestored faded paint condition. It wouldn't take much of a detective to find which house from the road side. Might yield the loan of a W or maybe other's
Re Bewdley, do you mean they have all the letters spare, or on their running in board?
If the former, do you have a name there and a phone number?
You can email me at breva2011 (at) hotmail.co.uk
Many thanks.
Re Bewdley.
Sorry, I was a bit vague. I should have meant to say, the ones on the running board, if they are the correct size. The SVR might be persuaded to allow you to borrow the letters required or even cast them.
Burt Pembroke
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