Reassembly, and return of the GWR bench.

Friday at Winchcombe in the yard.

Just a quickie on Friday, sorting the yard , and a pile of timbers into those maybe re-usable, and those probably not: 

 

 

 

 

Three of us on the job, starting with a big jumbly pile of mixed second hand sleepers and timbers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At least one had already been sorted for us: This one !

 

Normally they just put a cross on it.... 

 

 

 

At the end of the day we were left with about 30 or so timbers and sleepers of mixed quality that might be useful for someone, but we can't put them in the main line any more. 

If you are interested, get in touch with the blog.  

 

 

Over by the crossing our RRV operators were readying STEVIE for a trip to CRC with a large cable drum. This is on behalf of S&T, who need to replace the cable between there and Gotherington, which has become faulty.

Also loaded was a new crossing for the Gotherington South turnout, which is currently being resleepered on Wednesdays.

 

 
So two birds with one stone for ever useful STEVIE.

The first picture shows the crossing unloaded, and the cable drum ready to roll.

The second picture shows the cable being unrolled into its trench, in the curve between CRC RDA and Bishops Cleeve. We have buried cables before, but with the little Drewry (that we sold) and a small trailer, without a boom, and that was rather more labour intensive, heaving the stiff cable into the trench. 

Pictures by Walt, with thanks. 

 

 

Out with the gang at CRC South.

Fourteen of us on Saturday - a record in recent times. But it's interesting refurbishing a turnout in its entirety, so we like doing that.

 

 

 

We all went to CRC directly, to find our contractor Kev trundle up the 6 foot with his digger. Access via the cutting by Hunting Butts was abandoned, as the field was extremely muddy, and the slope too steep for the circumstances.

 

 

 

 

 

The trundling went fine, until it got a bit more difficult by the remains of the turnout, where the rails started to merge.

Kev stuck his boom out, and sort of hopped along on one leg, with a crutch. 

 

 

 

Once on site, Kev scooped up the old timbers and put them in a pile at the rail head. STEVIE was waiting, bottom right.

This is the view from Kev's end. It was all very well thought out and co-ordinated, things were running smoothly. 

 

Loading on to the trailer was supervised by a very stern looking Pete, our safety representative. 

Loading completed, Kev scraped off the old ballast (which was surprisingly good still), leaving a nice level bed for the replacement timbers. 

 

 

 

 

The level bed did not, however, pass inspection by Nick 'The Rake', who leaped into the formation to give it that last little polish.

 

 

 

 

With an important stage achieved - complete clerance of the old installation - we ventured upstairs for a picnic in the winter sun.

CRC stalwart Dave amazed us with his mouse catching abilities, and paraded (a dead) one by its tail around in front of us, before depositing it in front of the microwave. Strange appetites there, those southerners.

 

 

 

The mouse catching skill became clearer when we saw these attractively advertised boxes.

'The Big Cheese' clearly worked... 

 

 

 

 

The CRC narrow gauge starts here.

 

 

 

 

Back down in the cutting after lunch, and STEVIE with an assistant returned to Winchcombe to unload the old timbers.

The others then moved one of the rails nearest to the 6 foot, so that Kev could return later in the day, unimpeded.

Looks like the start of a new 2ft gauge railway here. 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Kev was then able to shuttle back and forth from the Elk nearer the tunnel with those parts of the replacement turnout nearest to the bridge (and within Stevie's reach).

 

 

 

With stock rails and check rails left and right ready to lift into place, we laid out the timbers in reverse order, starting with No.41.

These babies were heavy! Two turned to to be at the wrong end (they were longer for the point motor to sit on) and it took 8 of us on nips to move one of them. The second went by digger.... 

Once 13 timbers of decreasing length had been laid out (Nos 29 to 41) we had enough area for the first rail installation - the crossing.

That needed a change of lifting tackle, so the two cranes met nose to nose, to allow the heavy chains to be lifted across. 

 

Here is the crossing just being lifted. This unit determines the position of all the other rails, so has to go in first. 

During the heavy lifting by digger/STEVIE most of the volunteers stepped aside to stay out of the way and watch, but when the crossing was down there was an immediate inspection. 

This was the state of play at the end of the day. The crossing is down, roughly. The next items are already in place left and right, showing our good planning.

Next time we will jack up the crossing, and move the timbers underneath into their exact positions, so that the bolts can go back into the holes we drilled at Winchcombe. 

 

 

 

Tuesday at Broadway.

The bench is coming back from the upholsterer's! A great day.

The prized possession is taken back to the station.

 

 

 

On a damp Tuesday the reupholstered bench was brought back to Broadway. Now it is finished, woodwork and upholstery completely refurbished, and the original beading put back as well.

 

 

 

We paused the bench by the end of the building, where those colourful 1900s posterboards are.

Isn't it magnificent ! It will be the star of the new waiting room. 

 

 

 

The upholsterer (Mike) brought with him a piece of the original fabric, which he discovered was marked 'BR' on the underside of the Rexine.

That would explain why there was no beading, as BR hadn't thought it necessary. But it does add that touch of luxury. 

 

 

 

The rest of the day was spent digging a hole, and then filling it again, with concrete. 

 

 

With the weather a tad milder, Neal had decided to go ahead with the concrete foundation block for the third canopy support in the corner of the circulating area.

This meant digging out the hole dug some months ago with the mini digger. It had partially collapsed, and filled with water.

The first job was to drain that. 

 

 

 

 

 

Neal had a pump (Neal has two pumps...), and it worked surprisingly well.

 

Here you can see the water cascading into the stormwater drain that we built. 

 

 

 

Not all of the water could be sucked out, and what was left was a bit of a nightmare. Neal was in wellies, and got stuck with both feet at once. The clay was glutinous and very hard to shovel. Bit by bit he managed to lift chunks of it into the barrow, which was emptied round the back of the building on the south side, where there was a suitable hole to be filled.

Once he had one layer out, Neal dug a trench, deep enough for the first piece of shuttering. Three other trenches then followed, leaving a higher bit in the middle.

This shuttering had to go in smartly, as the unstable sides of the hole were pushing and trying to slip down back into the hole.

Here Neal is fitting the fourth side. 

This view from half way up the staircase shows the completed shuttering, with the middle further deepened out. We took away about 20 wheelbarrow loads of clay. Two scaffolding planks end over the hole, ready for dropping in concrete.

That took us to lunch time, surprisingly fast progress we thought, and leading us to consider mixing concrete the same day. Not a given, when we first started digging the hole. Next week looks much colder and wetter, not so suitable for us. 

 

 

 

Also on site today was John, who can be seen fitting concrete blocks to the (former toilet) workshop area.

From the vast pile in the middle of the room you can guess that there is still some way to go, but it is getting smaller. 

 

 

 

 

 

This was what he had achieved by the end of the day, the wet mortar revealing what he managed to lay. There was quite a bit of cutting to size involved today, for example under the window.

 

 

 

After lunch we got down to the serious job of mixing 0.6 of a cu m of concrete, by hand. Earlier in the week Neal had arranged for a bag of ballast to be dropped off by the main gate, and he then split this into two dumpy bags, which he was able to take round to the site on a pallet with a pump truck.

It's not easy getting materials to the site across the tracks, but we are getting there. 

Here is one of the first barrow loads going in.

We had ordered enough bags of cement, but found ourselves a bit short of ballast, so we lengthened what we had with a bag of track ballast that happened to be floating around the site. In the end we just about made it, with a sigh of relief.  

We worked on making and pouring concrete all afternoon. Slowly the shuttering filled, to produce the necessary concrete block.

There will be a second concrete block on top of it, Neal advised.  

And here we are, one concrete block ! One of the three fabricated uprights will be bolted down on top of this.

 

 

Usketeers on Wednesday

Unfortunately cancelled, due to two absences, and a poor weather outlook. 

 

 

 

Plate layer's hut sleeper appeal - update.

We are delighted to report that the target of £1332 has now been met, or nearly so. So now we can afford to buy the right number of good quality second hand sleepers for it. Smaller items are being bought by the Usketeer participants out of their own pockets, as we go along. If we overshoot (just in case) then Paul has currently unfunded plans for two 40ft containers, to get us some proper storage, as well as a reserve of two more Robels.

The team is very grateful, and thanks our kind sponsors for making it possible. Together we are strong, we reached the total ! 

Wednesday on the PWay.

Very wet, and stormy too. 

On this dismal stormy day we can see STEVIE about to set off for the Gotherington South relay job, with the Cube and our mini digger on board.

On site, things very pretty grim. Many were considering taking up needlework instead....

Incredibly, the gang managed to change a further 8 of the timbers on this turnout, after only 5 last week (some organisational issues, we learned). They are starting at the heel end, where the shortest timbers are. As you work up, the timbers get longer and heavier, and you have to dig out more ballast each time.

So, hats off to the gang, you did well today! 

Additionally, two members worked at Gotherington, filling up dumpy bags with ballast. We have just bought a special 4 armed frame from which to hang the dumpy bags, but it's not in use yet.

It is likely that these bags of ballast will be used to pack the two turnouts that we are refurbishing this winter. 

Pictures by Pete L and Walt S, with thanks. 

 

CRC south kicks off.

Rain, sleet, wind.

That was the forecast for Thursday, when a last minute call out saw three of us at Winchcombe in our best winter clothing. The purpose of the small gathering was to load up the kit of parts of the CRC south replacement trunout on to the long Elk bogie flat, which had been positioned on the crossing by the C&W barn.

 

Due to being too busy (as one of only three ), wet and icy hands, we have just a handful of photographs of the operation, which took most of the day.

After removing thee switches from the pile, we see STEVIE here with the crossing, slowly making its way across the yard, ready to go down the narrow road to the other end of the C&W shed.

 

 

 

 

 

Here the elements of the turnout were deposited on the Elk, one by one. Each unit was a separate journey, painfully slow down a narrow and potholed stretch of road.

But we got there, no harm done. Just took it slow and gentle. 

 

 

 

This is the PWay train that will now go south, down to CRC at the earliest opportunity. Regular traffic stopped last weekend, so this is our chance, if we can assemble all the qualified staff that we need. We have them, but can they all come on the same day?

The day started frosty and damp. A drizzle then developed over the hours, making everything we touched wet, right through the gloves. The temperature then dropped, turning the drizzle to sleet, and at the end of the afternoon the wind came.

But we were done. Nine pieces of turnout and two plain rails were loaded and strapped up. The timbers remain to be loaded, but that should not take so long.

 

 

Saturday, at CRC South.

A good turnout of 13, on this icy cold but sunny day under the road bridge at CRC south.

This is the site, viewed from the A435 road bridge. The turnout in question is in the foreground, covered in frost.

 

 

Outside the original station building - now disused, because of the long walk by staff from there to the platform - it was sunny and even warm, but once we descended the steps on the left into the dark cutting, it was like walking into a cold storage room.

STEVIE with Dave D at the controls travelled south with the trolley, and placed our tools container on the platform. 

 

 

 

The rest of the gang walked under the bridge and out to the turnout.

 The low sun skimmed across the top of the cutting. It was icy and slippery at the bottom.

One of the reasons we want to swap out this turnout is the condition of the sleepers, second hand in 2000 when the track was laid here. Some are now badly life expired, like this one. It's a mixed bag, but time to act.

Another reason for the change is that the turnout is a mixture of parts, many original GWR with throughbolters, which makes the replacement of the timbers difficult without removing the whole structure. The square bolt head sticking out on the right is a symptom of this. 

 

 

 

The first job, after loosening all the components by removing clips and fishplates, was to remove the FB rails of the next panel. They did not lift so easily, as they were stuck down by frost and debris.

 

 

 

 

 

As this turnout is some distance from the signal box (at the other end of the station) it has an electric point motor, and this was removed and lifted to one side. 

A timber and four concrete sleepers of the next panel were then removed. This will give more room for the replacement turnout, which is slightly roomier and therefore longer than the existing one.

That's the third reason we are replacing this turnout. 

That took pretty much all morning, mostly preparatory work.

For lunch, the FoCRC let us use the original booking office to brew tea and sit down for lunch. It is sad how this original building, saved by the FoCRC from vandalism and arson, has now been taken out of use.

If it is not seen to be occupied and used frequently, the vandals could well return. It is now also right next to the new cycle path (and see below for pictures of that). 

After lunch we began the actual work of dismantling the rails themselves.

Here the outside (stock-) rail is being removed. 

The scaffolding was used for the raising of the bridge parapets by 6 courses. 

 

 

 

 

Because of the GWR throughbolt system, it often proved difficult to detach the chairs from the old timbers. Impact wrenches used to turn the bolts from above just caused the nuts underneath to rotate uselessly.

By levering up the chairs were were sometimes able to apply enough pressure on the nuts to block themselves underneath, and allow the bolt to turn.

 

 

 

 

 

The bolts that we could not unscrew we had to cut off with a portable disk cutter.

 

Finally the switches were free, and we were able to lift the first one out.

STEVIE lifts the first of the two switches.

The switches were lifted round to the trolley behind STEVIE, ready for recovery to the yard at Winchcombe. There is a longer term plan to use them in the carriage sidings there.

Another reminder why we are doing this winter job at Cheltenham.

The last item to be removed was the central crossing itself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STEVIE swung it round, and here it is going on top of the other items, on the trolley behind the RRV.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the crossing was lifted out, only the timbers remained in place.

 

 

 

 

 

In the foreground is the start of the next panel, cleared for the full length of the replacement turnout. 

Saturday's team, very proud of their achievement.                     Behind the camera: Andy Stratford.

 

So that was Saturday's job done, all within the day, as planned. We were pretty chuffed.

The next stage is the removal of the timbers, and grading of the site, so that the replacement timbers can be lifted in. These are on flat wagons behind the camera, further up the siding. The removed rails from the first panel will allow a contractor with a 360 to prepare the site for the next phase.

Pictures of the cycleway.

While at CRC we took the opportunity of reccording the progress of the new cycleway from Cheltenham to Bishops Cleeve, along the A435.
 

This is the view south, towards Cheltenham. The A435 is open again, and the cycle lane as such is completed.  It runs down the Cotswolds side of the road, which itself has been moved Malvern side where it crosses the railway bridge.

A lot of site reinstatement remains to be done, particularly around the GWR booking office, which is still surrounded by rough terrain and Heras fencing panels. We saw no cyclists during our two ventures topside, just a single pedestrian. 

Looking the other way, we can see how the cycle lane is squeezed on to the Cotswolds side of the bridge. This now has much higher parapets. The previous pavement here was only 3ft wide. The other side has a 12 inch pavement, a bare minimum.

The position of the original GWR wooden booking office looks somewhat precarious to us now, being very close to the road, its attendant noise and foot/cycle traffic. Some windows have had to be permanently battened shut.

An interesting option would be to move the building to platform 2 below. This is in a cutting, which gradually opens out. There is currently no shelter on P2, and in fact historically there has only ever been a toilet block on each of the two platforms.

In the past there has been talk of moving the railway car park from its current position over to the Malvern side, alongside the A435, where there is an existing gate. The exit from this gate on to the A road is now much more open, since the cycle path was constructed. All our visitor traffic currently goes through the race course, past the guardian and moveable bollards, which is hardly in the interest of either party, we imagine.

 

This is the view towards Bishops Cleeve, from the road bridge. The new cycle path continues on the left. On the right is the old pedestrian entrance to P2, which we built 10 years ago now, and which is rarely used. Could the building of the cycle path lead to a blue sky rethink of how we use the whole site?

 

 

Wednesday with the Usketeers.

Icy again, but temperatures rising - good news, now we can lay bricks.

 

This is the fireplace at the beginning of the day. Iron bars for the grate are cut to size.

Beginning of the day - er, we thought it prudent to wait an hour or so for the sun to warm the place up, as it was minus one when we arrived.

We visited Christine's emporium ('The Coffeepot') to see what bargains there were in her end of season sale. Useful time spent ! We scored quite a bit of chocolate and sweets.

 

After the walk up to the tunnel mouth, we gave Maxie the Mixer a once over, and she willingly sprang into life.

With a generous helping of  'muck' Paul was soon busy. The first job was to bed down the bars for the grate (retrieved from the scrap bin) and then lay a course on top.

 

A droning sound and a beep alerted us to the passage of RRV STEVIE, on his way to Gotherington South, where the gang was about to start work on the refurbishment of the turnout at the south end of the loop. New timbers are on the trolley, and he even came back for a second helping.

 

 

 

 

Come 11 o'clock, and it was time for a cup of coffee from the flask. 

 Paul and Dave sat beaming in the sun, soaking up the warmth (well, a bit of it)

 

 

 

 

Both of them then resumed work on the fireplace, each taking care of one side.

 

Another beep, and we could see some lights inside the tunnel.

 

It was STEVIE back for another load, with Walt at the controls, and Chris in the jockey seat.

Lunch was back at the weighbridge (which was colder inside than out, but at least a lot drier than before), and on our way back up we noticed this minor S&T defect - the bolt had dropped out, jettisonning the pulley wheels, so that the wire dragged along the ground. An easy fix, everything was still there, even the nut.

 

 

 

Early afternoon saw the fireplace on its third course of the day, with the grate now well established. In the foreground is the former that Paul made for the arch that we will build. 

 

 

 

Along the rear Yours Truly cleared the last of the broken blocks, so that we are now ready to replace the missing row. Unfortunately today there was no mortar left over to start this.

 

 

 

Towards the end of the afternoon Paul started on the eighth course. It looks like this will be the one from which the arch will spring.

 

 

 

This is the scene at the end of the day - five courses laid, including the grate, on top of the first three that we laid previously.

 

Appeal for sleeper help.

Before Christmas we posted an appeal for donations to the Trust, to help buy the good quality second hand sleepers that we need to build the platelayer's hut. We need 36 of them, or £1332.

At the time of writing we have received enough donations to buy 16 sleepers, a bit under half.

So that we don't run out of steam at some point, with a half built hut, we'd be very grateful if a few more readers could step forward and help. Note that this blog is free to read, and we have opted not to monetise it with ads.

If you want to contribute, send something to the GWRT (our Trust) for its General Fund. Follow that up with an email to trust.financedirector (at) gwsr.com as well as to pway.manager (at) gwsr.com, and say that the donation of £xxx is intended for the pway tool fund. Then everyone will know what your intention is.

Let your blogger know too, for the tally on the back of his envelope! 

 

 

PWay gang on Wednesday.

As already hinted at above, the gang started work on the second of our winter works projects (we are very busy), this being the refurbishment of the south end turnout on the loop at Gotherington. It suffers mainly from deterioration of what we believed to be long lasting hardwood sleepers. This wood is pink when cut, and the surface opens out into grooves, which fill with water, and then the rot sets in. 

While the gang went to Manor Lane by road, STEVIE with Walt and Chris went by rail, taking the necessary replacement timbers with them. Walt did this stop frame film of the operation.

Blink, and you'll miss the Usketeers on the left by the tunnel !

 

 

 

 

This is STEVIE, the first load already discharged, near the signal box.

 

 

 

The timbers were dropped off near the site, at the south end of the loop.

Chris is very proud of his slinging skills.

 

An overview of the site of Gotherington South loop turnout, with timbers.

 

 

 

This is one of the old timbers, and it shows why we are addressing this issue.

Although, it has to be said, this hollow sleeper looks more like a victim of hot ash dropping from a locomotive. 

 

 

 

 

 The gang then set about withdrawing all the life expired timbers, where the nips came in really useful.

 

 

 

 Before any timbers can come out, a lot of digging ballast has to take place.

 

 

 

 

The loop at Gotherington, being well outside the actual station, is not that easily accessible, so the tools had to be pushed up by trolley from the nearest gate, at Manor Lane.

 

 

 

The gang made grateful use of them (Ahem....)

 

At the end of the day - not sure where they were at the end of the day, as we were by the tunnel mouth - but check out this picture of the volunteer car park:

 

 It's empty again! All the kit for the two turnouts at CRC and Gotherington has been loaded up, and taken to the site.

We're sorry if the car parking was a bit tight over Christmas, but you can see the reason why, and we did clear it all up again afterwards. 

 

 

Interesting tidbit, an aerial view of Toddington New Town, showing the Pheasant, the railway, and all the new houses that are springing up around it:

 https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/171005639?utm_content=v2-ealertspropertyimage&lid=3ho9gnbaeb4e&utm_medium=email&utm_source=prop-alert&utm_campaign=p1_b2c_mar-jny_email_hps_prop-alert_resi-buy-emailupdates3day&utm_term=buying&onetime_FromEmail=true&sc_id=38095442&cid=0dc992e6-36f6-4df3-832b-09cd8c39287b&csg=e50c0b4ab18a0d017d69cde275d94fd1cccb5f491c74d8340cd7110287f50315&#/media?id=media1&ref=photoCollage&channel=RES_NEW

 

 

Just to share:

We found this picture in our local pub! It's Bredon station, near Ashchurch, on the Ashchurch - Evesham line.

The running in board is in safe hands today, being in the care of the Toddington Narrow Gauge people.

We have added a dab of colour using an on-line programme, and it really brings out well the M - R of the Midland Railway (whose line it was) on the front bufferbeam.