The siding complete

A strong team of 20 assembled at Winchcombe today, hopeful of being included in one of the three sub groups that would go out today.

We were of good cheer, and thought: better inside than out. Outside we had just walked over frozen puddles and there was a nasty nip in the air, if you weren't standing in the sun. Inside there was a fug.

Walking to the mess coach, we came across this buffet car parked in a prominent place. It was a bit green round the edges.

Discreet enquiries with some C&W members mooching about revealed that it was not railway owned but private, and that it was coming in for an assessment after some years out of use.



Group one then went to Stanton to try and complete the rectifications that they had been busy with previously, see if they can get that job done.

Group two responded to a call from 2807 for more chairs for boot scrapers. They really have a prodigeous output, these fund raising guys, you have to doff your hat at them. £40 a pop too, that's £4000 raised in a year for this venerable loco if they sell only two a week. We were certainly willing to help, as we are still coming across a lot of 'useless' (to us) GWR throughbolt chairs.

We've got a big bucket full for them here, which is being laid out across the rear of the second Landie. It drove up to Toddy, and returned with half a dozen strong new pallets.

A second trip with chairs was undertaken in the afternoon. We even came across an ancient LB&SCR one, with 4 nails instead of bolts.

It was the last day of this season's running. Here is Dinmore Manor, with a well filled train from CRC. It was paired on the timetable with the DMU, which itself was also well filled. Great !

We now have a month of non-running, before the Santa trains start. The job we had penciled in for this rare period free of trains this year was unfortunately cancelled as it clashed with another department, so it looks like fishplate greasing for a month. The  main winter works are still on schedule, and will involve resleepering the track between Toddington signal box and the new turnout we laid earlier this year. We'll do that in January and February.

Group 3 did the heritage bit, to wit, finish ballasting the siding we moved at Winchcombe. Here we are filling a trolley with a bucket of ballast, to be dispersed further along.

We completed the relaid area of the siding, then threw some ballast under the stop block, but not too much.It is quite possible that the platform wall to be built will have a return here behind the stop block, and we don't want to compromise that with lots of ballast thrown in for nothing.

In the absence of further suggestions, it looks like a GWR stop block is black all over then. Well, that saves on paint and washing brushes.

After lunch in the mess coach the newly relaid siding looked like this. We left the Malvern side without ballast as, again, this is where the wall will be built and foundations need to be dug out. Stevie will do that for us.


We patted ourselves on the back with this result. We did the whole job with scrap rail we had in house, and third hand sleepers that were lying about. Only the ballast is new, from a current stockpile. It should keep the sleepers drier so that they last longer.

During the day odd hands (are you an odd hand?) pottered about the yard and collected bits of wood that sort of accumulate in a yard like this.

We also noted a short but fat comms cable that was in the way, but which had been ignored for years.

Dave lifted away one of the stillages so that we could pull it out and examine it further.

The advice from an electrician on site was to check neither of the two ends were connected and if not, it could go. Dave had a go at yanking it. The cable fought back.

With the stillage removed we found the other end. It turned out to be just a short length of thin core cabling that no one had dealt with yet. S&T are now using much longer, new cable to open the route to Broadway.

Eventually it was dropped in the skip here.








We think there will be a short (we hope) planning period on the Usk building now, to prepare a drawing for the foundations and to open a dialogue with the council. After that we are ready to start. We have a modest budget agreed and a friendly building supplies supplier.

The where, how long and how much of the platform is still being discussed, but it's all part of an amicable process and we should see daylight very soon.

Towards the end of the day the light got rather magical (it looked like we were about to get a downpour, but Winchcombe still had sun), so we were able to watch Dinmore head to Broadway in fine style.

Here, there, and everywhere.

A record turnout today - 20 volunteers! Whaaat? What brought that on? Sun, food, half term for kids, and a fun project, those must be the factors.

Here's what we did:

Team 1 went to Toddington to replace 4 sleepers in the area just outside the station. This is the first area to be relaid back in the 1980s and some of it is now firmly due for replacement.

Team 2 had a huge debate about the location of the Usk building. Its future location was changed so often we have finally decided to put the building on rails, and then we can move it around from time to time to please everyone.

Team 3 continued with completing the siding move.

After tea and doughnuts team 3 got stuck in straight away. It was a question of sorting out the bits we didn't do last week - drilling holes in replacement sleepers, putting on the fishplates, and keying up.

Team 2 had a huge debate about the location of the Usk building.

One huge debate? Several !

Here they are looking at the distance from the rails, as now moved back 6 feet.

The original suggested location for the new 'Goods Office' was here in front of the tree. But that spot was very tight for any traffic passing behind, so the spot decided on by HODs was behind the tree, in the distance.

This, however, was felt to be a bit out of sight of the public.

With the moving of the siding we suddenly had an extra 6ft of space, so a plea went up to revisit the proposed location.

Today it was then agreed the Usk building could be built in front of the tree after all.

Huge debate again.

It was suggested it be moved 3m towards the white hut here.

More debate, arm waving, pointing.

Finally, it was moved back again by 1m.
Everyone now happy at last. Phew!

Those few that had not joined the Usk building debating society bravely continued with sorting out the siding.

Here we are putting back the final pair of fishplates. Isn't that siding now nice and straight?

Trains ran today too - Dinmore and the DMU. With the early morning light you can get silhouettes like this one.

The trains looked pleasingly full too. That would be the half term effect, there were lots of children on the trains. What to do with the little monsters when they are at home, off from school? We can help. It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good.

With the main part of the siding now all bolted down tight, it remained to a small group to key up that panel that was only de-keyed, but not dismantled. Unfortunately Stevie moving that first panel by a few inches had filled the gaps in the chairs with debris, and it was very difficult to get the rails to sit in them again.

Each chair had to be dug out of the mud and debris and have an area cleared around it. Then the debris was poked out from behind with a bit of old wire.

This was a hands and knees job - you could get your orange overalls dirty here.

It took all day to do 18 sleepers (36 keys) but we got there at last.

Meanwhile the Usk hut location debating society had finally agreed on something, and 4 pegs were knocked in. This momentous occasion deserved a cup of tea.

Once the exact spot had been agreed by all, the more serious job of marking out the location and the area of the foundations to be dug out.

Jules here is making up some location boards, which will be attached to posts hammered into the ground.

The siding fixing team now turned its attention to ballasting. A PWay trolley was loaded on to the new track, and filled with ballast by Doug in the Telehandler.

An interesting fact also emerged today - it won't move if you have the handbrake on, no matter how many knobs and levers you jiggle...

The bucket full was then trollied down to the stop blocks (will they receive a coat of topcoat?) and the ballast spread into the centre and Cotswolds side of the track. The Malvern side will be ballasted once the platform foundations have been dug.

Three bucket fulls got us about half way. This hand ballasting was surprisingly successful, as at this rate we should be able to complete it next week. With the ballast around the sleepers, Stevie will be able to drive his digger down the track to dig out the channel for the foundations.

Up above the setting out of the building's foundations was completed. We now need to make up a drawing giving the dimensions and thickness. With that drawing agreed, we can ask Steve to dig the hole.

Errrrr... ice cream, or a piece of shortcake? Ummmmmmm...

Afterwards we all seemed rather thirsty - it was hot again today, after a cold start - so there was general agreement that a tea party would do the job.

Here we are outside the Coffeepot. Will you be mother?



Hayles Abbey halt.

As reported earlier, we were one of 6 rural projects to be given a CPRE award this year. The railway got a framed certificate, and there was a plaque for the shelter.

Neal of Broadway canopy fame made the plaque a beautiful turned base, and with this the plaque was put in a discreet position inside the shelter.

Here it is, our first award. We are still hopeful of an award for Broadway station, but these mills grind very slowly. Fingers crossed.

Outside the Hayles Abbey shelter another award had been made - a dog mess in a pink plastic bag. This was left in flinging distance from the neighbouring bridle path, used by many dog walkers.



Broadway bit

It takes a surprisingly long time to get heritage kit together, and we are still working on several bits to complete the equipment of the station. You can't just go out and buy it in your local DIY centre, samples have to be found and replicated, or if you are lucky, you can pick up an original in an auction.

In the short term there will be at least 2 more V boards. One to read REFRESHMENTS for the cafe, and the other to read WAY IN and BOOKING OFFICE underneath it. This will go above the front door under the little canopy (which itself is considered too small, and if we ever have the time, will be widened to its original designed width).

Today there was a pleasing little milestone, as the 4 inch letters for the V boards were delivered from the Procast foundry in Cleckheaton. (a little plug for them, yes, but they have been very helpful).

These letters were almost all cast from originals that we have assembled over the last 6 years. This is a slow process. You have to be lucky at auction, and sometimes people come forward to help and offer you 2 or 3 that they had, and were happy to pass on. After quite a time you have almost an alphabet. You can then give an original to the foundry and they will cast you copies from it in Aluminium. We also did this for the running in boards for BROADWAY and HAYLES ABBEY halt. The castings are much more durable, and more authentic, than the plywood letters used up to now. These delaminate in just 3 - 4 years.

Notice the pointing hands at the bottom right - they are for the board that will say WAY OUT, this way. They were done from a 'brass rubbing' taken at a friendly neighbouring GWR railway. Thanks, guys. We have found nothing but friendship at other railways, heritage is a common cause.

The new siding

Another full house today, thanks to the return of Jim and Paul. We found Steve already at work on the siding relay as we arrived, but he did consent to a brief pause in the mess coach where he knew of tea and doughnuts.


A correspondent of this blog snapped this picture of Steve yesterday, when he was seen adjusting the last track panel that was to remain in situ, but which had to be moved over a little to start off the straight line to the stop block..

The builder's line marks where it should go, so Steve here is pulling it back a little.

First thing this morning then Steve was already at work levelling out the track of the new siding with some spent ballast from the Winchcombe relay a couple of years ago.

We should be able to lay track on here quite easily.

All the earth and mud dug out has been heaped to the left.

To work out where the sleepers have to go Steve has secured a line. As the track here is going to be straight, we just have to follow this with our sleeper laying.

Want a doughnut, my friend? It will cost you......

But first, the early morning tea. We can talk through the day's work then, and try to consume some of the doughnuts.  Martin here however has cornered the market in doughnuts, no doubt inspired by the Hunt brothers, who also tried to corner the market in silver in 1980.

Eventually we got our a**es into gear, and here we see Peter on the Telehandler with a first supply of sleepers.

We are using old GWR throughbolters here, which are of no use on the main line, and which are free to use.

The line of chaired up sleepers soon grew.

As we were laying out the old throughbolters, Dinmore Manor came through with the first train south of the day. Sirens sounded in the background, as herds of children were ushered about for their wartime reenactment experience in Winchcombe station.

After laying out enough sleepers for a 60ft rail, Steve went to fetch one to drop in for us. We are not using the rail that was found in the siding here as it was all odd lengths and some bits even had parts of turnouts still attached, so we decided to use some of the rail retrieved for scrap that in the event was still better than what we found here. Steve made sure that it wasn't 'too good' though - just good enough to bear the weight of some wagons on a siding. Strangely enough rail does wear down.

To get the rail in we had to poke the sleepers this way and that until it suddenly fell into place in the row of chairs. Very satisfying, that.

Although Peter was Telehandler driver of the day today, he did muck in and helped carry the sleepers - extra heavy, with chairs still attached, mind - with Martin to be dropped in ready for the second length of rail.

At the buffer stop end the first rail was bolted on. Well, very nearly, as we got one fishplate bolt on, but the second wouldn't go through. Just typical, with this old stuff.

Problem solved by drilling a new hole, but what a faff.

Back at the business end of the relay we had laid out nearly all the necessary sleepers to meet the track still in situ, but the to-ing and fro-ing of vehicles accessing the trackbed had seemed to bring mud with it so that the last few sleepers were too high.

Steve here then dug out the last few yards of trackbed.

The digging drew a small crowd. Well, we weren't that numerous at Winchcombe, as a group had gone to Stanton to continue rectifying track faults (carrying on from where we left off last week) and others ran round in the second Landie delivering machinery here and there.

Approaching lunch time, the siding was starting to look like it again. All the sleepers were in; two more lengths of rail were wanted and we hunted everywhere for a long tape measure to work out where to cut them to size, but found none.

In the meantime Steve gathered up the short lengths taken out of the original siding and took them to the scrap pile.

The first of the last two rails has been cut to size - using a piece of string in the end to measure its length - and it's gone in.

As we celebrate, our Ops Manager draws by with a long train. It's our third set, taken out of the siding next to the mess coach.

It will probably be used this weekend during the Food & Drink fair. This is very popular and was a great idea. Your blogger is going with his family - hope you are going too.

Then it's time for the last rail, which Steve has fetched from the scrap pile and is about to drop into the four foot here for cutting to size.

Now how long has it got to be? This time, Steve has brought his own tape measure.

The rail to be cut has been dropped into a temporary chair to hold it upright for the rail saw.

It was Neil who volunteered to do the cutting, with ear muffs and goggles, it's a noisy dirty job, but someone has to do it. Paul supervises....

Right on the edge of the picture a member of the old Broadway gang has arrived to see what we are doing. The new platform wall will be built by some of their brick layers.

As we are using the redundant GWR throughbolters the chairs are being secured by chair screws. That's not quite the idea but it works for us and it enables us to recycle the fixings.

It does mean that we can screw the chairs down by hand, which Paul here is doing. Back in the 1980s when some of this track went in, all the chairs were screwed down by hand.

Hard times, those.

Mid afternoon the last rail had been cut to size and laid in. That siding is now pretty much in its new place, although more work is needed on it.

At the end of the day Steve leapt into his JCB had started to level out the spoil that was excavated from the bed of the siding in its original location.

Steve loaded up big bucket fulls from the end here, which he then spread about the site.

The siding has been moved across by about 6 feet, making a much wider area for buildings here. It was a bit cramped before. The height is already about right.

What can we do with this newly widened area?