Greasing - the end of the line.

Saturday - will we get to the end of the line?

Last week left us with 3/4 of a mile left to go on our 14 mile fishplate greasing project, with the new Interflon product. This stuff squirts on quite well, but releasing and retightening the fishplates is a hell of a strain on an elderly crew, and possibly explains why support has not always been massive. But it has to be done. Next time, we are promised, all we have to do is squirt the stuff into the cracks, and not undo the fishplates. We shall see.

There were just 5 of us on Saturday morning, with a possible 6th after a personal errand in the morning. We decided to tick off some outstanding jobs on the extension first, so a grey morning sees us near Pry Lane with the job of moving a sleeper back after a welding repair. That's the team you can see, with yours truly behind the camera. We need more recruits on a Saturday, anyone care to join us? We've had a couple of new ones recently, but need a few more. You'd be very welcome. We might even be able to tempt you with a refurbished mess coach - now hearing rumours about its new colour scheme, but no pictures yet. (but see below....)

When we drove past Peasebrook Farm there was something odd about the scene. Then we realised, the row of huge poplars had been taken down. It really changed the look of the place, you could see them from miles away, and you knew where it was. But you can see the why as well. That fence below was new in 2017 and it is already full of holes from fallen branches. The trees were life expired.

 

Then on to Broadway, the next item on our list. here we had a seized bolt to replace, but couldn't find it. We did manage to tick off another item in the station area itself, a missing clip, so it wasn't a wasted journey.

That new bracket signal is tasty, don't you think? We like the little calling on arms underneath.

 

    
 

 

Then back to Winchcombe to replenish, and on to CRC for that last 3/4 mile. Bert, Mr. half-a-day, promised that he would make it, so we gave it a go.

With the tracks still rusty and unused, we let ourselves in and parked across the rails for an easy unload of the trolleys.

We were struck by this ingenious latch, now fitted to the Malvern side gate post.

Is there a better use for this old rail spike? The curve in the top is just right for the top tube of the gate.

It would be even nicer if this level crossing were made to look like a GWR railway one. We even have two GWR crossing posts on the railway, but apart from this one our line has no road crossings.

 

 

Next to the Malvern side gate is now this lamp hut. Recognise it? Mr. & Mrs. Blogger volunteered to recover it from a farm in Pebworth in 2018, after receiving a tip off.

The CRC station team, and in particular the late Bill Britton, made a really god job of putting the kit of parts back together, and it really adds to the atmosphere at the otherwise rather modern northern end of the station.

   

 

 

Here's what that hut used to look like, when in situ on that farm in Pebworth. Before that, we ascertained, it came from a garden in Evesham, but the owner couldn't say where it originally came from. Very likely from the Evesham area though.

After a lot of humming and hah-ing, we decided that the farm's lawn was too soft to support any lifting machinery, so we carefully took the hut to pieces and loaded each side and the roof by hand onto a lorry.

Here is the kit of parts in store in our yard at Stanton in 2018, from where the CRC station team volunteered to pick it up.

 

 

Pete, this is a spanner...

 

We then trundled the trolleys half way back down to the RDA crossing, the 18 II Mp where we had left off last Wednesday.

Soon we were in between the platforms, which felt really great. We felt that we had arrived at the southern end. But there was more to do. Where was that Mp 19?

 

These are the 'do-er uppers', Tim and Steve, almost at the end of the platform 1. A larger version of the little lamp hut can be seen here, used as a store. It is ventilated to allow the gaseous vapours from the oils to escape.

 

 

 

 

And then we passed under the road bridge, admiring the fabulous skewed, curved brickwork achieved by those men of 1906. Just a few more yards to go.

 

 

 

 

Here is the end of the line as far as we are concerned - beyond the turnout is the long siding into the tunnel. It's a long way from the signal box, so the point is motor driven. 

We hadn't quite finished though, as to do it properly we'd need to do the loop as well, along platform 2. The flower beds along this new platform (yours truly was part of the gang that built this in 2015) were very pleasing, much better than the raw building site we left behind.

Pete takes 5, it was a hard day for us.

We greased our way back down platform 2 and back to the northern loop turnout, and that really was the end.

We were dog tired, it had been a long day. But there was a strong sense of satisfaction, as we had done the job. On to the next!

Monday at Broadway

It was an icy cold night, and the higher you went, the colder it was.

Here is the hillside behind Hailes Abbey, covered in snow, but none down in the Vale of Evesham.

We went to Broadway with the Transit to pick up the Eynsham bench. We had been stripping varnish and old paint off it, and when we turned it over to do the back we noticed that one of the feet was in a terrible state. Luckily we know a friendly carpenter in the next village; he repaired the much more ruined bench from the Paxford bus stop, and did a terrific job.

The Eynsham bench on the Transit, ready to go.

Tuesday, fabricating.

It was also the first service train this year, so before starting work, we picked up a chair, sat in a blazing sun, and watched it come towards us.

The first service train of 2021 on the GWSR.

The train was only modestly filled; the second of the day, after lunch was almost full, but we understand that most days still have bookings available, so don't hesitate. We are now open!

4270 chugged past slowly to collect the token for Winchcombe, while the canopy gang and a few others watched this very pleasing event.

When you come to visit us, this is the new approach road, down the other side of the site, through the back of the former garden centre. There's a new coach parking area at the top, so there should be more space in the general car park now. And there's a one way system round the car park - just follow the arrows. You go out the same way as you came in.

There's a big gazebo to welcome visitors, and it all looks quite pretty when seen through the springtime trees.

 

 

With the famous first train gone, we could get down to business. We're on those two posts that will hold up the end truss at Broadway.

While John worked on some spacers to correctly position the 'jackets' we made for the bottom end (to make it seem like a casting) Neal started work on the plates at the top end, on to which the truss will be bolted. In the picture he is cutting some screw threads into one of the two plates.

Neal then took the plate outside to see how well it would fit the truss, so there are no problems when we come to put it all together.

The truss was made several years ago now, as the station was being built, so now just awaits assembly.

 

 

 

 

When all the holes aligned OK, it was time to weld the top on to the column.

John will tack it on first, Neal will double check the position, and then John can weld it fully.

 

At lunch time the first train came back, and in the picture is giving back the token for the Winchcombe section. The train then took its passengers on for the round trip to Broadway, where the cafe was also open.

 

 

 

 

Back in the shed after watching 4270 come back, we had a great moment where Neal started to test fit the 'bat wings' (for wont of a better word) on to the first post.

Here he is test fitting the wing for the other side. This post is the central one, in line with the corner of the building. The bottom of the truss will sit across the grey and then the dark stone 'bat wings'.

Wednesday on the Usk project

Well, that was going to be the title, but unfortunately Paul (he of the team with the professional building skills) had a personal issue at home and couldn't make it today.

Dave and John decided to further the project nonetheless, by cleaning some of the Verney Junction bricks.

Here you see them, busy cleaning the mortar off. The cleaned bricks went on a pallet, and the idea was that once we had 500, the Telehandler could move the pallet over to the hut's foundations and we could lay a couple of courses to include the damp course, before embarking on the stonework. They cleaned 250 bricks today, a great effort.

 

Before starting PWay work, the gang decided to inspect the mess coach in the C&W barn, as rumours had been heard that it had received a coat of paint. 

Here is the gang, feeling very upbeat, as our coach is now in Carmine and cream. Delicious! It's unique on the railway now.

One group of 5 voted to mop up the fishplate greasing with two small missing sections, P2 at Winchcombe, and P1 at Toddington. Those two roads were occupied by stock when we passed earlier.

The little group of volunteers waited by the barrow crossing for the first train to pass. Under the control of the signalman we could then work on P2.

Yours truly went up to the former Hall Green box, now Winchcome box, to explain our plans and seek permission. The first train out of Toddington was already announced.

Shortly afterwards 4270 hauled a rain of happy passengers past the box, and once it had set off in the direction of the tunnel we could get to work.

You've seen pictures of Interflonning before, so we'll spare you those.

Here is a new number applied to a panel, a new scheme to help us identify faults. The numbers are actually table numbers, but are just the right size and shape for us.

So this is panel two.

Just before we got to the southern end of P2 we had to step aside to let the returning train through. Here is 4270 then, with a six coach train, returning from Cheltenham Race Course station.

After lunch we took the tools to Toddington to do P1 there. While we waited for the second train of the day to leave at 13.25 we thought, why not profit from the re-opening of our Flag & Whistle cafe and buy ourselves an ice cream? That ice cream window was soon taken by a storm of orange.

Then we got to work undoing the bolts, banging the fishplates with a hammer (it's not the force of the blow, it's knowing just where to hit them) and applying a squirt of the creepy Interflon grease.

Doug investigates a report that his brand new boots may have been tainted by a small smudge.

 We got to the northern end in no time and, job completed, walked back along the platform.

The lorry tyre left us scatching our heads.

Interesting developments were seen at the station building, where the sealed door leading to the former stationmaster's office was opened again, the door re-hung to its original position, to provide a circulation system for people visiting the shop that has re-opened. So, from now on, IN where Maxine is standing on the left, buy something useful from us, and OUT through the new exit in the foreground.

Originally the shop was two rooms, separated by a ticket window. On the left was the booking office, and on the right the stationmaster and ticket clerk. When we develop new premises on the site of the former garden centre, funds permitting, we will restore the two rooms to their original function, so that passengers no longer have to queue in the cold and wind on the platform and buy their ticket from an outside window as is the case now.

Finally the gang climbed up the new steel steps at the southern end of the goods shed extension, to peer through the window and catch a glimpse of the new loco dept. mess room. It's very impressive, clearly a lot of thought has gone into the facilities. Then we hung over the steel railings, chatted to the signalman and talked about stuff. As you do. Bliss!

Derek on the Isle of Man in 1964

Continuing with the Oxford University Railway Society visit to the Isle of Man, we caught the 2:15pm departure on 7^th July 1964 from Douglas heading for Port Erin with No.12 in charge, but only got as far as Colby as you can see from this photograph.

Derek's train derails at Colby.

Colby has a passing loop with a separate platform for each loop line. It was common practice for trains to use the line which had the station building on the platform, i.e. on the side heading towards Douglas. Our train headed for this line but came to grief. One of our group got talking to the station master cum signalman and he said that he suddenly remembered that a train was coming from Port Erin and that the two trains needed to pass here, so he changed the points to redirect our train onto the other line, but too late (much too late, probably a case of panic). We returned to Douglas by bus. The next day one of our group visited the signal box at Douglas and saw from the log that the recovery had taken place and everything was back at Douglas by 10:30pm. [A07.19]

 

On the 8^th July we returned to St.Johns and took a walk up the disused Foxdale branch. The view is taken looking down towards St.Johns. I think I took the view to capture the former route. I think it can be seen both on the left and on the right near the white house. Perhaps confirmation is required. [A07.20]

The Foxdale branch was a short stub from the (now closed) station of St Johns. The line was principally built to serve the lead mineral industry, which unfortunately declined soon after opening in 1886. The IMR took over the branch in 1904 but it still didn't do very well, and passenger services ceased in 1940. The last train over the branch was an engineering train to remove some rails from Foxdale station itself, and the rest of the line was dismantled in the 1970s. In Derek's picture of 1964 the rails are already disused and rusty, but still there. Today you can walk most of the empty trackbed.

 

One view from 6^th July 1964 of a tramcar of the Manx Electric Railway which ran services from Douglas to Ramsey via an undulating east coast route. No.22 is seen with a trailer (toast rack) and van. [A07.18]

 

Back to 8^th July and we took a trip on the Manx Electric Railway. Here at Douglas is car No.20 with trailer and van. Not to be left out is a horse drawn tram which plied services along the promenade at Douglas. [A07.21]

We alighted at Laxey and took a trip on the Snaefell Mountain Railway. At the summit I couldn't resist this shot of the pointwork. [A07.23]

Finally, this is a view from near the summit, and the line on which we had come can be seen curving away on the hillside on the right. [A07.22]

Don't forget that you can order full sized scans of Derek's slides (about 5 Mb each) through breva2011 (at) hotmail.co.uk.