That hot week.

Thursday at Broadway.

Our last day on the build for 10 days, we're going to skip Broadway for a week. Train services roll on of course, and we will probably find something else to do.

 On Thursday the green Growler brought the first train in.

 

 

 

 

This picture though was taken later in the day, when P&O was in charge.

Passing the Gents, we heard a gurgle, and had a look inside. There was 1/4 inch of soapy water all over the floor! Someone had opened the cold tap fully, and put the plug in the basin. The flow of water was so strong that the overflow couldn't cope, and for what looks like several minutes soapy water gushed out everywhere. This seemed to complete escape their attention.

While the P&O hauled train was in the station, a passenger gesticulated at us from a window.

The steamer had set the pine needles on fire by the signal box. We ran there with a big bucket of water, and were met by a member of the station staff bearing two smaller buckets coming the other way.

No harm done though. 

 

 

Thursday at Broadway saw continued progress on the internal blockwork. 

The fireplace itself is complete, up to six blocks. That's both ends the same now.

 

 

After doing the fireplace, John switched to the store room.

Here you can see that he laid a second course, all the way round.

At the end of another hot day we were pretty puffed, especially John, who lifted every concrete block.

 

 

 

 

Saturday, out with the gang.

Eight of us on Saturday, which was handy, as Paul gave us a large strawberry and cream sponge cake, which cut neatly into 8 equal pieces. Nine would have been much more difficult.

 

Before starting off, we had to wait for the return train from Cheltenham. It came tender first, but it still made for a nice shot from the back of the truck.

The brown patch bottom right is part of the spoil brought here from Broadway. There is room for plenty more. 

We also waited for the next down train, which at this location is just a few minutes away. Then we get about an hour before it comes back. Plenty of time to sort out a cracked fishplate reported here.

 

 

 

 

And there was indeed a crack, on one side.

Here it is. The loose bit on the right is part of a shim for lifting a straight plate. So we swapped this one for a 1/8th lifter, which should give smoother results. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We did the plate, and after watching a train pass over it and seeing considerable movement, we also packed and robelled the joint.

Job done! On to Toddington for the next one 

 

 

 

 

A funny little story here: There was a couple wearing just bathing suits sitting in deck chairs outside their shepherd's hut.

Once we started up - we make quite a bit of noise - they hastily got dressed and vanished.

It's not as isolated as you think, out here. 

 

 

 

 

 It was at this location that we also tried out the larger of our two new Milwaukee impact wrenches.

How do we get out of here? Is there a Ranger in this picture?

 

We then jumped back in the truck, and followed the Ranger through the jungle. 

 

 

 

Toddington car park seemed reasonably full, although there is a school of thought which says people don't travel when it's very hot.

This beautifully presented 'GWR' van was quite a draw. 

 

 

 

 

 We went to the south end of the platform, where a rotten sleeper and poor spacing were indicated.

 

 

This meant digging out the old sleeper (in 29 degrees C), inserting a replacement, and then a second, after moving a third sleeper along a bit (around which further digging was needed).

It was also the opportunity to try out the smaller Milwaukee impact wrench 'gun', seen here being used by Dave to remove chair bolts. 

 

 

In this video Dave used the gun to tighten bolts. It's a bit slower than the much heavier, petrol powered impact wrench, but it did work OK, and the battery did last all day, there was no need to change.

 

Here we are pulling in the second sleeper, having replaced the first. AS1 (wider) chairs were placed on the first one, under the fishplate, to spread the load better. 

 

Foremarke Hall was decorated with a very bright poppy during the day.

We had also intended to replace a throughbolter on the adjacent track, but only got as far as dropping the replacement sleeper next to it, before the heat got to us. 

We cleared away some tools, the noticed that the rest of the gang had vanished. Where were they? 

 

They were sitting on the branches of a nearby shady tree. One gentleman preferred to remain anonymous, it seems.

 

 

Tuesday in the greenhouse

That's where you want to be, on a really hot day. Not. 

 

In the absence of brick laying at Broadway, Neal and Yours Truly went to Toddington to work on the canopy. In the greenhouse, at 29C. Luckily there was a gentle breeze, so it was just about tolerable, although at the end of the day we had to crash down outside the cafe with an ice-coffee.

These are the strips Neal has cut to size for the intermediate trusses.

The one on the left is with millscale and rust, the pile above has been cleaned. 

 

 

 

It took most of the day, but at the end of the afternoon we had cleaned and primered 20 strips, just exactly half of the total. A second day should see them all done.

 

 

 

 

Neal was cutting strips, then continuing with cutting and building the 4 intermediate trusses. The bits we cleaned zig-zag in between the pairs of long angles just about visible here.

 

Passing the 2807 and PWay sales stands in the Cotswolds Halt we noted what was on offer, all ex-PWay:

- Boot scrapers (for 2807 funds)

- Telegraph insulators

- Polished rail ends - £25 each, other lengths on application.

 

 

 

Two Usketeers.

 Dave is off somewhere, back next week.

The 3 inch downpipes, manufactured in 2025, do not quite fit the 3 inch exits to the Ogee gutters, manufactured in 1905. There are just 2 or 3mm in it. We have a solution, a 'reducer' which seems to come directly from Taiwan, so there is a 2 week wait for delivery. It is designed to marry a 3 inch pipe with a 4 inch one, so that should sort us out.

 

 

 

Getting ourselves ready to fit the downpipes (with their reducer) we took the gutters off and cleaned them.

It was at this point that the beginning of our whole weighbridge repair project became apparent. The two gutters were never bolted together, thus allowing them to move apart and settle at different rates. Water could therefore trickle out, and so permitted a fern to grow underneath. It was that fern which first drew our attention, indicating that there was some sort of an issue there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul then picked off the old mortar. Looking down the line of bricks, we could see that they undulated, with the far end (behind Paul) dropping off quite sharply.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking at the joints, it did seem that the corner of the building was tilting, but this is one of the first things that were addressed, when we took this job on. It should no longer deteriorate now, but we are left with the legacy of an undulating base for the gutters.

 

 

 

 

We went over to the cafe to fetch a mug of tea, and were unfortunately tempted into buying two slices of cake as well.

 On offer was a new item - orange and poppyseed cake. Well, we had to try that !

 

 

After tea and cake Paul did a trial assembly of the cleaned up gutters. We were pleased to find them still in good condition, with all the fixing holes intact.

To get a reasonably straight and level fitting, Paul used pieces of slate to support one end of the gutter.

Then, suddenly, we heard an approaching roar, and were surprised to see this A400, banking over the station in the opposite direction from where it usually comes (over Sudely castle)

This looks pretty low, and such passes are always thrilling.

 

 

 

At the end of the session we also cut an extension into the trench for the ACO drain. We can't fit this yet, as we need to see exactly where the re-routed downpipe comes round the corner, and where it meets the new drain. Fitting the rear downpipe also depends on that delivery from Taiwan, so more fun next time.

 

 

 

Now we come to our puzzle question of the week: 

This is a narrow gauge trackbed, within walking distance of Toddington.

Where is it, and what was it for? 

 

 

PWay on Wednesday.

A good turnout (if you see what we mean...), with a full day spent at Winchcombe, not far from the mess coach and Coffeepot.

Eight crossing timbers need changing at the north end of the platform 

These get a lot of use, so need to be in tip-top condition. Seen here is the hardest bit - the digging out stage. Not that many poeple in view here now, it's early in the morning but....

 

 

 

 

...by lunch time the sun was out and more volunteers emerged for digging.

Here one of the heavy timbers has already been extracted, and now the bed has to be made a little lower, otherwise the replacement won't go in. 

 

 

 

 

This picture shows the same area at the end of the day. It's a neat site, with a clear, new timber in the foreground. Three of the 8 timbers were changed during the day, a good start.

 

 

As some of the timbers were observed to be moving when a train passed, these were robelled thoroughly, so as to fill the voids underneath.

A smaller team worked with the guys from C&M to locate a water pipe, and dig/connect a spur to lead to the mess coach. At the moment, every time we want to put the kettle on, we have to get the water in a Jerry can

 

The combined team dug the trench to the mess coach, and the new pipe connection is a hair's breadth from being ready. So maybe next week for the ceremonial opening of the tap to fill the kettle?

We should celebrate that.