Kit of parts arrives.

With the Friday gang.

'Gang' is a big word - 'petite' describes it better, we were just 4, but it is an extra, after Wednesday and Saturday works. What could we do?

 

 

The plan was to go to the Dixton cutting and swap rails, recently delivered on site.

But first we had to clear up the tools from the last day on the Gotherington turnout, and then take from that those that we needed for our own day. And refuel STEVIE with a jerrycan...

 

 

 

The first rail has been brought up.

 

 

 

Dave D in STEVIE went to Dixton by rail, while Dave Y went in the Telehandler. Both were needed as the swap was to take place right under 3 arch bridge.

A wrinkle was that the two replacement rails were unloaded 1/4 mile away, due to the constraints of a signal wire in the cutting. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why swap rails for better ones?

This was the issue - a line of 'squats' in both rails. The other rail had no fewer than 9 of them.

Where do they come from? It can happen with wheelslip, say a loco starting a heavy train, or, probably in our case, poor quality rail in the first place. 

We got these rails second hand of course, and their previous user had already identified the issue. Not good for 100mph running, but probably acceptable for 25mph.

Over time the squats do get worse, and can originate cracks, so we have decided to remove any such rails in question. It's a 1990s issue, resulting in 2020s work for us.

 

 

 

 

We decided to do the Cotswolds side one first, as it had 9 of the little beasties. 

The replacement rail is ex Bicester MOD, and of good quality. It's also standard 60ft long, whereas the problem rail was 3ft shorter.

So a cut is needed.

We work out where to make this cut...

 

 

 

Here is David Y, making the cut, under the bridge. It wasn't raining, OK, but it was jolly cold, with only 6 degrees.

It was interesting to see that animals, such as badgers, were using the underside of the bridge as a crossing point. Mud was spilling out of the oval holes, and there were muddy marks on the rails. 

A week ago we saw 4 deer in Dixton cutting (from the McRat) and on Friday another on the slope behind the MP15 post. 

 

 

With the replacement rail cut to size we lifted out the old, and back in with the new.

Clip up, fishplate up, on with the second.

That was the plan. Unfortunately we could only cut the second rail, but not actually place it, as it needed a lifter plate that we don't have.

 

 

 

 

On to plan B then, turning a rail by the Prescott Road bridge. 

 

 

 

This was the site, with Paul already unclipping the rail in question.

Why turn it round? To show its better side ...

Worn rail has sides, one worn, the other almost new.

 

 

This delamination is what we don't like. The technical term is Gauge Corner Fatigue, or Rolling Contact Fatigue. It's caused by heavy loads, something that we don't have (the new rail to Broadway has seen 0mm wear since 2018!) . As you can see, the opposite side is spotless, so we decided to turn this one round.

As this is the only rail with such symptoms, we can be sure that it was imported to the GWSR in that condition 40 years ago.

 

Here are the Telehandler and the RRV turning the rail round. We all have radio headsets, so it is easy to communicate between us - except when both machinery operators are called David...

 

 

 

As the day grew duller and damper, we headed for home, with two out of our three jobs completed.

 

On the way we picked up a broken concrete sleeper from the lineside, and two more surplus ones.

Keep the line tidy ! We often pick up lineside rubbish, and take it back to the Grundon.

 

David, David, and Paul. Fourth team member - behind the camera.

 

We felt pretty positive about our Friday day at work, as you can see from this lively post work chat. It's always good to chew the fat. 

 

 

Sunday at Broadway.

We have a special party coming next Thursday, and with the race trains no one is available to unlock the cafe. The visitors are bringing their own caterers, so all that is required is for someone to open and close the cafe rooms. We went to learn about keys, alarms etc.

It was a handy opportunity to see the Bubble Car at work at last. Here it is, just trundling into the station on a regular service. 

 

This portrait was taken from the signal box, which is also of interest to our visitors. More in the next blog about them.

 

 

 

It's still early days for the rail car, after so many years of restoration, so on Sunday it was accompanied by a technician in a dust coat.

No troubles reported, phew ! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday and Tuesday at Broadway.

Two days of brick laying, and another delivery of 72 concrete blocks on Monday, together with the joists for the main building. 20 heavy timbers to lug between the platforms. But we got there in the end. 

John concentrated on this central section of the building on both days. We're back on the brick laying job, but it's slow work, because of all the cutting to size due to the many windows along here.

We took this overall view for you, but it's less than perfect, as the (cheap) new camera clearly struggles with the contrast between light and dark. So, apologies for the mediocre quality on this one.

 

 

 

Wednesday with the Usketeers.

Four of us again, now with extra Julian, and all four of us were busy. 

 

 

To our delight, Martin, a fellow PWay volunteer, had agreed to cut all our sleepers to size.

This took less than an hour, we were amazed. And very grateful.

Cutting the sleepers was the last big unknown of our project to build the hut.

 

 

 

 

 

Better still, Simon, another PWay volunteer arrived in the Telehandler, and offered to take all 36 up the track to the tunnel mouth.

 

Here he is, gingerly making his way slowly down the slope. The destination is in the distance. It's the first of three loads.

 

 

Platelayers' hut kit, 12 inches to the foot scale.

 

 

 

 

The side packets of the kit of parts were left to one side, the 10 timbers for the end were on the other side. 

We also numbered each timber, just in case. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Two race trains passed us. 

 

This is the second (Mrs. Blogger on board, serving Guinness and Champagne), headed by BETTON GRANGE.

The first train was headed by freight loco 3850. We took a video of that, as it made a rather spirited departure. Unfortunately the YouTube upload froze on the last page. Seems to be one of those things.

 

 

 

 

We all waved furiously - the train was packed with race goers; the Toddington car park with Range Rovers.

It's a good source of income for us. 

 

 

 

Given that the sleepers are now cut, and on site, we had the stimulus to prepare the site for their erection. They will stand on these pavers, a trick to keep them off the wet concrete and so prolong their life.

 

 

 

 

Paul prepared the two ends, then moved down one side.

Each sleeper will overhang the paver by an inch, so that rain water will drip off.

We're still a few pavers short - Paul was bringing them in the tiny boot of his MX5, a quantity at a time. One more trip should see us through. 

 

 

 

 

 Here is the end done, and a start down each side.

 

 

 

 

We measured the distance between them carefully, so that the sleeper overhang would be the same all round.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul and Dave laid the pavers on the cutting side, which is now done. Next week it should be ready to receive the first uprights.

Jules brought more water, from our 'well' a few feet away. 

 

 

 

 Speaking of these wells, actually rainwater catch pits.

The Telehandler accidentally nudged one of the heavy concrete covers, and there it went, plop, down the hole.

DANG! Luckily the Telehandler was also able to retrieve it, as the cover was far too heavy to shift by hand. 

 

An hour after taking its train load of happy punters to the race course, Betton Grange was back ECS and passed by us, on its way to a lay over at Toddington. Mid afternoon it would head south again.

 

 At the end of the afternoon the tally was:

 

- 36 sleepers cut and delivered to the tunnel mouth site.

- Three courses of bricks laid on the chimney

- About 3/4 of the pavers laid on mortar, most of the way round the future footprint of the hut. 

 

 

 

A couple of things at Toddington.

There's a new 'gateway' into the car park, down the temporary entrance road. As this road pretty much follows a gas main through our site, there is a worry that very heavy traffic could disturb it 

Hence the desire to have something to limit very heavy vehicles down the road. They can still get to us, but need to go down the original access road, and sliding gate.

Someone was needed to make this height restriction barrier. Who could do the job? Enter Neal ! He did a great job, out of old boiler tubes. The height limit down this road is now 3.00 metres.

Try not to knock down Neal's new barrier - thank you. 

 

 

 

 

A quick look at the second bridge parapet shows that it too is now almost ready. This one has had a very large number of new pieces fitted to it - and rivetted !

Outside by the coal yard was a packet made up out of the three replica cast iron columns for Broadway. These are about to go to the galvanisers.

 

Then we can put them up.