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. 

Rail replacement service.

 

Two trips to CRC by class 26.

A Friday special - a small group of us, aided by some signalmen and two diesel drivers, went down to CRC with 26043 to pick up the Warflat and two Elks loaded with rail.

These were then pulled back in the Broadway direction, and several stops were made to drop off replacement lengths of rail between CRC and Winchcombe.

 

 

 

The starting point was Toddington yard, where we found this carriage covered in a tarp.

It had a bent corridor connection. Also, we heard, a bent sole bar! So this vehicle was bought for spares only, in particular the bogies, which have wheels with thick tyres.

 

 

 

 

26043 awaited us by the refuelling point. We had never 'cabbed' a 26 (or 'Rat', as they were known, and indeed there was a little rat inside with bagpipes) so here are a couple of pictures of the interior for you.

This is the driver's position. The throttle had 5 notches on it, and at one point we did use the top notch, when taking the two Elks uphill through Greet tunnel. That made a great noise.

This is the origin of that noise - the 6cyl Sulzer engine. We were a bit disappointed with the sound inside the cab, because instead of the well known plodding chug of this engine, all we heard was the scream of the compressor. But it was great from outside, nearby.

At Winchcombe we found 3 PWayers staring at the loco - a cameo photo opportunity. But as soon as the camera came out, they got shy and escaped. Simon, our driver was willing to stand in.

 

Hi, Simon ! 

 

 

 

The first stop, light engine, was the signal box at Gotherington.

Here we found STEVIE in the loop, and we stopped to take some tools from the cube with us. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next stop was CRC, where we entered the long siding leading to Hunting Butts tunnel.

Here we picked up the Warflat and two Elks, the latter loaded with second hand rail, bullhead on one, and FB on the other. 

 

 

 

 

 

With the three wagons in tow we proceeded to the sports field at Bishops Cleeve, where a rail was due to be changed.

 

 

 

 

 

Our GWSR Telehandler had a minor breakdown first thing. This nearly scuppered our whole day, but we were fortunate in that our contractor Tom Clarke (with Kev helping us at CRC with a digger) agreed on the spot to come out and help us with his own Telehandler. Very kind of him.

Here he is, picking up the first rail. 

 

 

 

We then moved the train on to the Dixton cutting, where we had surprised 4 Roe Deer on the way out. 

Here Tom helped us discharge 3 rails in one spot, and a fourth a bit further on. We have unfortunately been obliged to change several rails along here, due to damage on the surface. While we got them this way 35 years ago, we cannot carry on indefinitely with such damage, so eventually they have to be exchanged for clean rails.

Tom removing another FB rail in the Dixton cutting.

 

The Dixton cutting is extra wide, we believe it served as a quarry for the long embankment in the Greet area. Behind the Telehandler is a landslip, but fortunately it is harmless to us, as it is so far away. 

While waiting for the Telehandler to put the lifting frame back, we took this portrait of the 26 from under the trees. This is a very pretty area.

Behind the camera is an unusual feature, a stream that crosses the line from a height. During the build in 1905 it was dropped down to below the level of the track, so you have something of a water chute on the Cotswolds side.

 

 

 

On our slow journey north we crossed through Winchcombe again.

Here we stopped to unload the surplus materials off the Warflat, from our recent relay of the turnout at CRC. 

 

 

 

The next dropping off point was along the Defford straight.

One of the issues reported here was a series of 'squats' reported on a couple of weeks ago. That will now be dealt with in the next couple of days, certainly before the start of the main operating season.

The weather was pretty grim on Friday, with drizzle all day long. A guilty member of the PWay also managed to break one of the class 26 windscreen wipers, which flew off in a high arc as we went along. We had to stop the train and search for it - luckily it was undamaged. All he did was turn it on.

 

 

 

After the Defford straight we went all the way back to CRC, where we were asked to store the two Elks as far out of the way as possible, due to the expected race trains here.

This is the furthest south that we have ever travelled on the GWSR.








The two Elks were dropped off, and the Warflat retrieved, for stabling at Toddington. It will no doubt be in use again very shortly, in view of its completely renewed decking.

26043 pauses by Toddington box with the Warflat, for permission to proceed.

 

 

 

Saturday - out with the gang. 

The very next day the whole PWay gang was out again, replacing damaged rails with those dropped on Friday.

 

 

 

The job was in the Defford straight cutting, but first three of us had to get the necessary tools, which were in the 'cube' temporary site storage container, currently at Gotherington.

It's a long, tricky reverse from Gotherington skew bridge entrance and along the platform, avoiding discarded sleepers and catch pit covers on the way. 

 

 

 

While the three of us were doing this, the rest of the gang of 12 were in the cutting, lifting out the first of the affected rails. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here (after our arrival from Gotherington) you can see how they lifted out two rails, and are measuring the replacements up. A number of rails along here were 45 footers, so the 60ft replacements had to be shortened.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The replacement rail was then cut, after measuring twice (of course). This is a busy stretch, and we don't want any lumps and bumps along here. 

Simon in the meantime has positioned himself at right angles with the beam, ready to go. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even as Leigh is already cutting the fishplate holes, moves are afoot to cut the second rail. It needs jacking off the ground, to allow the rail saw to cut right through

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

The replacement rail, cut to the correct length, was then lifted into place.

Offcuts are in the foreground. 

 

 

 

 

 

Having done two rails at the Winchcombe end, we moved up a couple of 100 yards to the second site, where three lengths need replacing.

 

Here is an example of damage to one of the rails that we were replacing. It's a squat, proably caused by wheelslip from a starting locomotive in a previous life of this rail, which came to us in the late 1980s. It was probably alright 40 years ago, but the initial slight damage to the surface has worsened over time, so now we are dealing with where we find it.

The damaged rail could still be used in sidings, where speeds are very low. So the rail won't be wasted. 

 

 

 

 

This is the second site. The first rail is being cut to length.

Dave surveys the scene.... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now the new length has to be moved up a few feet, a tricky manoeuvre with a Telehandler in a cutting.

New recruit Greg is trying out the rail saw on the right - it's hard work, and not easy on the back. 

 

 

 

 

 

We were rather disappointed to find another piece of airborne plastic litter deposited on our lineside.

This one announced 'The World's Best Dad'. It's a brief pleasure, but soon on our trackside, or worse still, choking a wild animal. Please don't buy Helium filled ballons.

We soon had the three rails at the north end swapped out, and here we are tidying up the site.

 

Now all that remains to be done is to pick up the old rails. The involves STEVIE, but he's busy elsewhere at the moment. 

We put all the tools and bits and pieces on to the white Transit, ready to return to Winchcombe. As it was facing north, it had to reverse out of the cutting to the start of Chicken Curve, where there was a flat area to turn.

 

Picture by Liam Percival

Unfortunately, with its smooth road tyres the old girl wouldn't drive back off the damp grass. The wheels just spun. It took almost the entire gang to push her back on to the harder roadway. Your Blogger's contribution was to press the accelerator as hard as he could...

Monday at Broadway.

 

It was a lovely sunny day, so brick laying started again, using the new specials from Ibstock. At last ! 

 

 

John began on the pltform side wall, using one of the new specials, several of which ypou can see on the left. They convert a square brick to a round column.

 

 

Neal was also on site, but only for the morning. He spent that time on woodwork for the internal roof of the store room. We are currently waiting for a specialist roofer to put the flat roof on.

 

 

 

We have also had a piece of good news. A supporter has offered us a Romesse stove for Broadway signal box. This one is from Notgrove signal box, so has excellent provenance.

 

The first thing we are going to do is clean it up with a rotating brush, and then apply some protective stove blacking. We can then put it back together and see the complete stove, and what might need doing to it. 

At lunch time under a brilliant sky we see John completing the ninth course in the section he started earlier. 

He then moved on to a second section.

 

This is on the LH side in the picture here. That was taken at the end of the day, with another 5 courses laid and all pointed up.

Tuesday at Broadway

 

Another dry day, so more brick laying.

 

 

On Tuesday John carried on with the second section (LH, above) and raised it to 15 new courses.

He then added more bricks to Monday's RH section, so that they are now both the same height.

 

Included in this new brickwork are the additional specials that we ordered from Ibstock. They are almost a match, being slightly lighter in colour. Can you see them? They fit in pretty well really, especially as the original specials had at least three different shades between them anyway. We're happy with the result.

Last thing on Tuesday we took this picture, to show the overall effect of the renewed brick laying. It's by the two windows on the left.

 

Wednesday with the Usketeers.

A big day for us today, as we are going to lay out and mark up for cutting the complete kit of second hand sleepers that we need for the platelayer's hut.

These sleepers were very kindly sponsored by blog readers - they are good quality second hand ones, purchased from a rail intermediary. They are in excellent condition - we want our hut to last a long time.

 

So, thanks to those generous readers who contributed, we were able to pick 36 excellent sleepers, and lay them out so that they can be cut to size with a chain saw.

 

We did a lot of head scratching on site last week, about the height of various sleepers, and the angle of the roof. We consulted a drawing provided by a blog reader, and adapted it to suit our particular circumstances. This is mostly about the fact that we are not burying the ends of the sleepers in the ground, but placing them on an existing concrete base. On that they will rest on a row of pavers, covered by a DPC, so that the sleeper ends will not get wet. The height of the pavers, as well as the chosen roof angle, all have to go into the equation.

 

Finally we were able to draw a yellow line, to indicate the desired cuts. The spray paint was rather blotchy, so Paul followed it up by scratching a clear line into it with a nail.

In the picture you can see the 5 + 5 sleepers that will form the end walls, and in the background the 12 + 12 that will form the sides, with a slope. Sorry about Paul walking across the view, but there are two diagonal lines in the second and third set.

 

Paul from the PWay will ask someone with a chainsaw ticket to do the cutting. 

 

After laying out the sleepers and marking them successfully, we felt rather good, had lunch, and with lots of daylight left, decided to head out to site and do a bit of brick laying as well. As we had rather a lot of kit - more bricks, sand, two heavy concrete blocks et al - we used the Telehandler to carry the stuff, STEVIE being otherwise engaged at Gotherington.

 

Dave in the Telehandler picked his way carefully down the slope and onto the trackbed. There were no public trains today (but Race Trains this weekend) but we did read about a plan to run a test train for the Bubble Car to Broadway. Hope it was a success.

 

We made Paul a mix, which is on his spot here, right next to - his mobile phone! That's builders for you....

 

 

 

Paul and Dave put three additional courses on today. We reckon that two more courses will see the top of the screen, after which the chimney stack itself will rise alone above the roof.

The screen is an option that we saw in one model of platelayer's hut, and it is designed to fill the gap between the smaller chimney and the wider fireplace below. Another option is to have no screen, but fill this gap with odd bits of wood. We'd rather not.

 

 

With the better weather recently our buckets have not filled with water, so we opened up one of the catch pits and dropped down the bucket a few times. That works fine.


 

Here's the situation at the end of Wednesday, as we left. Quite a few courses on that fireplace now. All that heavy material has had to be taken to the site from the yard half a mile away, so we think that we did well.

 

When the hut is complete, it should really complement this view of the tunnel mouth. One for our photographers. The hut will not occupy the entire concrete base, and there will be a small terrace in front, which will be really inviting to place a few chairs and enjoy the view! 

 

 

Wednesday on the PWay.

A last push at Gotherington. The Manor Lane end turnout is getting an almost complete renewal, with new timbers and a new crossing in the midddle. The pressure is on - we are running race trains this weekend, and they are critical.

 

 

 

There was a big gang of 21 today, all hands on deck. STEVIE was there too, with the cube and its tools. He's been staying at Gotherington, but will now return to Winchcombe, to free up the line, and we give back our PWay posession of the Winchcombe - CRC section.

 

 

The gang was working hard under a brilliant blue sky. There were 4 timbers left to change, the entire turnout needed hand tamping with the Robels, and then the site made tidy and safe.

This is the view at the end of the day, it's done ! You'd never know that all these timbers have just been replaced.

The turnout at CRC was also completely relaid, and the PWay has given up its possession of it and handed the job over to S&T for reinstallation of the point motor and cabling.
 

 

 What's left to do?

A group photograph, of course ! Here is the proud gang, all smiles. Another successful winter works session concluded perfectly.