Interim update.

Interim update.

As readers must have guessed, a blogger needs to have a break to keep his sanity. We spent 14 days away from the GWSR, in the totally different Trento region, and then in Lombardy. Next week we're away too, so the blog post following this one is likely to be on the Wednesday after (i.e. in about 10 days).

 

The Usketeers motored on nonetheless.

Well, for the following week, the week after that they took a holiday too. It's the season. So here is the work from 10 days ago.

 

 

 

The week before we lifted the tilting cabin using bars and blocks. The next time Dave, Paul and Julian borrowed some Duff jacks to lift the cabin higher still, and then rested it on the two sleper offcuts we had left over from the lineside hut.

The idea was to free up the sunken foundation blocks on the two front corners, and build them up with bricks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here you can see Paul doing just that. The first course of bricks is already down.

 

 

 

 

The next idea was to get some decent second hand sleepers, and use one to support the rotten frame at the front.

Station owner Bryan was very helpful, and gave us a couple of good second hand spares that he had, and even a trolley on which to drag them across the site. 

 Here they are on arrival, a bit puffed out after the long drag from the other side of the house.

 

Steam was on again, so there was also the chance for a quick snap of a real train going by.

 

 

 

With the two front corners built up again, the intention was to slip the sleeper on top of the corners, and under the rotten frame. The vertical panels are not so good either, and may well get replaced entirely, but as a start we cut off the bottoms to get the sleeper under.

Thanks to C&M we have been able to obtain some lengths of second hand timber, that formerly held up their old workshop, until it was knocked down earlier this year. 

We don't envisage spending much, if any, money on this rebuild. 

 

 

 

Finally, success! The sleeper is under the frame, and on top of the higher corners.

The wreckage in the foreground is from Bryan's own attempts to righten the cabin. 

 That success deserved a coffe break. Even a failure deserved a coffee break - we like coffee breaks.

 

Dave took this lovely shot of the blue Growler coming into Gotherington.

The last shot is a frontal one, showing the sleeper in place, on the new brick supports. The SB name plate (home made by Bryan) is off, with a view to refreshing the T&G down the front.

Greet tunnel.

 

There's a debate going on about the missing date stones on the portals of Greet tunnel, the second longest in the UK preservation world.

 

Here's a picture of the current situation, taken from the new lineside hut. The date stone has fallen out of its socket, probably in bits over several years. The bits we found on the ground are of soft, Cotswolds stone, it's just crumbled.

 

We would like to replace the date stones with new, better quality examples. The trouble is that we have never seen a photograph of either tunnel portal, showing them in place. Can anybody help with an old photograph?

 

In particular, we don't know which date Greet tunnel actually carried. Hunting Butts was 1906, so is it safe to assume Greet was 1905? Winchcombe was opened in 1905; Bishops Cleeve in 1906. 

Then there's money of course. The company doesn't have any, so it's not in anyone's budget. If there is enough interest, we could try an appeal on the blog? Are you interested?

 

 

Work at Broadway.

Neal and John have also been busy over the last 14 days.

 

 

 

People may have noticed on the CCTV camera that there was a pile of specials on the corner of the scaffolding. Now it's gone.

 

 

 

This is where that pile of specials went - it made up the missing fourth row of corbels along the back. The upside down curve is the last row. Another job ticked off.

 

 

 

 

And, o miracle, Neal managed to heave the incredibly heavy last fascia board at the back into place. He was assisted in that by some members of the Broadway maintenance gang.

 

 

 

The reason for the delayed fitting was here - the board had to be cut to fit around the corbelling brickwork.

 

 

 

 

And, to our astonishment, we found that Neal and a small group from the loco department had actually started riveting. This is the north end of that same fascia board. It's going nowhere, with all those rivets in it now. The corresponding temporary bolts have been removed. Some were so old that they had already been used for the same job on the P1 station building.

 

 

In the same corner we also see the brace that was fitted. This will stop the steel structure from flexing. It's not original, but necessary due to the change in the way the structure is now held up. Not by the brick walls of the building itself, but by an internal steel cage, hidden inside the walls.

 

 

 

Here is another that hasn't been fitted yet. A number of holes have to be drilled in it first, and also on the fascia bioard, for the rivets to go in.

 

 

 

 

Isn't this a fine example of the old fashioned riveting that our building has! A passing visitor on Friday remarked that Broadway was the most beautiful station building that he knew. Let's keep it that way, let's respect the 1904 date and our living museum vocation.

 

 

 

Later on Friday Neal was measuring up for some frame extensions, and to illustrate a question about the braces at the staircase end, Neal produced this little drawing. It will be made of angle iron, to a sort of butterfly shape.

 

 

 

 

This is where that butterfly shape will go, in between the two columns at the bottom of the steps. A half butterfly has already been fitted on the right, and two more will go in on the left.

 

 

Neal has also made 4 frame extension pieces, two for each end of the building, where the purlins stop. These will support the wooden boarding at the end. They now need de-rusting, priming and painting. 

 

 

The north end has both extensions fitted, the south end one of the two. A third piece will come off the ridge (the purpose of Neal's plywood drawing...)

 

More riveting could take place next Wednesday (Yours Truly is on another railway next week) and Neal reports that there are still a few more holes that need drilling.

 

Painting is likely to become more difficult as we enter autumn, due to the heavy rain that is forecast for the last quarter. We are conteplating making an early start on the roofing in one corner, to get a dry working area. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PWay last week.

 

There was lineside work on Wednesday and Friday, of which Paul kindly sent us some photographs.

 

 

 

The job was at Laverton, a bit beyond the concrete rail over road bridge. We seem to get regular undulations on the Malvern side, and indeed prior to opening a small slip was repaired here.

 

This is the 'before'. 

 

On the same day the Peak passed the work site. Gang numbers are a bit low at the moment, due to the summer holidays.

 

 

 

 Paul tried a bit of an artistic shot; you can just about make out two guys using Robels to pack the track (possibly Bob and Simon?)

 

 

Afterwards, and with a cheerier sky, the track was level again.

Until the next time. 

 

Due to the higher (concrete replacement) bridge there is more ballast here than usual, and this may be weighing down the side of the trackbed that has track on it.

 

After our exceptionally dry summer, we are monitoring the track carefully to detect any signs of slippage on our embankments. The Bishops Cleeve slip was detected late last year as a long crack, which with heavy rain running into the crack during the winter, did indeed turn into a slip. 

 

Clay embankments - that's the nature of our line. 

 

 

We also had sleeper changing south of the tunnel. That's an old section of track, now long on second hand woods from the early 1990s. We keep having to come back to it, until it gets exchanged for concrete sleepers. One day... the list of jobs is long.

 

 

 This sleeper doesn't look too bad, but our track patrollers are very vigilant, and it's coming out.

 

 

The replacement area was then Robelled. We use these machines a lot, and are seeing more failures in the 4 that we have. Currently we are down to just two.

 

 

 

The reward for sleeper changing was the sight of 3850 chugging hard out of the tunnel. It's uphill, until 500yds behind the camera, then level on a long embankment through Gretton.

 

 

 

 

Last but not least, a plug for the friends of Pilley Bridge nature reserve. It's a kilometre long nature reserve on what used to be the Cheltenham - Banbury line. It's in the heart of the souhern part of Cheltenham. 

 

Maybe drop in for a visit next Sunday?

 

 

Getting ready for riveting.

Friday at Broadway.

Now that the steelwork is up - with the exception of the rear fascia board along the canopy extension - we have a number of preparatory tasks before us, before we can put the roof sheets and glazing on, and keeping things in the dry.

Friday is a non-running day, but there are many exceptions (chiefly fire&drive) and last Friday was an outing of the Growler group supporters.

Just before noon both GWSR based Growlers arrived, in top and tail formation. As it was almost lunch time, and the train had a working buffet car on board, a strategic phone call earlier that morning arranged for a hot bacon roll to be delivered by the travelling stationmaster on the train. One of the working man's privileges.

 

 

 

Almost all the passengers were concentrated in the first carriage, but as Broadway was the terminus, there was a visible migration to the far end of the train, now the front.

The train was quite busy, with supporters from all over the country. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we were not passengers, we were able to chat to the driver, and see the train depart.

 

 

 

 

Walking back, we took this record shot of the station, as it evolves into its final shape. 

There's a lot of S&T activity in and around the signal box, which will definitely enter service in 2027. Nine years after the station, but better late than never. It seemed like 'never' for quite a long time, but thanks to our new chairman, it will now happen. 

Another positive bit of news that we heard is that we will now be buying a set of bollards, to go along the pavement outside the station. 

 

 

Patience has finally run out, after the latest set of cracks on our pavement. Not only the slabs are affected, but at least two drainage covers have been crushed. Although at least one skip lorry was seen offending, the main offenders are 13 ton touring coaches. Instead of using the lay by half way up the drive, they want to deliver their passengers as close to the front door as possible, and then stay there, with 2 wheels on the pavement, because there is no room.

The bollards will be of the 'cannon ball' type and cast iron, so pukka stuff. They weigh 70 kg each. 

 

 

Then it was back to work, with Neal drilling rivet holes for junction plates, and Yours Truly touching up the paintwork damage from loading and final assembly.

Here Neal is bolting on one of the truss support brackets over the staircase. 

 

 

For comparison, here's a picture of Broadway's big sister station, Hall Green. The bit Neal is bolting on is the triangular piece under the truss, to the left of the staircase. He still has to make the brace piece in the middle - not a big job, after all he has done already.

There are also purlin extension pieces to make. These permit the dagger board screen over the end to be fitted. 

The Growler special came to Broadway three times during the day.

 This was the mid-afternoon departure, a double header, with its own headboard.

Monday at Broadway.

A laste arrival for Yours Truly, who started the day hunched over the telephone, argueing with the bank about a renewal debit card that didn't work. Stress ! But all sorted now. They left it right to the wire!

 

 

On our (late) arrival we found Neal on the tower scaffold, firmly planted in the 4ft. He had the section staff in his pocket, Monday being a non-running day.

The scaffolding was meant to be built out on to the run round loop, but we never managed to get permission to do this. So we are 6ft short.  How to drill the neceesary holes? And indeed fit the woodwork, dagger boards, guttering and final painting?

 

 

 

Neal is a practical man, so he organised a tower scaffold and drilled from that. Some holes had to be drilled from the inside, but no problem.

Every now and then we had to get down to the trackbed and hump the tower along to the site of the next truss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In between the trusses were these lattice brackets to secure.

They only had two rivet holes to drill, then move on. 

 

 

 

Here's an overview from the footbridge, with Neal about half way along.

Message to Noel: We've taken the G clamps off, there are secure bolts now (to be themselves replaced by rivets in due course) so no more need to worry! 

 

On getting the canopy steelwork up after three years of assembly in 'The Greenhouse', we've had quite a few messages of congratulation, but little interest from the centre so far. At least the public can now see what we are doing, what it's going to look like.

 

As we were working on the fascia board we got the replica builder's plate out from storage. It's not on yet here, but this is what it will look like. It's a new casting off an original, lent by Brian, a local photographer who saw the station being demolished in 1963.

 

While on the tower scaffold Neal also took the opportunity of disking off the excess from the latticework beams.

They stuck out at the bottom, but no more now.

By mid afternoon Neal arrived at the far, northern end. We reckon he drilled 82 holes during the day, a small part of the several hundred he needs to do before we can start riveting.

Another interesting job facing him is the 20mm adjustment of the second truss from the north end. It is slightly out of place, leading to a wobble in the ridge line and a fascia board with a curve in it.

How will he do it?

Stay tuned to this blog.

That said, there are going to be a few gaps, due to holidays and a working visit to another railway. Back to normal frequency by the end of September.
 

 

Tuesday at Broadway.

Three of us - John was back, so brick laying progressed, hooray ! 

 

 

 

We made John a nice mix (and a second one after lunch) and he was able to make good progress on the 4 rows of corbelling at the back. This is needed before we put the roof on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neal was on drilling again. or 'broaching' as it is, technically speaking.

He was on the ridge purlins today, all awkward holes, he informed us. 

How far has he got? A fair bit, was the answer. So a bit more patience is needed, before we are ready to do any riveting. 

 

 

 

 

 

If you look carefully, you can just make out Neal's yellow hatted head in the distance. 

It was a good day for painting, so we followed up with undercoat all the little bits we had treated with Kurrust, and covered with green steel primer earlier.

There are 6 roof 'boxes' in between the steels if you like. We completed 4 of them today, and those are now waterproof for a while, until a topcoat is applied. 

 

 

It would be even better for the coat of protective paint if we had the roof sheets on, but that is still a while off. Let's hope we have a dry September. No one else has come forward to do any painting, so it looks like a job for Yours Truly, after the hols.

 

It was a Growler haulage day again on Tuesday. Here, it's 37215. Customers seemed fairly numerous, which was good to see, including some groups.  We sat on the platform outside the cafe, enjoying a Cappuccino, and let all the populace mill around us. It was a moment of quiet pride, people enjoying our station, many not realising that it is a replica built by volunteers.

 

 

 

At the end of the day John had laid about 3/4 of the back third row of corbels, using bevelled headers (as we call them).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using the toilets to wash our hands, we saw a new notice above the taps. Now, normally we would baulk at such non-heritage notices - there seem to be a lot of them appearing nowadays - but we do get the reason for these. People turn on the taps, then walk away.

Replacing our nice Victorian models with modern self closing taps does not help, because these soon clog up and no longer close, leading to even more loss of water. So what to do to educate people? Hence the notice above all the taps at Broadway. OK then.

 

 

 

 

Next came this one: it's above the toilet bowl. Not exactly Victorian either, but modern people throw all sorts of non-human waste down the toilet, pricipally plastic wet wipes. Don't do it, they're made of plastic, and cause fatbergs! Yes, You !

Alas, also OK then. 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally this one: We had this 'DISABLED' door plate made specially, in GWR style.

An aluminium Baby Changing sign was then glued above it. This was the result of a passenger in the cafe who changed her baby's nappy on top of one of the cafe tables, claiming there was no sign to show her where the baby changing facilities were. 

Not OK - surely this was an isolated incident? How clueless some people are. 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday with the Usketeers.

A full house of 4 volunteers today. We started at Winchcombe, as we needed to talk to people for various supplies we needed, and maybe some tools to borrow.

Paul also wanted to explain his suggested method of lifting the little cabin, so that we can get a sleeper underneath. He did us a little drawing, on the back of the envelope as it were. Or, in this case, a spot from brick laying:

 

 

 

It involved two lifting arms, possibly with some extra stays, if required.

It reminded us of a Sedan chair... 

 

 

 

 

Once on site in Bryan's back garden, a simpler idea evolved. 

 

 

How about using a bar on each corner, using some sleeper offcuts as fulcrums, and see if we can tip the cabin back that way?

If successful, we could then get some temporary bricks underneath to hold it up. 

This idea did indeed work, and in the picture you can see two bricks and a bit of packing , under a part of the side frame that was still sound.

 

 

 

The end of that frame member, as well as the bottom 6 inches of the corner post were rotten, and this was the reason the cabin had tilted. 

The cause of the rot was that the concrete pots on which it stood were too low down, so that much of the cabin's frame stood on ash, which was often wet, especially since the two downpipes did not dispose of the rainwater very well.

 These inside shots of the frame at the front give you an idea of what was going on.

Middle of the front frame, which turned out to be two lengths spliced together.

 

A rotten corner.Not a good jacking point, we found.

 

 

 

Paul can be seen clearing of the concrete pads, which are about a foot below ground level.

The intention is to raise these pads with brick towers, so that the whole cabin will stand above ground. 

 

 

 

 

 

We rather like working at Gotherington. We have our own cabin (albeit a bit wonky at the moment), and we can watch trains rumbling by all day long. And owner Bryan is delighted with us being there, as he can't manage all the maintenance on his own. No doubt he would be grateful for some local help, to keep the place ticking over.

Bryan gave us a little tour of Gotherington station yard, so that we could help ourselves to any useful materials that we might find.

 

In the meantime the green Growler arrived with its train, not so well filled. The first train out of CRC was well occupied though, with at least one party booking, and a full coach of enthusiastic people waving at us. 

 

 

The idea of levering the hut with an iron bar on two corners worked quite well. Here it is almost level now. However, ultimately we would like to see it above, not on, the ground.

 

 

Lunch was taken al fresco, although it wasn't all that fresh. It was hot and muggy today, and we felt exhausted after just a couple of hours work.

 

This signal is operated from the little groundframe cabin - an idea for children, like the ground frame at Toddington. 

 

 

 

As we probed further, we realised that the bottoms of all the boarding at the front was also rotten. It was also obscuring our view of the frame, and of what needed to be done to it.

 

With Bryan's permission we removed the signal box name plate, so that we can remove the boards in due course. In fact the bottoms of the boards all round are badly decayed, again caused by sitting on the ground. 

The Growler was back after lunch, when Yours Truly had to leave early - admin at home. There is another life out there, you know!