Friday on the road.

 

Friday on the road.

Three of us on a Friday special.

The first job was to deliver 20 second hand sleepers to a supporter of the railway.

 

 

 

This was done in a slightly unexpected way - over the fence, and away. 

Apparently, the neighbour agreed to this. We didn't hang about to find out, but did have one happy punter.

 

 

 

 

We then returned in the truck to Toddington for a second job, pausing on the way for a quick peep into the loco shed.

Neal was there, making more brackets for Broadway P2. 

But also this thing was being manufactured, funded by your blogger - anyone know what it is?

 

 

 

 

Job no.2 was the removal of a pallet of heavy turnout base plates from the lineside.

They were very heavy indeed, but we did get them on the back of the truck eventually, with the help of the Steam Dept. Telehandler. They are now in store at Winchcombe. 

 

The third job was to take a truck load of scrap sleepers to our LT storage site at Working Lane. Care was advisable here, because a previous load was now inhabited by nature, that is to say, a wasps's nest. 

As we were busy taking away our truck load, Young David stayed behind with the Winchcombe Telehandler and re-arranged the spent ballast so that a level site became available. This is due to receive one of the empty containers from the garden centre site, also in the drive to tidy that up. PWay were willing takers!

 

 

Looking over our PWay storage site, we realised that we had a dumpy bag of surplus new Fastclips and associated pads.

 

We can't use these - does anyone want to make us an offer? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, for Friday, an amusing snapshot in our local village.

A visitor studying the bus timetable, with a notice promising a maximum waiting time of only 10 minutes.

How nice that would be..... 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday at Broadway.

Grey, with drizzle. That made it rather hard to carry out the intended jobs, i.e. primer 7 planks and clean and primer 4 brackets that Neal made.

We were alone to start with, as Neal's car had a battery problem (which turned out to be caused by an incompletely closed door leaving the interior light on) 

 

 

 

While assembling the kit for painting, we noticed that Neal had fitted the 8 brackets at the rear, that we had cleaned and painted earlier.

Here they are, all in a row. You can see how the supporting timbers will be attached. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The planks that needed painting in wood primer were in the container, and with a little juggling we got some painted, put them outside to dry while we did others, and then quickly brought them all back in as the drizzle intensified. 

Here they are, done. On the left are some prepared spearhed fencing panels, and at the back is the second of the large canopy lamps, the first of which is on the canopy extension on P1.

 

 

 

 

 

 

During a quick brighter spell we had a go at Neal's next lot of brackets. These are four that will go on the northern end, to stabilise the bottom of the end panel.

Neal made these up out of some of the angle iron that was thrown next to the skip, but recovered.

Our angle grinder then failed with brush issues. Neal was able to effect a repair, and we continued the job in the garage at Blogger Towers. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At lunch time Neal did appear, having worked out what had drained ghis car battery. Luckily it was nothing serious.

Here he is test fitting the same 4 brackets, and drilling holes in them so that they can be bolted on in due course (after painting...) 

Tuesday at Broadway.

 

A rainy start, then great sunshine, and ideal weather for painting, and building.

 

 

 

It was a mixed steam/diesel day, so while Neal is sawing an angle on to timbers that will carry the sloping roof sheets, the 'Bubble Car' is waiting patiently in the background.

 

 

At the same time Yours Truly was painting the 7 planks that were put into primer yesterday - steady progress, as usual. There is lots to do, but every day we are getting a bit further.

 

A quiet moment at Broadway - very BR branch line !

 

If you bide your time and wait, passengers will eventually board their train (or wander off) and then you can catch quiet moments like these.

 

The train will then leave, station staff will have their tea, and Neal, John and Jo wander over to the cafe for a coffee and a piece of cake. 

 

 

Neal carried all the sawn off roof support timbers to the top and laid them out, ready for primering as well (along the freshly cut edges).

 

 

 

2807 was the loco in steam on Tuesday, and on a particularly long stay (some are longer than others) it ran up and down the loop with, we think, a couple of guests in the cab. How nice.

 

S&T were also on site, and expressed confidence that the signal box will be trialled for the first time in November.

 

We can't wait. 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, with three Usketeers.

 

The Lurgi has struck, and Paul is home in bed with flu. 

 

Three Usketeers carried on, first at Winchcombe, to clear out the weighbridge. It was a sad moment, it felt like we were leaving home, but the FoWS wanted it empty so that they could redecorate, after our repairs.

 

 

 

It was 2807 and the Bubble Car on services today, and with two coach loads of school children departing from Winchcombe, the fireman of 2807 was keeping a careful lookout. 

 

 

 

Then, finally, the off. The GWR 2-8-0 disappears in a cloud of steam underneath the road bridge, heading for the tunnel and the steep climb through it to the summit at the other end. Always a good spectacle to see, and hear..

 

 

 

 

The ground frame hut at Gotherington has two levers inside it. One is attached to a small signal a few yards away, and it works too. People love to pull the lever and see the signal operate. Only, to raise the hut, we had to disconnect the arrangement and push a sleeper under the hut's frame, and it occurred to us today that this might affect the cable run. 

 

Dave got down on his hands and knees to see what was going on under the floor. Hard to see. Shoving a camera down the didn't help either. Dave suggested putting the camera's torch function on while taking a picture down there, and we said: Dave, that's called a flash. Ah.... 

 

 

 

 

This overview shows how the T&G boards are rotted away at the bottom, and top right is a (loose) cable wheel that allowed the cable run to do a 90 degree turn in front of the hut. At what height did the cable come out, and was the sleeper now in the way?

 

After much delving underground we worked out that the cable came out exactly under the original internal frame, i.e. it would have to be above the sleeper. With a bit of skulduggery we got the cable threaded through again, but it became clear that the front of the frame had had it, and we would need to replace it. Luckily we were able to source a spare length of 4x2 at Winchcombe, amidst some timber that had been saved from the skip. Well done that man!

 

 

 

As it was a nice bright day we got the chairs out and sat in the sun, under the tree. We called Paul at home, miserable, and told him what fun we were having. 

 

He said he hoped to be back next week.

 

 

 

 

Trains have to be waved at, it's an unwritten rule. So work stopped for a moment. Everyone waved back enthusiastically, perhaps we are well known?

 

 

 

 

When Bryan came to pay us a visit we showed him the rot in the T&G at the front, too big to hide with some gravel boards that Dave had brought. He very kindly agreed to buy some new examples, enough to do up the front. We took one board off, and it was this that got us to realise that the lower front frame member was shot. It does need replacing, and we will do this.

Meanwhile Julian and Dave looked at the downpipes. These used to end just by the corners of the hut, so contributing to the decay, and the alarming inclination that brought the Usketeers in for the job. We are considering re-routing the downpipes, both joining at the back, and lengthened to take the water away, down the embankment. But we don't have the necessary parts, or money to buy any.

 

 

 

 

As the hut was now well jacked up and secured on new pedestals, we started to fill the surrounding trenches again. That was very satisfying. We stopped filling at a level just below the new supporting sleepers.

 

 

 

At some point 2807 also came by, so another stop to wave, mostly at two carriages filled with school children. They love it.

 

 Julian didn't have his own chair, so borrowed Paul's folding canvas chair. That did not go well.

 

 

 

 

Amazon? Yes, Hello, do you have any chairs that don't rip.....?

 

After the unfortunate chair incident and a lot of banter upon poor old Julian, we decided to do a bit of landscaping and replace the two slabs that we had pulled up to dig the trenches.

 

 

 

One slab got broken earlier, but Bryan was fine with it being re-used. We might treat him to a second hand example from the pile at Winchcombe next time.

 

 A bit of stomping revealed a wobble here and there, but that was easily fixed.

 

 

 

At the end of the day it looked like this. Quite respectable already, don't you think? But there is plenty more work (luckily, we are always on the lookout for the next project)

 

Undercoat complete.

Thursday at Broadway.

A dry day (we thought) so an opportunity to be seized for painting more of the steelwork on the Broadway P2 roof. 

No painting pictures though - what could we show? It's repetitive work, not very interesting. It wasn't easy on Thursday though, as it had rained hard overnight and although the sun was shining on arrival, the steelwork was wet all over. Can't paint like that. We removed as much of the water (in the angle iron particularly) as we could with a rag, leaving just a damp film. We then went down to the cafe for a cappucino and a bun, to let the sun do its work.

The result for the day was a whole bay painted, one of three. So we're 2/3 of the way there to giving the whole structure its second undercoat. 

 

 

 

There was evidence of work from Wednesday (our usketeering day) as there are now three arches in (out of the 8), and John has been filling in the bricks in between, and above.

 

 

 

 

 

Also interesting was this supporting woodwork that Neal has put up. This will support the dagger boards and the guttering in due course. All the fascia boards need this sort of woodwork, so there is still a way to go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neal also bolted some of the wooden supports for the roof sheets along the purlins, and here is a large piece of timber at the end.

This is the bottom of the structure for the dagger boards that close off the roof from the end. 

 

 

 

 

Friday gang at Toddington.

Four of us on 'operation clean up the greenhouse yard' at Toddington.

 

This is the size of the problem (picture by Paul). 

It's true, a lot of the piles of material there are from the PWay.  A gang of 4 met with two vans and two Telehandlers to take it away, or as much as we could in a day. Actually, it's at least the third day of taking it away. But it's working! There is a lot less already.

 

 

 

 

The first job was to remove the stacks of heavy rubber pads for crossings, and take them to Stanton yard.

Both Transits were used, in a shuttle service. We waved to each other, as we crossed on the B4632.

 

 

 

 

 

At Stanton we already have quite a few piles taken there on an earlier tidy up day.

The new piles went in on the opposite side. Brambles and rain won't hurt them, they're pretty much indestructible. If we need a set, we can always dig them out.

 

 

 

 

 

We also took 10 - 12 bags of accessories for these pads. They're in dumpy bags.

We got them there - just. Some were creaking badly on being lifted; they decay quickly under the sun. 

 

On the other hand, here was also an opportunity to take away 12 pads for a crossing that we want to build. That's why we have LT storage.

This crossing is for the top of the Working Lane approach, where Stevie Warren once laid in a sleeper crossing, that we had to take out again later. But it was useful, so we will now construct a proper one.

Here are the 12 pads being dropped off at Winchcombe, from where our RRV will take them to the work site through the tunnel. 

 

 

 

Next came a vast collection of cast iron chairs, removed at Toddington from expired wooden sleepers. We took those down to the PWay yard at Winchcombe, where we have others.

 

Two pallets of GWR throughbolters were taken to the 2807 foot scraper site. 

 

 

The final two van loads were sundries - more chairs, a pallet of bearers, another of chair scews, an old sack truck, a picnic table, and a bunch of cheap suitcases. All have been found a new pupose, and on top of that, they are off the greenhouse site.

 

 

Here is what we left behind (we also took that last pallet) - a nice tidy corner of the site.

There is more to go - piles of concrete sleepers and FB rail (Ex Bicester) mostly, a much slower job.

There are also a couple of hundred 'wartime economy' sleepers, out of the nearby Didbrook relay. Sixty of these are scheduled for the final part of the 'siding 2' relay at Toddington.

 

 

House and attic clearance - Man with a Van!

 

 

In passing, we took a snapshot of the 'new' drive, which is due to be moved left here, up against the fence.

 

Some prepatory works for this were already done at the top by the entrance 

 

 

Now a post and rail fence has been erected across the intended new line. Strange.

The all important gas main is marked by the red and white post lower centre, and it pretty much runs along the white line on the right. 

 

 

Last thing for Friday: An advertisement.

 

We have a small trailer and a turnstile for disposal. 

 

 

Small trailer, surplus to requirements

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the turnstile, in good condition, with maker's plate. This used to separate the garden centre from the GWSR entrance.

Any interested parties, please send a blogger contact form. 

 

 

Sunday and Monday at Broadway.

Painting, and on Monday, riveting.  

We came in on Sunday, exceptionally, as it was a bright and sunny day, and a good opportunity to get more painting done. It's going to be a wet winter, they say. 

Expecting two steamers on Sunday, we were surprised to see the 'Bubble Car' arrive first thing. We overheard a snatch of conversation from down on the platform - 'why do they call it a bubble car?'

A good question - who knows the answer to that? Was it because it was much smaller than a two or four car unit?

We painted all day, a rather tedious job. Most of the steelwork already had an undercoat of sorts, but under the greenhouse it was impossible to get every bit painted, as some of the steelwork was piled on top of each other, and other (heavy) items could not be turned over in the small space available. Then there was blowing sand, sawdust billowing, oil spatters from drilling, and steel drilling residue going rusty. So what turned up at Broadway wasn't brilliant, in terms of paint. On top of that there were a lot of holes in the paint due to transport, lifting and handling damage.

Monday saw three volunteers back on riveting the platform side fascia board. Here is a rivet being heated to just the right temperature. The hot rivet is then grabbed with a pair of pliers and handed to one of the two riveters, who insert it into the hole. Seconds later there is a brief Rat-a-tat-a-tat, and the rivet is in.

While painting undercoat on Monday, we also kept a wary eye on progress with the rivets, and would dart in with the green undercoat to apply it to the bare heads, once cooled. Later in the day we were even able to apply undercoat, so this is what it all looked like.

On Monday riveting of the fascia boards was completed. As an example, there are 20 rivets attaching the fascia board to the truss, of which there are 4. So all in all we just did 100 hot rivets. Another couple of dozen await doing, then that job is complete.

 

Tuesday at Broadway.

More good weather, so back on top to finish off the painting. This we did, and the entire steel structure now has a protective undercoat on it.

 

Doesn't it look magnificent, in its new coat? Only the platform side of the fascia board is as was, and it's not at all clear how we will paint that. Maybe when we fit the dagger boards there?

 

 

 

Neal had made up some more brackets for the woodwork. Our remaining materials, after the big lift, were suddenly cleared away from the Toddington greenhouse area. This comprised new angle iron, woodwork, and two 5 inch steel pipes for the future modesty screen. We had no idea.

All the steel was sent to the metal skip, while the woodwork ended up at Winchcombe.

By a miracle Neal was able to retrieve it all, after some detective work. Doesn't help your morale though.

The brackets, made up out of the new steel nearly scrapped, still had mill scale on them, so we spent the day grinding that off, and painting them.

Neal is making really good progress with the woodwork.

The idea is to get at least some of the roof on, so that we have a dry area to work under.

The timber on the end is for the triangular end panel of T&G.

 

 

 

 

Here he is drilling fixing holes for the chamfered timber that supports the corrugated iron sheets.

We don't have the glazing yet, but have found an acceptable supplier, after the previous one (P1) ceased trading. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This corner shot shows the other extremity of the end panel support, as well as the support structure along the rear fascia board for the dagger boards and cast iron guttering.

 

 

 

At the end of the day the 8 brackets (on the floor) were primered and in undercoat. Only a short length of chamfered timber remains to be fitted to the purlin on which Neal is working.

 

 

 

Usketeers.

Cancelled this week, due to personal circumstances, and the poor weather foreacast. Back next week though.

 

 

Wednesday on the PWay.

 Pictures by Paul.

 

 

 

 

The poor weather may have deterred the Usketeers, but the PWay gang wrapped up in their best winter gear and got to work nonetheless.

Today it was at the north end of Gotherington loop. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's a pity that the Usketeers weren't there, because the two groups could have met up - they were working only 100 yards away.

In fact in this picture you can see the little ground frame hut centre right, but no one near it. 

 

 

 

 

Usketeer Paul was considering getting his frying pan out again for some bacon baps, and on this wet day he would have had several eager takers, next to his own gang.

By lunch time in fact the rain was starting to die down, and PWay gang lunch was taken on platform two, in full view of Bryan's lovely Gotherington station.

 

 

After lunch it was time for a bit more working, tamping with the Robels. It seems only fair, after all those doughnuts.

 

 

 

 

 

Some might ask: where do all those doughnuts come from, out in the middle of nowhere?

The answer is: this plastic box. It contains all the snacks that we have, some new, some a lot older. Those are for the bold, and the very hungry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately age got to it eventually, and the PVC started to crack up.

After a WhatsApp group appeal, Peter was kind enough to let us have a new one, a spare that he had. 

Today's yummy: Mince pies.

Already ???