Maxie plays up

Due to the Easter holidays, and in one case a dental appointment, we were a reduced team of 11 today. Quite small for a Wednesday. The preparations for the wartime weekend also involve several of the Wednesday regulars, so they were filling sandbags or rolling oil drums about in readiness for the weekend.

After an extensive doughnut feast we eventually trotted down to the goods platform site.

Paul decided to build another tower, this one at the southern end of the platform wall.

Counting our blocks remaining, we seem to be several 100 short, so decided to order some more. John trundled out those that still remained on site.

Paul on the end was joined by Paul in the middle, who was working with Peter. Together they lifted in the blocks along the third course here. We think there will be 6 or 7 courses in all. We'll see when we get to the top!

Here's Paul just completing a run of blocks on the third course. Note the 'tong' that we are using, it really helps when laying blocks. It is adjustable and was used when re-palletting the bull nosed edging bricks at Tyseley on Tuesday.

Out for a bit of fresh air was this unrestored (as yet) Mk1 CK, a corridor composite numbered 16221 ex ScotRail. It's getting some serious attention, and just goes to show the sort of work of which are capable. It was built at Derby in 1961 and was one of 1268 of the type (SK) that were built. It was later pushed back into the 'barn' were all the heavy duty metal work is done.

Later we were joined by Dave, who also started laying blocks. Better make some more mortar then.

Easier said than done. Maxie the mixer was playing up. It's springtime you know...

Maxie's belt was slowly getting looser, until, like a worn out fanbelt, it began to slip and Maxie would no longer cough up any mix.

Bad Maxie!

However, it was no use hitting her with a shovel, we needed to effect some serious surgery here.

Luckily Dr. Jim was able to make a house call, with his bag of implements. He got a bit distracted though when the steamers chugged past.

In the background two other volunteers were dealing with a sale of 'garden quality' sleepers to someone. They were heavy and so were brought round with the Telehandler, for dropping into a tiny trailer. Interesting...

By the time the train going in the opposite direction had passed, Dr. Jim had reinvigorated Maxie. We tightened her belt by moving the engine further away from the transmission.

Well, you wouldn't do that with a Ford Mustang, but that's how it's done here. We tightened everything up, and Maxie ran again, except that her rattle was even louder than before. She just had to have the last word.

The morning was pleasantly sunny, but the forecast was for increasing rain in the afternoon. We should be able to hold out until 4 o'clock though.

At lunch time the class 73 rumbled in and took out the third rake from the carriage siding.

Having dropped the 8 coaches into the platform the loco ran round and is paused here at the bracket signal, which wasn't admitting it back into the station.

Time for the driver to have a stern chat with the signalman!

Coupling up mission accomplished, the class 73 pulled out of Winchcombe again and set off to park the set at Toddington. The sky is now getting darker, oh-oh.

We thought this was a good time to have our lunch break, and that was just as well, it started to really tip down.

The water was absolutely pouring down the window, everything outside was blurred.




After lunch we came out to play again, but soon after the rain resumed. Undeterred, as we did want to continue block laying, we sheltered in the lamp hut for a brief period - we thought..

Are you going to stay out there?

Thinking about warm doughnuts...

We spent a considerable amount of time in that hut. Every time we set a leg outside, the rain started again. It was as if it was teasing us.

The forecast, when an update was consulted on Paul's phone, remained pretty dire for the rest of the afternoon, so reluctantly we decided to call it a day and wash up.

During the washing up time this class 47 appeared from Toddington, while there was a down train waiting in P1 at Winchcombe. Strange. The class 47 passed it via P2 and headed on south, leaving the regular service train waiting behind.

We learned later that the other train (hauled by 2807) had failed at Cheltenham, and the class 47 was the Thunderbird loco. Well, there's always a bit of excitement on our railway.

Prior to knocking off we had a last look at our work. You can see Paul's tower on the end here, not quite completed. The black notch on the red & white pole marks the level of the platform surface, so there is some way to go yet.

You can also see how much water has come down, the site was partially under water. You really can't lay blocks in that.

With some of the afternoon still at our disposal we decided to treat ourselves to tea in the Coffepot. Or rather outside the Coffeepot, as it was full of customers. Good news, sort of. It was a bit chilly outside, suddenly.

Paul was mother, and came out with a tray full of the hot, brown stuff. What a nice way to end the day.

Caught smoking!

A more modest crew in the mess coach this time, it must be the Easter holiday that does it. Still, it ensured well filled trains, which we liked to see.

The day started grey and misty, so cold that we put our hats and coats on.

Jules and Dave P had to go off to a wartime meeting, but found the time to fetch up some more concrete blocks for us.

Neil helps himself.

The first palletful went straight on to the Permaquip trolley, so we were able to push all these blocks down to where they were going to be laid straight away.

Out of the gloom came Dinmore Manor with the first train of the day, to fetch the waiting passengers at CRC. And we had only just finished chewing on our currant buns. Such luxury, currant buns and tea. Plus, extra cakes from Peter C, who has a birthday this week. Won't say no to that, some baked concoction involving sultanas and ginger, which went down very well indeed.

Peter B joined us in laying blocks today, and he extended the bottom row - there will be 7 or 8 of them in total.

The bottom row is the worst. You are either bent right over, or working on your hands and knees, like here.








At the other end Paul was showing Neil how to lay blocks. The first row goes like this, and the second row like that, see?

The pallet on the trolley is now empty, so that's 80 blocks laid out.

After a while Jim came down too, and showed Peter how to lay the blocks up to the next tower. Notice the tongs that grip a block, what a handy tool that is.

Peter is just measuring how many more blocks he can get in here.

We were working at two levels then, with Neil and Paul at the end here, and Peter and Jim somewhere beyond the middle. One lot was on the second row, the other was extending the first.

After a while second train of 8 coaches headed south - 2807 on the maroon set.

Maxie the mixer was rattling away today, not feeling very well. Her belt wasn't very tight, and she kept stopping, even though we heard her rattling away.

We found out what was wrong - she was smoking! Noooooo? Yes, look ! Cheeky thing, right behind the carriage shed.

Punishment came swift, you have to nip such misbehaviour in the bud. Dave P gave her a thorough beating and she didn't smoke any more after that. She spat out a load of muck, and we wheeled that away happily.

Lord Muck hands it out.

Dave took the barrow of muck down to the coal face, where Jules, back early from his meeting, was another willing taker of the creamy stuff. Now we had 3 block layers on the go.

As 2807 released the route back to Toddington, Dinmore Manor emerged out of Winchcombe station and took the first train out of CRC on towards Broadway. It looked pleasingly busy, although we won't know how we are doing compared to last year until at least 3 months have passed. Opening to Broadway was very exceptional last year, and this year should be more normal.

Neil was doing quite well laying the second row of blocks, so John came up with another supply of blocks, which he laid out next to Neil.

In the middle Jules found the increasingly warm sunshine dried his site out, so he applied a little water along the bit he was going to cover in mortar shortly.

At the southern end Jim was showing Peter how to set up another tower. They are just checking that it is the right distance from the rails.

That blue track gauge, made on the railway, is ancient. It appears in pictures 20 years ago at Cheltenham, when the track was laid in between the platforms there in 1998. Today it is well battered, broken in two and mended with a bit of wood and some screws. Still does the job though.

Several other members of the gang could be seen in training for track walking. Following a reduction in the numbers, we have recruited new track walkers, and they need a period of introduction, familiarisation and learning.

Winchcombe is a good place to watch trains crossing, and you can see both locos out today, passing each other and exchanging tokens with the signalman.

Looking north.

Looking south

Mid afternoon the heat (yes, the heat, what a change!) was getting almost oppressive, and several of us had to trot down to the Coffeepot to get lemonades for much needed refreshment.

As we were wrapping up, the new 30 metre platform wall was starting to become more visible. Rows of blocks one block high, two blocks and at the northern end even three blocks high were becoming evident.

The blue pipes have been cut to allow drainage from behind.

The last train of the day is diesel hauled to Cheltenham, and here it is just arriving with the class 47 in charge. One of the crew is just getting ready to exchange tokens with the signalman, who is standing on the platform behind the camera.

Here they are, the Toddington-Winchcombe token is being handed in, and the Winchcombe-Cheltenham one is being handed out, having been collected from the maroon set behind, which comes in first. All very slick.

Work starts on the Usk hut project

Work on the Usk weighbridge hut, or rather the platform adjacent to it started today. This forms part of the project, and the hut will stand on the patch of ground next to the platform, once back filled.

We have also just received planning permission for the building, which is great news. So the project has a green light, and we threw ourselves into it today with gusto.

Not before tea in the mess coach though. Every volunteer had a mug of it, with doughnuts galore.

A milk maid brings supplies.

The northern end of the new platform.

The we got ourselves ready to start work. Last week, Jim and Paul set out a number of towers of blocks to mark the progress of the new platform wall along the concrete foundations.

The end one then was our starting off point, with Julian laying the first blocks of the day, later helped by Paul. The blocks were trollied up to the site and dropped off in handy piles.

Meet maxie the mixer.

Minnie the Mixer having died a battleaxe's death, we had a new volunteer mixer in Maxine the mixer, a name we soon shortened to Maxie. Maxie and Minnie, see?

Maxie was an older mixer, with no legs to shout about, and a nasty rattle and a cough. She had seen a  lot of action. On top of her cover someone had inscribed 'BAG' and we thought that was a little unfair to a lady of her age. Despite the coughs and rattles she did the job, and we were very pleased she came.

The mixes produced by Maxie, some distance away as the sand couldn't be tipped any nearer, were barrowed up to the platform site and shovelled on to the two spots used by Paul and Julian.

Paul here is building up the tower further, while Julian has volunteered to the backbreaking job of laying the blocks along the first row.

Further along, Jim and John were also setting out, here using the very ancient gauge (it appears in John lees' historic 'Early GWSR' pctures) to establish an intermediate tower at the stop block end.

The stop block will have a return built around it.

We had two steamers out today, Dinmore and Foremarke. 2807 was off sick with a hot box, incurred on Sunday.

In the foreground Julian is doing well with the blocks. Yours truly and Dave P scouted round the yard and found quite a few blue engineering bricks, which we dropped at the start of the site. They, and others, will be used to face the platform with blues, and the blocks will be behind them.

After crossing Dinmore at Winchcombe, Foremarke chugged by the yard where block laying and rail loading was taking place.

We were doing quite well with the block laying, and soon had dealt with one pallet of the things, and had to ask Martin to bring us another.

With a growing pile of blues recovered from around the yard, John decided to clean them up a bit so that they could be used by the future brick layers.

He spent most of the day doing this, the mortar on them was quite hard.

The Usk stone material pallets are scattered round the yard and someone here hasn't been very careful with the Telehandler. The culprit is unknown, luckily. But now that we have planning permission we will be able to proceed with laying them, at least once the platform is done, so they shouldn't get shunted about like this for much longer.

This is an overview of the platform site. It's about 30m long.

The buffer stop is also getting a coat of black paint, we noticed (thumbs up!)

Later in the afternoon Dinmore Manor came by, and members of the C&W team came out to have a look as she drifted by.

The fireman has the token ready for exchange with the bobby, who is standing behind the camera.

And here is the token exchange actually happening.

It's half term at the moment, so there were several children on the train. One had his back to the window, headphones on, and was playing with an Ipad. Well, you can't please everybody.

We also noticed that the mess coach had received visitors since the weekend, as they had opened the fridge and smashed the eggs that were in it. Well, that could have been worse. We shall have to take away the ladder leading to the door for a while.

Mid afternoon Julian was beyond the half way point.

Blocks were getting scarce, and with the Telehandler in use elsewhere in the yard we couldn't fetch any more form the other side.

Here is our end of the day shot, late afternoon. Paul is just pointing the gaps between the blocks, while Julian has laid his last block in the distance, about two thirds of the way down.

The blocks will be at least 6 courses high. This depends on the size of the big blue engineering bullnoses that we are going to put on the top (rather than slabs as per passenger platforms) and we have secured a supply of these from Tyseley, who were sellers.

Laying blocks is pretty back breaking, so we decided to afford ourselves a mug of tea in the Coffee Pot at the end of the day.

Here we are, just like those ladies in Last of the Summer Wine:


https://youtu.be/MTvzH_OBZyg?t=478