Faster and faster

We had a lot of rain these last days. Monday was a complete washout, so there isn't much to say about Broadway, although we did go.

Wednesday on the goods platform at Winchcombe was better, although it started wet.

How wet? Just look at the puddles in this picture, and the low clouds obscuring the top of the Cotswolds edge.

It was damp this morning.

Here's Dave in the Telehandler picking up the last of the three pallets of blocks delivered a week ago. Jules is staying well clear of the wet puddles.

The others were 'at school' this morning, doing their bi-annual PTS training and exam. We're having to hold several of these sessions, as not all can come on the same day.

But those working on the goods platform wall had already done theirs, so we were off to an early start.

Dave had taken the pallet picked up on the C&W side over to the PWay side of the yard and dropped it straight on to our Permaquip trolley.

Just a quick push along the platform, and we were ready.

Now to get Maxie out of bed.

Maxie was well, but today had taken to sucking sweets.

We don't mind that, but at the business end there was consternation when the blocks wouldn't sit down properly, with Maxie's sweets found to be the cause.

You'll have to stop eating sweets, Maxie, they are bad for you!

The first train of the day came by, headed by 35006. An easy job for her, 8 coaches, but the wisp of steam between the tender and the first Mk1 betrays the use of steam heating - we said it was cold and damp today - so it was good to have a boiler with a bit of capacity at the head.

A couple of milestones on the wall today. We reached level 11 on the first section, so that's all the blocks laid there. Only to platform edging bricks to go. We are close to reaching agreement with the owner of a station that has two redundant platforms, topped off by exactly the cross hatched edging bricks we need, plus a good source of blues that could go into the turntable pit. You need to grab your chances when you get them!

To the right of Neil pushing the trolley here is the first section of wall, now fully blocked up. Neil has got a second trolley of bricks and we are moving on to the second section now.

This pallet must weigh a good tonne, so it's quite a push here.

Later, the second steamer of the day rolled by. This was 2807, which crossed at Winchcombe with the Pacific and the first train with passengers out of CRC this morning.

More steam heating in evidence. It must be nice to sit in the carriages with a bacon roll and enjoy the warmth, as the Cotswolds roll by.

After their exams the rest of the team worked at Defford digging out cribs (to be packed on Saturday) and here we have a proud Mike.

He's had his fishplate identifying training and is now allowed out completely on his own. Such management confidence.

Objective of his mission was to gather together as many lifter fishplates as he could find, for labelling and storage in the GUV.

Then the lunch bell rang. or so you'd think, because suddenly Maxie was on her own, as the whole gang of Usketeers suddenly marched off in the direction of the mess coach. Hunger! And it was only 10 past 12.

After lunch a fresh start was made on the section nearest to the stop block. That's the low one, the one that currently has only a single row of blocks on it.

The second section is now also up to row 11 of the blocks, and fully 'blocked up'. Such energy in this gang, it is breathtaking.

The mobile trolley is so handy, you can just roll that tonne of blocs up and down to wherever you need it.

We had a visitor hiding between the fishplates, and it climbed on board Mike for a ride. Mike was very cool about it, he even cradled the visitor in the palm of his hand. Not everyone would be prepared to do that.

Here are the chaps making good progress on the fourth section (or the first, if you are looking from the stop block) and while Paul was spooning on the mortar there were no fewer than three volunteers helping with the heavy lifting of the blocks.

They are making rapid progress here.

2807 ran by again, heading south. Here you can see her in front of Winchcombe box, which we recovered from Hall Green. You'd never know, would you?






A couple of pictures of the crew of 35006.

They had a friendly contact with an interested passenger.

As they pulled away towards Toddington, they gave a big smile.

And so would you, at the controls of that big Pacific.

At intervals during the day Paul would produce a large bag of lemon sweets.

Have a sweet !
I don't really want one....
Go on ! 
My wife says I'm on a diet, so I shouldn't really...
 Go on ! Have one !!
Oh, alright then, if you say so...

 We carried on with the fourth section, and soon had a new course on it.

As the first pallet was used up, we resorted to the second.

At the end of the day we had laid 3 courses on the fourth section, bringing it to one level below the third. Almost equal then, and between 7 and 8 courses still to go. We calculated a total of 165 blocks laid for the day, a very good result.

We have sections 3 and 4 to finish then, plus the return around the stop block. We decided to order another delivery of pallets, as we would get through what was left during the next session in a week's time.

It was tiring stuff. Maxie made up 8 or 9 mixes, that's a lot of shovel fulls to feed her hungry mouth. We were pretty beat at the end of the day.

Just because we stopped laying doesn't mean we can go home. Now we have to wash the tools, clean Maxie inside and out (that tickles!) and push her back home. Maxie wobbles a lot as we push her, as her wheels aren't on very tight.

Spirits remained high though, as Jules with the empty barrow meets Dave, returning the Telehandler back to its stable.

See you next week.