Canopy progress

Monday/Tuesday at Toddington

Two days of painting steelwork in the shed. We've made good progress on the fabrication, which is almost done except for the posts and the brackets attached to them.

As the shape of the structure, not symmetrical because of the incorrect alignment between footbridge and station, was not clear to yours truly, Neal was kind enough to offer to show us all a layout drawing of what the section under the footbridge end truss will look like.

Here it is then. The view is south, from the steps.

Neal explains: 'The thin posts are the frame on the steps; the top cross member is fixed to the underside of the truss. The tread of the steps will be near the bottom of the thin uprights 39" above the ground, these sit on the strings. The truss goes half way up the bottom half of the steps'.

Had the steps and building been aligned correctly then the RH thin post would be in line with the bigger post in the centre (which is in line with the corner of the building) and the LH bigger post would be in line with the LH thinner post.

As the distance between the steps and the building is also rather closer than the original, the truss is not located at the bottom of the steps, but, as Neal says, half way up the bottom half. This hybrid arrangement allows us to have a canopy overhang that is almost as long as the original, instead of just over half as long. Moving the footbridge back was not an option.

Hope you got all that.

So Monday and Tuesday were mainly painting days, and in this picture you can see John applying a coat of dark stone undercoat to one of the two fascia boards. A purlin is on the left

Meanwhile, Neal started work on the two posts that support the truss. Originally these were cast iron, but to save on costs we will make them of box section, with a bottom end embellished as the casting was. This will look very similar in the end.

Later we got the second fascia board out. This had accumulated some light rust from storage (we made it 2 years ago) so it was brushed down again and treated to a new coat of primer.

 Tuesday saw the first of the race specials, so we afforded ourselves a look at the departure of Foremarke Hall with one set, then P&O with the other. Dinmore Manor was lit up as a standby as, we heard, the contract with the charter company specifies steam, so no last minute diesel Thunderbird for us.

It was good to see that the 76077 team now have a notice board for the public to see. Let's hope this results in more shareholders, we need them. Do join us, if you can.
Support 76077 here

The first of the two charters to leave was headed by Foremarke Hall, here photographed by P&O stalwart Steve, who was keen to photograph P&O leave, showing its newly activated electric lights.




Yours truly also thought that this would make a great picture, so set up shop by the signal box crossing.

Alas...

Is P&O really in there?

Are its new lights really working?

We will never know.

How the signalman managed to hand over a token in that cloud is a mystery.

Back to work then. This time we see Neal with a set of angle iron pieces which he was cutting to shape to make the two brackets on the LH side of the drawing above.

Two pieces will need to be curved, and that will be done by a specialist company.

A last look on Tuesday in the yard, where there was much 'business' around our new yard lamp/water tower combination. Don't they look great together!

Finally, a question for readers. We got this cast iron plate as a gift from a supporter. Its best use will probably be a sale to someone to raise funds, but what is it? Is it even a railway item? Something to do with a water main perhaps? Or marking the supply pipe to a water tower? Any offers for it? All funds raised will go towards the canopy overhang completion.




Wednesday with the Usketeers.

No doughnuts today, we were delighted to see Mike Rose - our local man at Usk for the removal of the weighbridge - come to see our progress, and treat us to a fine breakfast offering of Bara Brith with raspberry jam.

Bara Brith a a Welsh delicacy, translated as 'speckled bread'. That's also what it looks like, odd that. Coincidence, or what?

It's traditional Welsh tea bread, typically made with raisins, currants, and candied peel. Mike made it himself back in his Welsh cottage, and spread it with home made jam. Mrs. Mike supervised the production process.

It went really well with our morning tea.

Due to the race specials we were two men down today, but nonetheless bricks were laid, here in the third stretch nearest the stop block. The picture shows the opening position.

Paul did most of the brick laying (our other chief 'layers' Dave and Jules wearing race train hats today) but here assisted by Jonathan, who was picking up some tips on pointing.

Soon afterwards Jonathan had crept into the corner behind the stop block, where he was pointing the row that Paul had just laid.

Jim, back from a couple of weeks of abstinence, also laid down a row, not easy if,
as Jim, you only have one arm. But Jim too made good progress.

Just after 11 the first race special came into view, here about to exchange tokens with the Winchcombe box signalman.

As soon as the first train is out of section the second, waiting at Toddington and also well filled with merry race goers, follows on behind.

The regulator is closed briefly to permit the exchange (at Toddington the regulator had remained open a crack, thus shrouding the loco in its own steam) and then it's quickly back to the box to release the section.

After lunch in the mess coach Paul was back to (almost) complete the tenth row in the third section of the wall. Only the top two courses of bricks remain to be laid now, and we are starting to think about resuming work on the building itself, now that the frost risk seems to have receded.

Neil washed up, one of those unsung jobs that does need doing. You have to keep your tools clean.

Maxie gets to gargle with a handful of bricks, and is always left with a sparkling clean drum.

Our second race special was caught accelerating through Winchcombe station from the road bridge. Of course this special train doesn't stop at any of the stations, but we did hear that one was stopped - by a flock of sheep.

Well, that's what you might expect on a rural railway. All part of the fun.