Still here

Friday at Toddington.

Work continues at a modest level, with just two volunteers today.

The first job was to go and collect the refurbished GWR bench from Blockley, and store it in the container at Broadway. Here it will be sanded down, graffiti filled in, and given a fresh coat of paint.

Note to users: Please do not carry the bench using the arms, they are a weak point. Lift the bench by its frame underneath. If abused, the arms will come off.







With the same van we went to pick up this 'quad royal' poster board, which has just been completed using original style mouldings.

It's parked here in the paint shop at C&W, where Alex has kindly agreed to letter it in red: 

GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.

This is where it will go, between the two double royal poster boards. When we put these up, we left that space for it.

Two more quad royal poster boards are in the production line. They will replace two temporary plywood notice boards put up at the time the station opened, one platform side, and one in the booking office (a varnished one).

Returning the van to its base at Winchcombe, we stopped to examine the two original cast iron canopy overhang posts that we recovered during early excavations at Broadway. Sadly they are unusable as during demolition in 1963 they were snapped off at ground level.

But they do serve a useful role as models. We can't afford replica posts in cast iron, so are using two big box sections, with the embellishments still to be added being pointed out by Neal in the picture. That will give the same look.

Here are the two ex-Broadway posts, the LH one showing the top with the angled truss supports, and the RH showing the bottom, at ground level, where it snapped at the level of the downpipe inspection hatch, the weakest point.

Also found at Broadway, somewhat later, is the other half that remained in situ at ground level.

Neal is pointing to the remains of the bottom end of the stringer which marks the start of the steps.

Another find from Broadway that we still have - out of nostalgia, we can't use it - is this carved stone which sat on top of the station building wall and served to support a truss. The two holes on top held long bars which were anchored way down inside the walls. On the right the stone is carved to reflect the moulded brickwork on the top of the front of the original building.






Due to the requirement to insulate the new building we now have cavity walls at Broadway, and these are too weak to support heavy things like stone blocks and trusses.

The canopy today sits on top of a steel frame behind the outer brick skin.

Delivery jobs done, we went on to Toddington to continue with the canopy overhang structure.

Lost something? Yes, my boiler, has anyone seen it?

In the yard was a lonely loco, stripped bare.

 Further investigation revealed it to be 2807, the boiler is off, they work quickly, those guys.

Inside the shed we found that 37215, which formed the backdrop to our work on Monday, had gone and there was a large free space instead. Great! We can flex our muscles, get a bit more room, not so cramped one on top of the other.

Sad reality sank in as it soon became clear that free shedspace soon fills up, and we were politely asked to move back and make way for 4270.

We did tidy up those big jacks for them, parked them neatly at the end of the shed.

Neal then continued with drilling holes for the curved truss supports. He's now on the other side, the holes drilled on Wednesday are underneath in the picture.

The end of the day saw him trial fitting the truss support brackets, and working out the exact location of the cap that will sit on top of the box section, between the angles.








It was icy cold on Friday, so a warming cup of tea cheered us up.

Strange colour it was, if you can believe the photograph. The same colour as the cutting paste in the tin behind, but we swear there is no connection.

The last picture is actually of the cylinder block for 3850. You have to admire the work of the Dinmore Manor gang here. It's a completely new cylinder block, and of course new valves (just inserted in the picture) plus new studs.

No doubt some part of 3850 is still original....