Back from gone away.

Friday 25th on steels.

Three of us on Friday (25th August), John came back just in time for the tricky manoeuvre to get the long, long fascia boards from the unloading road by the shed up to the 'greenhouse'.

 

We had the 8.30m fascia board and a shorter sibling on the pull along truck at one end, and on a little piano truck at the other. As a non-running day Friday had a car park clear of visitors, so we set out across the emptiness, with Neal pushing in the electric fork lift from behind, and John valiantly trying to steer at the front with a truck that had the front two wheels up in the air.

We got there in the end, but phew! What a journey. At one point the rear wheel of the little forklift dug itself its own little pothole and wouldn't be budged any more. We had to get the larger forklift to nudge it out again. Then we spread all 3 fascia boards out on trestles and pallets, ready for millscale and rust removal.

 

While we removed the surface scale et al Neal worked on the fourth purlin, which was completed at the end of the day. Heavy cloudbursts then followed, and we called it a day, feeling quite chuffed with what was achieved.

 

The latest position as per today (14.09) is that Neal and John have made all of the purlins now, including the ridge purlins, but without the curved arches as yet. Bunches of angle were also taken off the MACAW and stored under the 'greenhouse.'

Further work on the steels is now held up until funding for further, minor expenditure on the steels is agreed.

Blog back from the hols.

We're back from N Italy, charmed by the culture there, and a little overweight. But you go there for the food, don't you?

While we were away a few snippets of news trickled in, so we can share these with you. The PWay gang continued with a list of defects reported by a our track patrollers, sometimes in extreme heat. Walt kindly agreed to share these three videos with us:

STEVIE our RRV went out to Gotherington to pick up the bags of ballast that we had filled earlier.

In the stop frame video you can see him set off from Winchcombe, pass through the tunnel and load up at Gotherington Skew. The bags were then discharged at various locations. Doing it by individual bags is much more economical than with a 20ton Dogfish, as we can put just what we need, exactly where it is required.

 

In the second video you can see the bags being used on the loop at Gotherington, where the sleeper ends were exposed. They're so practical, those bags.

And then in the third video you get a cab ride view of STEVIE returning back to base, with a couple of bags left for next time. Now we have to fill them up again with the mini digger, which is quite a slow job but worth it as you saw.

 

 

 

Yesterday (13.09) this indeed happened, the bags were refilled, in record time. The lads felt that those bags were a really efficient way of spreading around smallish amounts of ballast. Saves money too. 

Here they are, all in a line at Gotherington skew.

Next to them are some of the wartime economy sleepers we lifted from Didbrook, waiting for their re-use in sidings.

Also on Wednesday we can see the gang hand tamping with the Robels some of that ballast that was spread there a week earlier.

The location is the Gotherington loop.

More Gotherington loop is revealed in this shot of our big Pacific passing down the main line.

Pictures by Paul.

Two Wednesdays on the Usk hut.

Dave, Paul and John were busy with both the diamond paver path, as well as the erection of the counter inside.

 

The paver path has passed the slab outside the door, and can here be seen reaching near the corner of the building, its intended maximum. That was two Wednesdays ago.

Inside, Paul has been back home to his garage, where he was making the final part of the counter.

This is what it's going to look like, with a 'Delboy' flap, near the fireplace. It will give access for the coal agent behind the counter, and also allow the fireplace to be cleaned and resupplied.

We still need a few more lumps of coal for the GWR coal scuttle, collected from the lineside.

 

 

 

 

The flap is attached to a last 9ins of counter, which will be married to the rough stone wall.

 

 

 

 

 

John has done a good job applying a waxy stain to the white new pinewood.

He seems to be enjoying it too!

 

 

 

 

 Here's the end, the first bit the visitor sees when the door is opened.

A blog reader has offered us an ancient office typewriter, which will be perfect for here.

The bottom still needs a skirting board fitted, which is why it's not stained.

 

The following Wednesday the paver path had reached the end, neatly skirting around the original Usk stone slab. Doesn't it look fantastic? It gives the surroundings age and authority.

Still to do here is a backing around the outside, to prevent the pavers from breaking out sideways. Then back fill, and sow grass up to the edge.

 

While in Italy we came across this incredible chimney. We missed a trick when we built ours, it could have looked like this one!

One holiday snap for you ( we could have tempted you with pictures of tagliatelle with truffles and wine) and it's of lake Garda from just above, during what the locals call the 'blue hour' just after sunset. It's fabulous!

Enjoy.

Thursday 14.09 update

It wasn't possible to update the blog on its usual Wednesday evening, but in compensation we have the newsy bits from today, when the Usketeers met, exceptionally (personal cicumstances dictating).

 

 After two week's absence, the grass has grown well, in particular the new area sown 3 weeks ago, centre left of the picture. More landscaping is due in the foreground, once we have recovered the spent ballast that the PWay dept. is giving us.

 

 

 

John was very busy today. While Paul was on carpentry inside, John on his own made the mix with which he supported the edges of the paver path.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 A few minutes later we seem him applying the mortar to the edge of the path. This will stop the outer pavers from turning away from the rest. The gap will then be filled with earth and seeded.

 

So, inside Paul was on carpentry, here with the skirting boards being fitted around the bottom of the counter. They will then be stained.

After our previous appeal for a vintage typewriter, blog reader Graham came up with exactly that:

Just look at this splendid old fashioned specimen. It onc belonged to Graham's grandfather, who travelled for an insurance company, and this bulky contraption was described as a 'portable' one! The old typewriter is exactly what we were looking for - old, and very interesting.

Thank you, Graham!

We need some more kit to make the coal office representative. How about a set of inkwells, a blotter, or other office items that might have been used by a coal merchant?

And we now need an old office chair. Something of the era (1853), not too luxurious looking. Anybody got any ideas? Send us a message if so (top right on the blog ).

Graham also looked into the history of this typwriter. It was made in Leicester in 1924. He worked this out on the basis of two numbers stamped on the frame.

He also found us an instruction book - which the proud new owner had to purchase at a price of sixpence.

Inside it explains inter alia that when you get to near the end of your line while typing, a bell will ring. TING! Who knew....

The timetable was PINK today - one steam, one diesel. The latter traction form was provided by the blue Growler 37 215.

Looking down from the same spot we saw the area where the PWay mess coach is due to stand in future. The pile of rails on the right has grown considerably, but the random pile on the left is still partially there. It's got a pile of manganese rails on top, all 60 footers, so they won't be easy to move.

 

 

Outside the Usk hut Chris from C&W was fitting the missing boards to the MACAW. The previous lot had rotted through.

Each new board had to be drilled through the frame, so it was a slow process. As the original sized boards were not available, everything shoved up a little and new holes had to be drilled to bolt them down.

Two pints of lager? What do you mean?

We again had a number of visitors today, which is always fun. One ordered a round of beer and some crisps. Now there's an idea for an open day!!

Solid brass hinges.

Having done the skirting boards, Paul spent time on marrying the edges of the counter to the roughly shaped walls. In the picture he is cutting the end piece top to the right shape.

 

The other end of the counter, the lower bit where the typewriter now sits, was married to the rough stone wall last week.

Doesn't it fit well !

 

The last thing we spotted today was John, having completed the mortar backing of the pavers, filling in the remaining gap with earth and seeding it.

It should look great by next week (if there is some gentle rain)

A bit of GWSR history.

From the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Society (not the GWSR plc!) newsletter of October 1979:

'' Looking at the current situation, it is very easy to become disheartened by the fact that track lifting is well under way and to say that we have lost the battle to save 'our line'. I (the GWRS chairman) however prefer to approach from the other side and to proclaim our (partial) success in having been instrumental in persuading British Rail not to sell the land south of Honeybourne. In so doing we have helped to ensure the future availability as part of a through route from the Midlands to the South West and Wales.

Clearly, removal of the track is a psychological setback but we must accept that British Rail do not have sufficient traffic to justify two routes at the moment. In the light of the world's dwindling oil reserves, I believe this situation will change in the future and, even, that BR might have to refuse traffic due to lack of capacity. This, though, is a few years off, in the meantime we must work to protect and secure the future of 'our line' to ensure that track can be relaid and trains can run when the time is right.

As stated at the AGM we have proposed to the British Railway Board that they sell us part of the line for a nominal sum, with a covenant entitling them to repurchase when required. Currently, the concept is under consideration by the board, especiallyin respect of the legal aspects.We will be actively pursuing this idea and I hope that, in the next newsletter, we can report progress.''

From the same 1979 newsletter:

''CHANGE OF AIM

Over the past 3 years it has always been the GWRS's primary aim to get BR to re-open the Cheltenham/Stratford line to regular traffic, our work and campaign being geared up to this end, preservation being a secondary aim. Recent events, however, have indicated that if the society was to retain its credibility and indeed remain in being, a change of emphasis was necessary. Although BR have stated that they are not willing to sell any of the land so as not to prejudice the possibility of re-opening the route in the future, and in fact have still not officially closed the line despite lifting the track, we feel we have to be prepared for any eventuality. With this in mind it was decided at the AGM  to pursue a policy of private preservation. It must also be remembered that most of the support we are getting at the moment from local bodies and councils is in support of this aim.''

Honour to those that fought for us. Thanks to them, you are volunteering today. Or supporting us!

Before we close for the day, here is an advertisement for our Santa Specials:

You can now buy tickets, so why not treat the children and grandchildren!