Saturday at Manor Lane

A good turnout of 12 on Saturday, propelled by David's home baked brownies, and the chance for the final push to the end of our winter job. We are nearly at the end of the job.

 

On checking the truck we noticed that a tire had deflated. Luckily we carry a decent pump, and got it up to the necessary 45psi again. Sounds like a puncture though, so we passed this on to Churchward House.

 

In the yard we noticed that someone had made a very neat stack of last week's offcuts.

Congratulations!

The varying lengths are a function of the sleeper spacings, and remnants of bonding wires still attached. If you want, we'll sell you a doorstop or a useful anvil for your workshop. Contact via the blog contact form.

 

The day was a fine one, so after sorting out the tire and an extensive sampling off David's brownies we were soon off to Manor Lane for that final push (or nearly).

The next panel to do was no.2. The numbering re-starts at every quarter mile post. The crossing is over panel 8, so that's 7 more to do. A bit ambitious (4 or 5 per day in the past) but maybe?

Shop early for Christmas. Mistletoe, anyone?

A flying start was rather handicapped by a missing concrete sleeper that had become dislodged last time. Nick dug out the bed of oversized ballast rocks that were dropped here in a vain effort to save money in the early days. They cannot be shovelled, but you can hack at them with a mattock.

Dave lifted the sleeper back in, guided by Chris and Nick. The rest of the gang started cutting crippled rail ends, and behind the camera, declipping all the rails up to the crossing.

Early efforts seemed to be quite tiring, so a pause for a quick coffee (and a facebook update?) were slotted in.

What events fascinated Margaret, Alan, Simon and David is not recorded though. It right stopped them in their tracks.

 

Dealing with the first panel, No.2, took most of the morning, but the cutting and drilling teams worked on well ahead, and so doing made for fast work in the afternoon.

Here quite a long bit seems to have been cropped off, and Simon has drilled right through one of the the numbers so carefully applied by Andy all the way along.

Noooooooo !

The fishplate will also be over it.

Anyone got a new No.4 for us?

Here is a mid-day view of the final stretch, seen from the foot crossing. You can see how close we are getting.

We started, out of sight, around the bend by the signal post just visible in the background. Must be half a mile at least, what a lot of cutting and shutting again.

Some cheeky individual has attached memorial plaques to both gates at the foot of the embankment.

We don't mind memorial plaques, but there is a proceedure, and they go in the Trust' shed at Toddington, for a donation to its funds. You can't just attach them wherever you want.

Why won't it work?

Not everything was roses with the equipment. This time it was the motorised disk cutters. Difficult to start, lost power, shook itself to pieces etc etc etc.

But they have a rough life with us, it has to be admitted.

A considerable gap opened up on Saturday, with all those crippled ends cut off. Time to insert a new length of rail, but it's not yet on site. (but see below)

Here is where we got to near the end of Saturday. Almost there now.

This is the final position for the day's work - the end of Panel 8. That's the one that goes under the foot crossing. So we cut, moved and re-clipped panels 1 to 7, six panels in all. A daily record, we are proud to say.

Friday at Toddington, a one off.

A day earlier, on the Friday, Paul, David and Walt were at Toddington with the RRV to change a rail.

 Why change a rail? Look at the picture below: (all by Paul)

 

 

 

 

The fishplate is tight on the right, and loose on the left. How is that possible?

 

A closer look at the rail reveals the reason - it is dated 1914. Much older than that and you are into the broad gauge period...

If you look carefully as well, on the left is the inscription MR85LB. That means it lighter than the rest of the bullhead rail we are using, being 95LB per yard. So the fishplate is trying to clasp a thinner rail, hence the gap.

So not all rail was standard? Certainly not ! Rail and fishplate-ology is a dark art. It is only for the initiated, special handshake included. The combinations of rail and fishplate types are way out there, not to speak of the wrong ways in which you can actually fit a set of fishplates. Remember last week's post with a fishplate from the contractor's line? That was even tinier, yet was also standard gauge.

What's it say at your end, Walt?

So Paul and his team set out to remove the pair of MR interlopers (on a GWR railway, the very idea!) and replace them with (for us) standard 95LB bullhead examples.

Armed with the measurements David then cut the replacement rails to size in the yard at Winchcombe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The replacement pair was loaded on to the trolley with, why not, a pair of replacement sleepers at the same time. Easier to put in when the rails are out anyway.

STEVIE then set off for Toddington.

 

 

 

 

 

At Toddington the smaller MR rails were lifted out and two beds made ready for the replacement sleepers on the trolley. STEVIE's narrow bucket came in handy for that.

 

 

Holes were cut into one end of the new rails (the other end already had holes, as it wasn't cut) and STEVIE dropped them in.

They fitted perfectly for length.

Unfortunately not for fishplate holes. What did we say about the 'dark art'? Here is another example.

The rails brought up looked like 95LB ones, but were actually a GWR speciality (it had so many...) - 100LB rail, known as 'Ought-Ought'. Not only slightly larger, but with holes slightly further apart, at 5 ins between centres. Regular 95LB fishplates won't fit.

So nearly right. The guilty person is known, and back next week for another attempt. Life ain't easy on the railway.

By way of compensation we'll give you a pretty picture of STEVIE with a rainbow, as it left Winchcombe with its load of errant rail.

Monday at Broadway.

We went to Winchcombe to collect the mini digger so that we could dig out the middle of the floor at Broadway.

Unfortunately we were frustrated in our endeauvour, as the key for the trailer for the mini digger was attached to the keys of one of the Transits (every other key has its own hook on a large key-board at Churchward House, but not the trailer key) and that Transit had gone to Cheltenham. (that issue has since been resolved by separating out the trailer keys)

So back to Broadway we went, empty handed.

 

 

That excercise left us with less than  whole day, so we did some fill in jobs.

Neal set out the 4 corners of the building with a dry run. The important measurement was the last one - diagonally from one corner to the other. But that was perfect. Phew !

We then moved a supply of blocks from down the platform to opposite where they will be used. 

A start with block laying is pencilled in for Friday now, but much depends on the weather. At the time of writing it seemed reasonably dry.

As part of the impending block laying we retrieved one of the mixers from storage and tested it. It worked fine, so we took it up to the site.

The galvanised frame is also due back some time this week. Plans need to be flexible around here, we may have to interupt plans if we have to retrieve the newly galvanised steelwork. And then one of our two trucks has a flat tire - you have to think on your feet with these logistics.

Wednesday with the Usketeers.

Three of us on a very wet and sticky site today. A few minor jobs remain on the Usk hut itself, and we are currently continuing the cleaning up of the dump site just inside the PWay yard.

We have already cleared a space large enough to receive the compost bins of the Friends of Winchcombe, and used the spoil dumped there to improve the levels around the hut.

A large pile of brash remains, on top of two more spoil piles.

 

Today Dave took the Telehandler to stab the brash with the forks, and pull it away from the piles of spoil and the fence, into the centre of the road here.

The PWay gang, after tea and muffins in the mess coach, had a quickie job close by, the boxing in of the short relay undertaken last week. That meant shovelling ballast.

At the very same time we received a number of visitors in the Usk hut, keen to enquire after our wellbeing.

The rest of the gang stayed true to their shovels, pausing only to let a very, very long train of empty carriages past. Paul was in the window guiding the shunter, who was in the 03 in the middle of the long train.

Also shunted were a number of goods wagons, and the rail bearing ELK. 

Paul and David spent almost the whole day ankle deep in mud and bramble. The brash, here in the picture, has been successfully pulled away from the spoil piles, to reveal a large knot of discarded fencing and wire.

Untangling that wire and pulling out the original GWR fence posts kept us going for a long time. We think we dealt with about 80% of the wire. Not bad, but the last 20% are the hardest, as buried underneath the spoil and still attached to unknown hard things. We will find out what next week.

 

 

Work on the new S&T building is progressing well, allowance made for the very wet weather we have been having. (it also delayed the start of block laying at Broadway).

We liked this little motorised buggy, which was used to take ballast from the pile to behind the building.

During the day we also took this overview shot, which shows where the ballast went.

The use of the blue brick plinth is very attractive. Pallets of reds have been stacked in the corner, and the combination of the two will ensure a very railway-like building.

Then a quick last picture of Dave, trying to extract whatever it was that is holding down the wire in this pile of near liquid clay.

We were so dirty at the end of the day that all our outer clothes had to go to the wash. That is unusual, even on a railway.

On the way home we stopped at Didbrook, where there is a local blacksmith Stephen Norris, aka REDDOG.

The REDDOG forge at Didbrook.

 

 

We consulted Stephen as we had recently acquired two original GWR style oil lamps for Broadway signal box.

These were offered to us after the Friends of Kidderminster Station saw our blog observation that Broadway box was missing its oil lamps, with a vacant space underneath the cast iron vents that we had fitted for them at the time of the build.

We bought the two oil lamps, then puzzled as we could not understand how they fitted the bottoms of the ventilators.

FKS were very helpful and indeed kind to us, and provided a specially made drawing with dimensions of a 'U' shaped baracket that is bolted to the ridge beam. You can see it in the picture here, taken at Kidderminster.

Thanks to the drawing, we were able to commission two such brackets from the forge.

Stephen Norris, master craftsman.

Here is the result. Aren't they good? They are made of 20mm bar, so are quite chunky. We need to clean and paint them now, after which they can be fitted.

Outside the forge at Didbrook we saw a rather nice home made bench around the tree at the centre of the village. This has considerable appeal, and we will put it to Dave and Paul to make our own. It looks right, not too sophisticated or twee.

Lastly, a request.

 

 

 

Readers may recall when these large plastic sprung poster boards started appearing on the railway in 2021. The heritage minded among us were horrified, as they looked like something from a petrol station forecourt, and not from a 1904 railway station.

Common sense eventually prevailed, special GWR style poster boards with moulded edges were made, and these now carry the seasonal posters advertising our events. It became a successful accommodation of commercial requirements, and the living museum that we say we are.

 

 

The request is: When you buy something, not just plastic poster stands, but any consumer item, think of its end of life. What will happen to it when it is no longer required?

PWay work today.

This was quite interesting, and we have pictures to prove it from Paul, who was there (we were eating minty chocolate bars in the Usk hut...).

 

The first picture is a really nice one. Remember when we said that an extra pair of rails is needed at Manor Lane, after all the cutting and shutting?

Well, here it is, on its way through Greet tunnel, hauled by the C&W 03.

The rails are in store on the ELK, i.e. that is all of them, so what is required will be removed on the spot.

 

This is the view from the far end of the cutting and shutting exercise, the last panel just beyond the crossing, and with one of the new rails just fitted (in orange red)

 

That left a smallish gap just beyond the foot crossing, which had its pads removed. Just 7ft to fill.

The last cut (well, almost)

The rail drop train arrived back at the end of the afternoon, allowing this lovely evening light shot of the 03 at rest by the bracket signal.

We also have some interesting viaduct work update pictures to show you. These are also here thanks to Paul, who was on an official site visit.

This is the pile of ballast removed from the arches, which will be re-used to save money, and of course the environment, by recycling.

Here we can see the repair undertaken to stabilise the leaning parapets. Steel plates with attachment points have been  bolted to the parapets, and stainless steel cables tied to hooks under the trackbed, embedded in the concrete over the arches.

This is the most effective and economic solution to the leaning parapets.

This is the view north, showing the waterproof bitumastic layer painted on, and an additional membrane ready to be applied.

You can also see how the SS cables attach to the concrete layer.

Here some of the ballast infill is being put back in the spaces between the tops of the arches.

This is a detail of the square plates attached to the parapets.

Where the blue brick parapets sit on the red bricks underneath is where the joint failed. This is an older problem - a part repair was attempted by BR - and if we look at similar failures in NR the tamping of the track and sideways pushing out of the ballast may well have precipitated the joint failure.

Viaduct top ready to receive PWay clean ballast for track reinstatement.

PWay clean ballast being brought back from the temporary pile at the north end.

Finally, our WARFLAT waits at Toddington, loaded with concrete sleepers which will be used to reinstate the track.

The track laying date is not yet known, but so far the job is on time and things are going well.

Jim Hitchen, RIP.

Earlier this month we received the very sad news that our long time fellow volunteer Jim Hitchen had died, smitten by cancer well before his time.

We have known Jim for the last 12 years, and had the pleasure of working with him on several projects, starting at Broadway in 2012. Below is a selection of photographs from that time, which we hope give a reflection of the happy times that we had together.

Jim and Roger (centre) came from the same general area (around Milton Keynes) and often teamed up. In a previous life Jim worked as a senior signals engineer for Network Rail, and this often came out in the orderly and meticulous way he approached any job that was given to him.

Jim was on the Broadway committee for the station rebuild, here with project manager Bill Britton. 

Roger and Jim backing up the new brickwork along P1 at Broadway. They shared a great sense of humour and he was good company to be with.

Sadly, Jim had to resign from the Broadway committee, but he found new friends amongst the gang rebuilding Hayles Abbey halt. And Jim was no shirker, those barrows of mortar were heavy and a hard push along a bouncy trackbed.

 

 

We did have a laugh with him, such as when this chair collapsed under him.

Jim blamed the fragile plastic, but we said it must have been his weight.

Clearly not happy at that idea....

Barrows of concrete had to be brought down from the field above where the mixer stood, bounced along the track and then upended into the blocks.

Muffins were Jim's reward, which he was clearly delighted about.

Jim made the signage and the information boards at Hayles, all beautifully put together.

 

 

 

 

We were always amazed at the extensive kit he had with him. Everything fitted into the back of a large Toyota estate, and if you wanted a particular tool, 9 times out of 10 Jim would have it in there.

And a collapsible ladder was always part of that Aladdin's cave. Of course!

Jim also spent a considerable amount of time on the Henley in Arden footbridge project, and was responsible for the recovery of 800 blue edging bricks from Swanbourne (not far from his home, on the East-West line) and then a further 4000 blues from Verney Junction.

After Hayles Abbey halt was completed Jim joined the Construction & Maintenance department, where he became one of the movers and shakers. He was responsible there for the repainting of the footbridge at Winchcombe.

 

Jim also had an admirer at Hayles - this Dalmatian came every day that we were there and put Jim under immense pressure to hand over a bite of Paul's bacon butties, fixing him with an intense and slightly unnerving stare.

Painting the window frames of the waiting shelter at Hayles was not just done ad hoc with a brush, but with a carefully applied straight edge.

Jim (far right) was part of our gang, and we miss him.

Rest in Peace,  Jim, you were a good'un.