The floor is cast - at last.

Sunday at Tod.

A bit of a catch up session on the creosoting of the featherboards.

 

We spent the whole day there, in blazing sunshine. The result was 30 more boards done - just enough for one section of fence. It's slow work. There are at least two more panel's worth out there. Hopefully some are spare, we've had a couple of spare bits of wood already.

While we painted the boards Bretton Grange ran up and down, accompanied by a second train with a class 47. The car park was quite busy. Fingers crossed that we have a good year. Last year, recently released plc results show, we made a loss of £133.000, against a net profit of £56.000 the year before. That's quite a negative turnaround, caused by a £200.000 rise in admin expenses. (a catch all term for costs)

The very successful gala is still unwinding. Sunday saw the departure of three traction engines.

The first one was this road roller, which rattled quite noisily up our drive, with the sound of steel on tarmac. At the top of the drive it turned right, heading up the Stow road. The climb up the hill at Stanton must have beeen interesting!

Briefly there was a line up of all three road going locomotives. The roller then set off on its own, followed a few minutes later by the second, and later on the third, all in the Stow direction.

 

 

 

Monday at Broadway on concrete.

Monday was the rescheduled concreting day for the floor, and it was a success.

Here is the starting shot. Neal had to have all the insulation out last week, as the heavy rain had caused pools of water to form underneath.

 

 

 

 

Neal seems to have lost his keys, and in hunting around the platforms and trackbed we came across a small black package.

Not the keys sadly. An unpleasant gift from a dog walker.

What is it that makes them act like a responsible citizen and pick up the mess their dog leaves on the pavement, but then lob it into the neighbour's garden?

 

 

 

Our disappointment with this human behaviour was distracted by the arrival of the 'Dial-a-mix' lorry, a bit ahead of the pump truck.

As a result Mark and Neal were able to have a nice chat witth the driver, the same one as last time.

Not long afterwards ' Max Pump' did arrive. In order to protect the tarmac on the forecourt we laid out a large tarpaulin and some big pieces of plywood.

 

 

 

The Max Pump crew put together the pipe over the little bridge that we reinstated for the day, then watched the end to see if any concrete would ooze out. After a long wait it finally did.

This is where we needed a bit of help, as there's a lot of raking to be done once the concrete starts to pour out.

Luckily we were helped by three members of the Broadway maintenance gang. That made all the difference - thanks, lads !

 

 

 

 

 

The store room was first to be filled. Neal and John raked it level with a plank, as Max Pump and the Broadway gang moved on to the main room and raked the concrete around. 

 

 

 

 Here's an interim shot from the site of the webcam, which was not operating that day.

We had a possession for the little bridge (Monday being a non-running day) and it supported the concrete supply pipe to the second platform.

 

 

Outside was the Dial-a-Mix lorry, ready to supply up to 10 cu m of concrete. 

Ultimately, we used 8.5 cu m.

All the mess was fielded by the big blue sheet of plastic, leaving the forecourt nice and clean.

 

With the store room nice and level, Neal and John moved on to the main room, while it was still being filled at the other end.

The flow through the pump was directed by remote control, but not always when we wanted it.

Now what's holding it up?

Having kicked off at 10 am, this is where we got to at 12 noon. Almost there.

Just a little corner left to fill, seen from the footbridge.

We were very impressed by Dial-a-Mix and Max Pump. The guys really got their boots wet and helped us, and cleaned up very nicely afterwards too. Perhaps they liked our project, or thought it was unusual?

After the departure of the mixer and pump lorries we took down the temporary bridge, had lunch, and then waited for the concrete to go off a bit, before smoothing it off with a large mop like thing.

The concrete was slow to go off, perhaps because of the air and water that still remained under the insulation slabs, despite our best efforts to dry them out.

To pass the time we took to manually dismembering the last of the old Cotswolds stone foundation lumps

We were watched by two of the Broadway gang, Ian and Dave. 

Say 'Hello'.

Mid afternoon the concrete had dried out somewhat, but still too early to smooth it down. You can walk on it after 24 hours, but we'll wait a bit longer than that, and then hire in a genie lift. With that we can then lift up and fit the other two ring beam sections.

The brickwork will be laid on to the concrete blocks, which are actually outside the new floor, so that could start immediately in practice. There will be two courses of blues, followed by a DPC.

 

 

 

At this point we would just like to outline a poster found on the station.

It's for our Real ale event.

Thought you'd like to know. Lots of pints to try, all in one place. That's got to be good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday at Didbrook.

A modest team, presumably diminished by the successful but exhausting gala that we just had. Pictures with thanks to Bert Ferrule.

 

The team of just 6 set off for Didbrook, where there is a wooden sleepered section which is in need of spot resleepering. Possibly these are sleepers from the earliest days in the 1980s.

 

 

Seven sleepers were replaced, and then gone over with the Robels to consolidate the ballast.

The day was followed by tea and ice creams in the Coffeepot, which still accepts Riff-Raff like the PWay gang.

 

Bert got a nice shot of the team at rest during the lunch break:

'OK guys, let's have a nice smile for the camera, show them what fun it is on our gang.'

 

 

Wednesday with the Usketeers.

A great day, nice and sunny, and we finished the featherboard fence. That gives a great sense of achievement.

Here's where we left off last week, with three sections done.

 

We had three more sections to go on the straight, and then two on the inward extension. Now it was a race between those creosoting (Yours Truly) and those putting up the boards (Dave and John, much faster).

 

 

In anticipation of nearly finishing today we ordered the material for the more heritage post and rail fence for the upper drive, and it arrived today.

We warmly reccommend our supplier Hartwell's of Weston Subedge, who gave excellent service, and with a big smile too.

The whole of the lorry was filled with our kit, which was quite impressive.

This is all sponsored by a supporter, to whom we are very grateful. The gift was made through our Trust, so that it was possible to increase it with Gift Aid.

Here the grandfather posts are being unloaded. We are aiming for a long lasting fence - the featherboard one is a temporary construction. (say 10 years)

 

 

Our work attracted the attention of the PWay gang, who were passing on their way to Toddington North.

 

Station staff too were interested, especially if they are an old mate if Paul's.

Here they are reaching the corner.

 

Yours Truly creosoted furiously; Paul and Dave hammered featherboards relentlessly.

The last featherboard goes on - finished !

We met as the last board was nailed on. The last board was still wet from being painted.

Here is the last board going on, seen from the road.

This general shot shows the effect of the fence that we were asked to build. It's not a heritage item, it's a functional thing. Its purpose is to tidy up the site, and hide the remains of the former garden centre.

In the light of that purpose it is certainly a success. One day though that site should see a museum and Trust visitor centre, which will welcome visitors and expand on what they can see at Toddington. At the moment though it is considered too expensive, given the modest only success of the viaduct appeal.

Next to the Usketeers Neal was working on the fourth and last fascia board.

In this picture he is cutting off an excess, a bit of extra length that he had allowed for, but which is not finally needed.

 

 

 

 

More money? How much more....?

 

 

 

Later we received the visit of a board director, which was nice - management by walking around, as they used to say.

He was very complementary about our work, both for the fence and the preparations for the rivetted canopy.

 

 

 

 

Our musings were interupted by the chop-chop-chop of a low flying Chinook.

It flew at treetop height over Toddington...

... then pulled up to rise over the Cotswolds edge.

At the end of the day Neal was a long way towards achieving the 51 drilled holes down the second side of the last fascia board.

The piles of swarf bear witness to his patience and application.

 

 

Next week the Usketeers will make a start on the GWR style post and rail fence along the station approach, to replace the untidy Heras fencing that is currently along there.

All that is left to do at the featherboard fence is to fit the gate, and close the 12 inch gap on the right. That won't take long.

The first job on the new fence is to fit two gate posts for a pair of gates near the bottom end. One will be a 10ft one (for vehicles), the other 5ft (pedestrian).