Off into 2026.

Saturday, out with the gang.

A higher than average turnout, with 11 in the mess coach on this icy cold but sunny day. There were also two new recruits, Liam and Greg. (Welcome!)

 

 

 

In view of the larger than expected turnout we needed three vehicles to transport everyone. Here they are, inspecting the vast pile of tools we needed to take on Saturday. In the foreground is the list of jobs - all but one pretty small really.

We are waiting for the start of the CRC job. 

 

 We had to stop for the first train, on our way to the first job, at MP 10-40. What a lovely, crisp, clear day.

 

Will the problem resolve itself, if we all stare as hard as we can?

 Here we all got out and stared at the issue - a cracked fishplate; in fact, a pair, which is not so common.

 

 

 

On this picture you can see the crack, outlined in yellow, and starting at the bottom.

This was a particularly awkward one for us, as it is a transitional plate between bullhead and flatbottom rail. These are rare (NR have little need for them), and on top of that it's a lifter.

A specially made plate, just for us, would cost £100s, and we would need a pair, for twice the cost. 

 

We decided to give this some thought, while we attended to other issues in the area. A repair was nonetheless fitted at the end of the day.

 

The next one was a Cotswolds side dip at Didbrook. This used to be an annual occurrence, until we resleepered this section, re-ballasted and tamped it.

Now, two years later, it's back.

The cause is poor drainage at the foot of the embankment here, where there is a bit of a swamp. According to one of the longer standing members of the team he asked for the problem to be addressed in 2008, and is still waiting. 

 

We may need to politely ask again... 

 

Seen from said 'swamp' is PENDENNIS CASTLE here. Unfortunately with steam shut off, in view of our site and speed restriction boards.

A close up of the Castle, aka 'DENNIS' on the gang.

 

  

Having passed our site, 'DENNIS' opens up again. With a lovely, loud bark.


Having rectified the dip (probably only for another year, if  'previous' can be relied on) we moved on to Toddington, and lunch in the nice, warm mess room.

Next came a requested inspection of sleepers through the platforms, as some doubtful ones were covered in ash and other debris, so that the track walkers could not check them.

This is not a brilliant photograph, but is included to show the frosty conditions in the shade.

 

 

 

 

We found 4 or 5 suspect sleepers, one of which is receiving the official cross here from Dave D.

While the platform roads were resleepered in recent memory, some sleepers nearby were still throughbolters laid... in the 1980s? 

On the way back to base we stopped to let 'DENNIS' by again, here with some nice glint along the boiler.

Unfortunately there is an electricity pylon growing out of the safety valve cover. When the train is spotted we need to stop the van, so there is no opportunity to hunt for a better photo spot, you need to grab what you can get.

 

CRC, on Sunday, double heading day.

 Just want to share with you this great photograph of the event, taken by PWayer Steve Webley: 

Double heading - what a great idea! It was very popular indeed, judging from the photographs that came out of it. Betton Grange and Pendennis Castle were the locomotives involved.

 

  

 

Monday at Broadway.

The upholsterer came to pick up the GWR waiting room bench.

 

 

 

We carried it up the rather slippery slope at the end of the platform, and paused under the canopy.

What a lovely set of colours. The stripped and varnished pine looks great.

Now for a new fabric, with buttons and the proper beading around it. 

 

 

 

 

 

Neal very kindly got out of bed early on this frosty morning, and helped us with the tricky manoeuvre out of the mess room, and over the fence.

Here he is with Mike, just leaving the station.

 

 

A few more steps, and into the van, which was fortunately big enough to swallow the bench, and the 3.5m beading tube that we had ordered. Just...

Mike didn't think it would take long, so it might return some time next week, all done. 

 

Wednesday with the Usketeers.

Full strength today, all three of us. Fortified by large platefuls of Christmas dinner at the local Pheasant inn on Tuesday, our own little celebration with our wives (one each, mind). 

 

 

As a result, we were quite glad to do a bit of work, in preference some distance away too, so that we could work off some of those calories.

But first a little conflab, what will the sleeper wall of the hut look like? 

Paul, a professional builder in his working life, sketches a little plan on how it will all hold together. 

 

 

 

Then we piled our tools, and indeed a spare seat, as one had fallen apart on site, and walked the quarter mile to the tunnel mouth.

The advanced starter was off, but there were no trains. A rattle when we were up there told us that it was on again, which was a bit disconcerting, as there were no trains today. We think the signal activity was related to C&W shunting the yard.

 

 

 

Wednesday was frosty overnight, so too cold to lay bricks. We even saw a pedestrian lose her feet in a local village as we drove by, and conditions were equally slippery on the station forecourt.

To keep us warm we decided to continue with last week's job, which was removal of the broken concrete blocks along the rear, ready for replacement. 

 

 

Other people before us had already had a go at the top row of these blocks, so when we initially cleared the site we threw the broken bits to one side.

We don't want to leave them there long term, so we filled a barrow with the rubble, then broke it into small pieces, before taking it to the bottom of the approach slope, where there is a bit of a step down to the trackbed, which vehicles don't like. 

 

Paul smashing concrete block rubble into smaller pieces.

 

 

 

 

 

Yours Truly and Dave concentrated on the rear retaining wall.

Dave attacked the roots in the channel, while Yours Truly removed most of the broken concrete blocks along the back.

We got the drawing out, and measured. The side of the hut will come up to the white mark, centre left. It's 9' by 10'4 inches, just off square. That leaves a nice little concrete verandah in the foreground, enough room to swing the door open, or sit outside (if we leave the chairs)

 

 

 

 

Next week will be warmer, and along with that, damper. If it's not too wet, we will resume brick laying on the chimney.

 

 

 

A look at the blog statistics.

According to Blogger, this blog has been going since 2017. Of course, we've had the Broadway track extension blog, CRC P2 blog, and the Broadway rebuild blog itself, in which we participated. We also set up the C&M blog (currently dormant), the Restoration and Archiving Trust blog, and the Civil Engineering blog (all operated by members of that department), but the Heritage Herald motors on steadily.

So here are the statistics:

Number of views last month: 18.000

Number of views since inception, 9 years ago: 1.2 million (!)

Number of comments: 3410  - you have a voice !

 

We'd just like to thank you for your interest, and your support, sometimes even financial, for our little projects that help make this a more authentic heritage railway. 

With our new chairman and a new marketing manager, 2026 is going to be very exciting. Watch this space...