Wednesday 25 October 2017

Ballast, and a beauty revealed

We split into 4 teams today:

- One at Winchcombe, chairing up wooden sleepers
- One on the goods shed embankment, preparing the levels for the track there
- One at Broadway north, clipping up the track laid Saturday
- One small one on ballast running duties at Broadway

Winchcombe:

A vital part of the track lay is the chairing up of the sleepers, which today were confirmed as Jarrah. Quality stuff then.



As from Saturday we are going to be laying these, so a good supply following on behind is critical.

At Winchcombe the gang was busy chairing up, as well as loading the extension train.

Here it is, half loaded just after lunch.






The chairing up is repetitive stuff, with a bit under 750 sleepers to be done and us about half way there at the moment.

The sleepers are drilled at the supplier's, but the wood around the hole is hard and quite a bit of force is need to get the chairscrews in an initial bit, to give the nut runner a purchase to get started.




The Telehandler hovers nearby, ready to pounce and take a set of 4 away.

At lunch time, the gang had done 48, perhaps double that for the end of the day? At least the weather was fine for this work, so that it could proceed speedily.

At the end of the day, the extension train was taken to Broadway again.




Broadway goods shed:

Two members of the gang worked on determining the levels of the track to be laid here.



 
This is the site of the through road. The gate is redundant now, as it and the fence panel need to go to let the track through.

A fence will be erected along the LH edge of the site. The bits are in the middle distance.







The ballast loading mini digger was purloined (we think 'borrowed' was the term used) to drive in two stakes at the bridge end, where there was nothing to which the lateral bars could be attached.



At the end of the day the two stakes were in, lateral bars attached and painted white, and these stretch all the way along the fence. From here downwards the future height of the rail and ballast level can be measured.

Broadway north:







An optimist was still in summer shorts. Well, admittedly it was unusually warm, some people were seen in shirt sleeves.

Lovely boots too. Hope they don't get dirty.








That damned contact lens has fallen out again
A vast array of tools was extracted from the site safe, to lift sleepers, bar them across and pull in the Pandrol clips. You can't have enough tools.




Clipping up then got going with a vengeance. To do this, you need one man on the Pan Puller, and an observer.

At the end of the day, the three panels laid on Saturday were indeed fully clipped up, except for the short stretch across the barrow crossing.




Eleven Broadway volunteers assembled to stare intensely at one PWay gang member laying out clips. There's something about Pandrol clips that is really interesting...

Ballasting crew:

Steve is on furlough this week - he does have another life beyond the railway, and yes, another customer. Adam therefore filled the dumper today, and we ran it up and down the loop side of the track through the platforms.

We have now almost finished, as you can see here in this gloriously sunny shot. We have not yet levelled this area, and more will be needed once the piles have been flattened. They represent a first pass.




Lunch - always enjoyable with the gang, and noisy Maitre d' Paul.

What's cooking today, Paul?
FAGGOTS !!!
I don't like faggots, can I have sausages instead?
NO !!!




Back at Broadway, the huge piles of ballast (remember how they stretched all the way to the gate?) gradually disappeared, until there was none left. We called the quarry first thing to order more, also for Stanton where the Dogfish will be loaded again.





The first wagon came just in time. Behind him a large flatbed artic with a large brand new tractor on top stopped dead in front of the bridge, then reversed slowly back up Station Road towards the town centre. That was a close one! Don't they read the signs?







The 20 tons of stone rushed out of the trailer, and were soon loaded and brought up to the platforms.

At the end of the day we were close to the southern end. We should reach that tomorrow, then go over the low spots.





This is where we were at the end of the day, as the sun was going down.




With no more ballast to load, Adam brought the mini digger up and started to level off the piles.

After a while, stones got under the rubber caterpillar tracks and one of them came off as he turned. That was the situation at the end of the day. Let's hope we can 're-rail' the little machine tomorrow morning.



Looking the other way just before the sun went down, we can see the station building revealed further, as another layer of scaffolding was stripped off today.

A see of fresh ballast takes up the foreground. This area still needs work on the levels, but at the northern end it's now ready to start laying bullhead track on wooden sleepers.

Here are a few more sunset photographs of the building, with most of the scaffolding trackside now gone.


From left to right the rooms are:
Gents', Disabled, Ladies', Store Room, Ticket Office, Booking Office, Refreshments, (Kitchen)

A close up of the Ticket and Booking Offices, with the foundation stone covered by the sheet of blue plastic.

The play of light illuminates the arched ridge purlins which characterise the heritage canopy. In the foreground the platform will be covered in 2'x3' slabs, as at Toddington.

In the last shot from the other direction the sun has gone down, but we do not want to deprive you of it, as all the scaffolding poles have now completely gone. The arch accommodates the doors to the Ladies' and Disabled toilets.

The exterior is a superb heritage effort, let's hope they do the interior with the same care and attention to detail.


46 comments:

  1. Just wonderful to see, thank you.

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  2. Wow, a sea of ballast! And what a beauty is revealed indeed! I'm glad to see someone braving the heights to install the flashing at the top of the roof.
    Thanks for the update, Jo.

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  3. It is quite extraordinary what you have achieved and continue to achieve. I watch in awe from the south coast, proud to be a shareholder.

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  4. Every brick, lintel, nail, nut, bolt, screw, pipe, frame, lick of paint, piece of wood, length of steel, roofing sheet, run of gutter were all assembled with skill and care. That light you see is the glow of pride and quality radiating from the station building. Well done all - simply superb!

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  5. Wow, that station building has so exceeded expectations. well done to all involved.

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    1. It's not half bad at all is it? "Just" the inside to fit out now! Tempus Fugit.

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  6. You can pay no greater compliment than to say that it begins to look as if it has always been there. The pines, railings, footbridge, signal box, this fabulous building and soon the bullhead rail will create a GWR film set that few, if any, can match.

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  7. Fabulous to see! It was so worth going for the close replica of the original- a real fitting northern terminus (for now at least!).
    Picture 11 looks similar to Picture 2 on the "The Early Sixties at Broadway - With Brian Parsons Recollections" page of the website www.broadwaystation.co.uk. Will there be 2 rows of paving slabs behind the platform edging slabs as in the original platform?

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    1. Yes. Originally tarmac was planned, but having found some slabs we managed to persuade them.

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    2. It was always the intention to have paving slabs, that's why we have been collecting them over the years. Terry

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  8. Wow! Further to my earlier comment, Broadway Station is truly re - born. This is right up there with preservation's finest achievements, and I hope it will be recognised as such.

    Regards,

    jtx

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    1. If - IF - the interior is to the same heritage level.

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    2. In theory that is perfectly possible- authentic fireplaces, rounded edgings to the plaster at windows and doors, authentic heritage light fittings,colour schemes etc; we have authentic ticket office barrier, don't we? GWR clock in the ticket office...

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  9. The station looks stunning, like a beautiful bride that has just been unveiled.
    I hope there are awards for this project because it need to be appreciated by the wider community.

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  10. In that soft evening light, with the sun slanting low through the pines, it becomes easy to imagine standing here, listening to the evening chorus while waiting for the last train of the day.
    This will become a special place...

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  11. As above but listening to the evening chorus of a locomotive pulling into the station to the accompaniment of 2 - 1 on the bells, (train out of section),in the signal box. That is what I call the perfect idyll. Regards, Paul.

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    1. St. Blazey, see my post on the latest Broadway posting....
      Paul & Marion

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    2. I did. Poetry, sheer poetry! Regards, Paul.

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  12. Broadway Station is a real phoenix risen from the ashes. now unveiled from the shackles of the scaffolding, to shine in all her glory. A credit to all involved in the rebirth, a monument to heritage railway for generations to come.

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    1. For goodness sake, you've got me reaching for my hanky! I must admit though, I'll be hard pressed not to get emotional when I visit next Easter. There is, of course, much still to be done between now and then. Toddington Ted.

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    2. Toddington Ted,see my post on the latest Broadway posting....
      Paul & Marion

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  13. We have said it before and will keep saying it, this project deserves some sort of national recognition! A heritage award of some description is needed to reward the efforts of the volunteers and supporters of this, The Cotswold's Smiling Line! So come on the Blog readers, write or email all the railway magazines and your MP's about it, and why not donate some more money to the cause while your at it, this is the best "good news" story we have had in years! What a great looking station and a wonderful blog and pictures!
    Regards
    Paul & Marion.

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  14. Credit must go to the group of 8-10 Broadway volanteers of advancing years, who have turned up 3 days a week, week in week out in all weathers to get the station building to this stage. We all thank you for your dedication and skill.

    Pat
    BAG 1 day a week volanteer

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  15. It is especially fitting that the lovely old town of Broadway has once again its lovely old railway station.

    And it's not finished yet :

    There are doors, windows, platform paving, etc., to follow, and we know the intrepid Broadway volunteers will do everything perfectly.

    Followed in 2018 by the trains. What a sight that will be !!

    I agree with the comment by Paul Sucksmith : this deserves some sort of national heritage award.

    Peter

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  16. Wow!.That building,really is FABULOUS!.It surely,deserves an award!.When he station is completed,it'll be one,to be really proud of!. Anthony.

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  17. This certainly is a great milestone and I agree with all that has been said. Another great milestone will be the completion of the track work. Will there be a Golden Spike (or clip) ceremony, with donuts?
    Paul

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  18. Maybe a Golden Pandrol, although a real one would be too soft :-(

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  19. The building is indeed beautiful and a credit to the volunteers who built it. But while certain hard-won victories of the preservationists against official apathy(such as the "heritage roof" and the chimney tops)have been well-discussed in these pages, one still discerns in certain details the lingering effects of initial poor planning. How easy it would have been to have those dead-giveaway modern expansion joints in the brickwork coincide with the rainwater goods, and thus be entirely hidden, had the heritage trusses and their spacing been planned before the brickwork was commenced. Likewise, the several extra courses of brickwork between the arches and the corbelling (as compared to similar stations)appear to be the result of the added steel ring beam that made possible the placement of the heritage roof on top of the differently-spaced vertical posts that were evidently designed and built to support the "wrong" roof at the correct elevation. With a cohesive heritage-based plan from the start, such deviations from complete authenticity could have been entirely avoided, at no greater cost and perhaps even less. Now let's seen how the footbridge misalignment will be handled....

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    1. I wouldn't worry too much about it if I were you, it's as good as it can possibly be given the frailty of humans! I'm sure you were there when they started the restoration work at Broadway in earnest in 2009 and offered your services as project leader, you didn't? Never mind, several structures in the war-torn parts of the Middle East need rebuilding so there's a project for you. Toddington Ted.

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    2. This shows quite some insight.
      I think despite the obstacles both physical and human we have done quite well after all. The look of the building has a lot of charm now.
      Let's hope we can achieve the same with the interior.

      With the footbridge we are stuck with its size and location, so now the best we can do is find an imaginative compromise that still looks as if it was meant to be built like that. We are working on it !

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    3. With you on that Toddington Ted! I was asked to remove my comment below, will you be asked to do that as well?
      Paul of Paul & Marion

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    4. well we could have formed a committe and discussed why and where all the bits should go or not. Whys and wherefors etc etc. After all that debate we may hve by now got round to thinking about a date to lay the first brick. All that has been achieved has been achieved by volanteers. Worth not forgetting

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    5. That insight sounds like it could come from a former BAG member who resigned over similar issues and simply can't let it go.

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  20. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  21. What a fantastic sight to behold. Unfortunately in life, there is always going to be someone that will come in with negative comments about how they can do better, all from the comfort of their own armchair. We can all be 'wise' after an event. This has to be a celebration of what a collective effort can achieve and I salute all that are involved with every aspect of your railway. May I add my support to those other writers, that this project should be put forward for an award, in perhaps two parts 1. Volunteering and 2. the finished (almost) project. I gain great pleasure from your blogs Jo (I had the pleasure of meeting you Hailes in May)and thank you for keeping us all informed. Keep up the good work - Mart (the biscuit man from Cornwall)

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  22. When we look at modern architecture and wonder what is going through people's heads, it is a sheer delight to be able to say what a remarkable achievement Broadway is. I love pastiche if carried out tastefully. The speed at which so many notable structures disappeared under the hammer from 1960 onwards makes the work completed at Broadway all the more to be treasured and enjoyed.
    Not everything is negative in this country.

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  23. I have copied and pasted my comment on here, as written yesterday PM. I had a call from a friend this morning saying to put this here as well.

    The lady is now showing her generous proportions, style and character, all being enhanced by our team of volunteers. How soon to be standing on the platform with the sounds and smells of Foremark Hall (other locos are available!) brewing gently at the platforms edge, whilst admiring the quality of the building and the flower baskets hanging from the walls. The sounds of tea and cakes being served in the cafeteria, the guards whistle blowing, doors to carriages being slammed shut, the hiss of steam, muted sounds from passengers saying how well the station is looking for such an old building as they do not know of the work done to rebuild this magnificent station building. The site of the volunteers sitting on the benches listening to the compliments of their hard work. Oh what a glorious site to behold, this edifice of man to rebuild history in the beautiful Cotswolds. Listen after the train has departed, you hear the quiet sounds of men calling "more bricks, more muck, heave to the Cotswold side, Toddington end and heave, oh no another puncture in the dumper" All this, the memories of sounds heard at Broadway during her rebirth. "What's that you say, the next train to Honeybourne, that's the 14:26 platform 2"

    Don't laugh, it may well happen yet! They said the same for this station not that long ago!
    Another great report and pictures of our new lady on her way to the grand re-opening. Well done all.
    Regards
    Paul & Marion

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  24. Typo: Foremark Hall should read Foremarke Hall. - Graham Huxley

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    1. Please forgive me over the spelling, one day I will name this loco correctly, in the meantime I put it down to all the excitement at Broadway!!!!!(Note to self, 100 lines, I must spell the loco's name correctly, Foremarke Hall...)

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    2. Indeed, I've already chastised you for it once before! Toddington Ted.

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  25. Reference those sleepers for Broadway. Jarrah wood grows in Australia, not unlike the seats currently in the GW Steam railmotor, both have already made a long journey topside. Jarrah is phenomenally dense and long lasting.
    When we picture Australia in general, areas filled by trees of any variety do not always spring to mind. Luckily for us, bringing in timber from so far away from Blighty is still an option. I forecast a life of 50+ years for each sleeper. Keep up the good work!
    K&ESR also use jarrah.

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  26. Magnificent work as always.

    Without excusing the trucks that have allided (collide with another which is stationary, or with a static object or structure) with the bridge, the signs in Cheltenham Road & at its junction with Station road are easy to miss. Especially if screened by a truck carrying ballast for the railway. That might be why the flatbed truck went wrong. OTOH, those warning signs are bland & lack a sense of danger or urgency. If radar signs warning motorists to slow down are available, why not radar controlled height restriction signs, or better yet, in cab warnings messages?

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    1. According to a BBC news article I saw about 3 months ago, radar triggered flashing signs reduce the number of impacts by one third, i.e. two thirds still take place.

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