Thursday 28 January 2016

What a Difference a Week Makes

Wednesday 27th January





 A difference of 19°c greeted us from last Wednesday and although dull and grey we didn't get the soaking threatened by the forecast.
Tony, Bob and Clive supported by Paul and Peter carried on with the block work on the entrance side of the station









 Later in the day the progress can be seen.     John S is continuing with the fiddly task of cutting and laying the half bricks required to bring the blocks up to floor level. More of the volunteers in the background later.







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I had the feeling of being watched from the opposite platform. I'm not sure which one is "Chad", but there are four likely candidates.











Actually Dave, Mike, Peter Q and Graham were fitting the shuttering for the platform 2 footbridge base, in the hole dug previously. It turned out to be another one of those fiddly jobs. The mini digger had not been able to reach right to the back leaving the lads some hand digging, whilst the filling from the platform deciding it needed to be in the hole as well which meant more digging.










However, later in the day the shuttering was in the correct position, bracing had been fitted and the bolts and new model cones had been positioned. Concreting scheduled for next week hopefully.












Unlike last week when the icy weather prevented any progress, Keith and Brian continued with the window frame painting.











Back at the station site Richard from Fairview had brought more supplies, Peter S helps with the unloading.










Another job needing finishing, now the base for the signal box steps had been cast, was the vertical slabs that will form the rear edge of the platform. Rod, behind the camera, Steve B, Gordon and Mike have nearly closed the gap. A lamppost socket box was put in position and the last slab put in place after lunch. This will enable the infill to be finished, the base brought up to platform level and the steps, which JC has already made, can be fitted. You can see in the background that the landing has already been bolted to the brackets.


    


 Turning 180°, Graham was mixing the concrete for the job. On the right the work is continuing on the station building, in the distance the team is working on the footbridge base.











During the day another 8 tons of infill had been delivered, barrowed into the areas required and compacted with the wacker plate. It was then covered with sand to protect the membrane to be laid next. This was accomplished by Paul, Peter S, David, Ian, Brian and others of the 24 or so volunteers on site today. JC and Steve B raking the final corner.    








As all the different jobs were winding up for the day, a shout went up that we had another delivery. This turned out to be the first of the footbridge towers arriving from the manufacturer. Mike, Brian, Paul, John C and Graham have just positioned the top hoops on platform 2.








The same team do the same with the main tower. The base for the tower, which was being prepared today, is just out of the bottom of the picture.

Another good day of satisfying progress on several fronts.

4 comments:

  1. The foot bridge tower looks the bees knees

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  2. All coming along swimmingly, (hope I don't offend the weather gods with that). Great work lads.

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  3. Excellent. How do you ensure accuracy regarding the placement of the towers so that the span fits correctly? Is there much wiggle room as with say the stansions of the station?

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  4. John Balderstone2 February 2016 at 14:59

    Hi Dave, The setting out of the foundations and especially the holding down bolts was done using steel tapes, triangulated off the line of the station building steelwork, to ensure that the bridge will be square to the building. There is 4mm clearance in the bolt holes of the base plates to the legs, but extra movement is provided in the holding down bolts by hanging them inside tapered boxes (see photo), which allows app 30mm of movement in all directions. Thus in total we should have + or - 60mm of adjustment available.

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