Wednesday 16 August 2017

The Latest Post

Wednesday 16th August

19 hale and hearty (apart from a few dodgy knees and bad backs) volunteers today amid fine and warm August weather to lift the spirits, what a change from last Wednesday!

The first job for some, while they were still as fresh as daisies, was the planting of the second running in board post at the north end of platform 1. You may recall its neighbour going in a couple of weeks back.

The holes were dug out sometime ago so all that was required initially was to carry the post a few feet along the platform and position it feet first near the hole. The post in question is a genuine GWR cast iron post , it isn't light and carrying anywhere is not easy, so six of us positioned ourselves around it and with much grunting and heaving extricated it from its position amongst a few other posts and put it down near its new home.


During the intervening time between post one and post two being planted the carpenters had obligingly produced a dummy running in board frame which enabled the posts to be set at the correct height and distance etc. By the time the photo was taken the post was in its hole and had a few bags of postcrete around its base.


 
 
After spending the first couple of hours on the post project Brian reverted to the vegetation control. The second photo gives in indication of how much has been achieved in just a few short weeks. The brush cutter being used manages to chop the material to a reasonably small size so obviating the need to collect it all up for disposal.


Also controlling vegetation on the opposite cutting side was Pat using the Flymo to maintain a decent walking way at the top.


The bricklayers...


Bob is working on the northernmost chimney, at great pains to ensure that this one matches its southerly partner. Bob is a great believer in laying out the bricks in tricky situations prior to applying the mortar so that any possible problems can be overcome at this stage. The first course of the second corbelling is what is being laid out here and this course was completed by close of play.


The filling of the gap in the platform 1 wall continues to make good progress, although the wall has been mainly built of recycled imperial bricks it has been difficult to prevent the red bricks at the back overtaking the blues at the front so a course of two of smaller 65mm bricks has been laid to bring the level back. This is the last course before corbelling and before the end of the day the first dozen or so bricks of the first corbel were laid. There will be three courses of corbelling.

The chippies & painters...


Work on the canopy continues apace, two of the carpentry gang are fitting and nailing dagger boards to the front of it as fast as they can to try to keep ahead of the solitary painter. Brushman Graham has been applying the first coat of undercoat all morning and is slowly catching up with the chippies. There are smiles on their faces so the banter must have been to a good standard at this point.


The southern and of the canopy woodwork now wearing its first coat of undercoat

The kerbers...


Obviously with plenty of energy left after early morning work moving and planting posts on the platform Rod and Terry go back to the day job of preparing the footings and laying the kerb stones up the drive. In the fullness of time the drive will be re-surfaced with tarmac and when this has been completed the level of the drive will be near the top of the kerbs on this side.

Elsewhere around the site..


Chris continued to move surplus bricks off the trackbed onto platform two.


Daggerboard Dave, not seen in action for sometime, keeping the chippies supplied with the necessary


Mike diligently applying primer to the remaining bare areas of the canopy


Two members of the P/way gang out for a jolly maybe? Or a test run on the newly laid track?
Did brakesman and pusher swap places for the return trip we wonder?












10 comments:

  1. Yes, the running in board posts look great. As do the chimney top and canopy dagger boarding. Regards, Paul.

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  2. At this rate the whole station will be finished well before the official opening! Great work everyone, we will be paying a visit in September to see for ourselves.
    Regards
    Paul & Marion

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    Replies
    1. Well, there's only about 60 working days left or about 80 if you count Mondays as well. An awful amount to do in that time considering that the station building is still open to the weather and is unlikely to be weathertight until, I guess, late October. Perhaps some professional help will be required?

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    2. Paul, I really have to admire your optimism. The volunteers are working very hard but the weather is a major issue, especially without the station building roof finished yet. There is no way that Broadway Station will be completed in time for opening on 30 March. There is stacks of work to do on the interior and although there may be some amenities, there's no way I can see anything other than a basic facility (probably with hired in toilets)being ready by Easter 2018. This is absolutely no disrespect to the hardworking volunteers, just the way it is.

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  3. Great work on the GWR chimneys by Bob and by all the other volunteers.

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  4. I wonder why some of the dagger boards are different lengths from the rest? Someone lost his rule, I wonder?

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    Replies
    1. I presume that this is maximising the use of the timber as the tops will be covered in due course

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  5. Hi, Could you please explain why station name boards are called running-in boards? I can see that being large they are easier to read from a moving train but the name puzzles me. Thank you all for the wonderful work that you are doing and looking forward to travelling by steam from Broadway next year
    Many thanks, Alan

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    Replies
    1. Wikipedia has a good explanation of running in boards .....

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    2. Many Thanks. Alan

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