Thursday 29 March 2018

The End of an Era

Wednesday 28th March 2018

This day became the last working Wednesday for BAG. From now on train services will be running on Wednesdays so for a while Mondays & Fridays will be the irregular working days until the outstanding jobs are completed. Many of the 40 or so BAG members will continue to volunteer for the GWSR in various departments, according to preference & needs of the departments. We are a happy group who have enjoyed working alongside folk from all walks of life. We hope that it won't be too long before we are called back to further develop the Broadway site, when funds become available.
For my little survey 20 members responded. Their average age : 69.75yrs. Their occupations, as one could have guessed, were very varied : 8 white collar, 12 blue collar - is that politically correct? no! Well amongst those 20 there is 1 school teacher, 1 civil servant, 1 prison officer, 1 professional painter, 3 from the insurance world, 5 professional engineers & only 1 builder!

Monday recap:
Monday's weather was glorious and enabled repainting of the white line along the edge of platform 1, continuation of slab laying to the North side of the station building plus erection of signage posts behind the parking bays. Peter Q, Clive & Paul virtually completed the re-erection of the sales shed.

                       Graham busy with the white line, assisted by Mike S & Tony.

Rod with the petrol driven auger, assisted by Keith & Ron preparing holes for the sign posts.
With special mortar supplied by Keith, Terry & Bob get on with the slab laying.

Wednesday:                                                                                                                                            
Wednesday's weather could have been a lot kinder as a send off for the 24 volunteers who signed in. Awful conditions prevailed through the morning & it was only after lunch break that the welcome sun & some warmth

An early delivery of cement & pea gravel from Richard of Fairview.

 Mike T & Mike S kept busy in the dry, touching up around the building, where necessary. Here we see Mike S with a steady hand on the crowd barrier posts.
The weather has improved and Rod & Ron are further down the driveway now, preparing another hole for another sign !
                     Yes Keith, that's where you should be, helping Peter K with that post hole.
                                                   No lads, that one isn't for moving !
Peter Q finishing off the facia panels on the shed for Julie's shop. It is not intended for this to be a permanent feature on platform 1, as long term the shop will be sited within a station building.      
Stevie W chatting with Chris after setting in place the barrow crossing at the North end of the platforms. He had been assisted by a group of permanent way volunteers who were also employed in tidying ballast off the sleepers.                                                                                                               

Signs of the times! There a lot of signs going up the driveway as well. I could easily join the group of "whingers".                                                                                                                                            


Well that's all folks, from me. Hope to see you at the Opening Day, Good Friday or Easter Weekend. 


Paul Carter                                                                                                                                          

































19 comments:

  1. Well done all of you!
    As a 47 year old you put me to shame!
    But you have achieved so much and Broadway has shaped up better than I ever dared to dream!
    Enjoy your Wednesdays hereon!
    Please leave the camera in place too!

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  2. An epic era! All the work done has been to a very high standard, similar in quality to the National Trust. I will miss the Wednesday blogs and eagerly anticipate when the building on platform 2 begins. Meanwhile to the members who transfer to other departments, I say 'All the best', and a big thanks for all the work done.
    Regards, Paul.

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  3. As a fairly senior (in time served!) GWSR member, shareholder and erstwhile volunteer, can I offer my humble thanks to you and all those who have worked so hard to bring the GWSR Broadway extension to the stage where, in less than 24 hours' time, there will be a step change in how the Railway operates and how its status must increase due to the tremendous efforts that we have witnessed on this, and other GWSR blogs. It is indeed the end of an era but the start of a much more exciting one. There are several people I knew at the GWSR who, sadly, did not live to see this but you have done them proud. In a more frivolous context, why not paint the shed in Great Central Railway 2-tone green, It's a very smart paint scheme! Good luck tomorrow folks!

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  4. Congratulations to all concerned in the resurrection of Broadway Station. You all deserve a medal! Can we now look forward to the future, after a period of consolidation,that Broadway becomes a through station when the railway lives up to its title of Gloucester and WARWICKSHIRE Railway.

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  5. Well done the BAG Team. I have enjoyed reading the blogs and popping in from time to time to see progress for myself.
    I shall be arriving by train tomorrow!
    Looking forward to it.
    Best wishes to the group and their future endeavours.

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  6. Very well done, all! A stupendous effort. What you've created is without doubt a marvel; something to be celebrated throughout the whole railway heritage movement

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  7. Thank you. You made a dream come true.

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  8. How I wish I was still capable to have been able to witness this day first hand, wielding a shovel, or whatever! You have all done the Railwway proud and, if this rebuild isn't listed for an award in the not too far distand future then, justice isn't being served! Well done all of you. Best of luck in whatever you do next. We know the standard of your work. Other departments have only to benefit from your expertise.

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  9. So the end of a an era in some respects, but a new beginning for all. The station looks so good despite the many other things to be done to complete the finished dream of a complete two platform station in the Edwardian style. We are raising a glass to you all tonight. Many thanks for the blog reports over the years and if the camera can stay in place that would be good for so many of us to keep an eye on our new "Lady". Well done to all the team for such a wonderful effort to produce a work of art that deserves an award. Good luck and to use a Spock ism, live long and prosper!
    Regards
    Paul & Marion

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  10. being over 400miles way im unlikly to visit any time soon but its been a pleasure to watch this blog since the first platfrom foundations went in. not sure what to say apart from a job well done all and i will have to rely on the other blogs to get my weekly fix of whats going on: again well done all.

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  11. I managed to be on the first public train into Broadway Station this morning.
    A treat at last to see the work involved. Although I had visited before, it was the wrong side of the safety fence!
    I will have to come back when it's quieter and have a proper look round.
    A great day!

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  12. A day tinged with sadness and joy; sadness that this blog will come to an end but the joy that BAG have produced such a great piece of work, I have followed this blog for many many years, been to all but one of your May open evenings to see at first hand this outstanding work; I am really looking forward to visiting Broadway this year by train.
    To all the BAG members past and present thank you for producing such a wonderful reproduction of an early 20th centaury GWR station

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    Replies
    1. I would hope that this is just the end of the begining.... there is still much to do to complete the station, P1 building fitout,P2Building and canopy, footbridge and finishing the Canopy on P1... hopefully after the team have basked in all the praise for opening on time and the managment have counted the returns that plans and schedules can be advanced to complete the project..

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  13. A wonderful day with exellent media coverage , well done to all BAG volunteers over the past few years . Now the Café needs to be finished quickly to enhance the building and this can be self funded from August by income from many visitors and members of the Caravan Club . Many Volunteers are ready to serve them and look forward to helping with donations to complete this important asset .

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  14. Assuming that the platform lights are operational, could we have a few pictures of the station lit up at night please?
    Regards, Paul.

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  15. Just a thought, with folk saying goodbye. I don't see why the blog does not continue, if someone is willing. There is still work to be done, and CRC, for instance, keeps a very useful blog going and is much appreciated. Hope you will consider this. It would only need an update when there was something to report.

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  16. Well done to one and all for such a successful opening weekend and good luck to those members of the BAG that are moving on to other departments.

    I too would like to see the Broadway blog continue in some shape or form in a similar manor to that of the CRC perhaps. Also, it would be nice if the web cam could remain.

    Regards, Paul

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  17. Paul (Carter) great to meet you in the pub in Broadway and please pass my thanks on to the others for writing the blogs. As discussed, perhaps in the future there will be an occasional blog when things develop.

    Broadway station has gone from a building site, to a station when the track arrived, to a working station, when the general public arrived. It is sobering to sit on one of those benches and just watch the comings and goings and realise what an incredible achievement has been created.
    Mike Rose

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  18. The security camera image has been foggy for a few days now - anyone got a lens-cleaner?

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