Sat 28th October 2017
There were 10 volunteers at Broadway today, continuing the jobs from Wednesday. It was a nice dry day but at first very cold, shows we are getting closer to winter. There were no ghosties or goolies on site so nothing to frighten us. Halloween Steam & Scream going on down the line.
As the notice says above, our Bric-a-Brac Emporium will be closing down at the end of November but will be in a new spot next year. So the keepers of the shop are hoping for a busy month before their rest time. If you are after a bargain railway book or artefact there is a reduction on all items. This includes lots of little treasures, so please pay us a visit.
Scaffolding Away
The Station Platform 1 looking from Platform 2.
With the jobs completed up in the attic the scaffolding boards had to come down once again and then set up in the rooms below for work to commence on the ceilings. This involved Robin, Ron & Keith most of the morning.
Vic, the man behind the camera, was on cleaning up duty, moving Heras fencing to the storage area on Platform 2. He also removed any scrap to the bins and cleared a path to the mains electrical cabinet. It is weed killing next Wednesday, I don't think we have any weedy men in our group??
Pipe Laying
Clive & John C placing sand over the pipe, whilst John S puts back the excavated gravel.
Tony waits his turn to surround the ducts with sand.
Permanent Way
The P/Way team were with us again today and progressed the track further down the line.
Visitors
We had our usual lots of visitors from across the road at the Caravan Club site but also a dad & his son who live in Station Road paid us a visit. No trains today but will be next Easter.
Vic
"From start to finish!"
ReplyDeleteLove the extra picturess of the station. 'From start to finish', this would make a great title for a hardback best seller. (Illus. of course). Seriously, with witty anecdotes and insider stories to go along with the chronology, there must be a book here. I would buy it and so would many, many more! The title is only a suggested one. I'm sure that many others that are better would come to the fore. If only you were all hooked on a certain brand of cheese, "Pilgrims progress 11 !" would be an alternative. (Other cheese brands are available). Alas David Shepherd has passed on to that great canvas in (and is) the sky, otherwise he would have illustrated it wonderfully or maybe Terrance Cuneo would have been another choice. (Can you find the mouse?). If only, but alas..... Instead we must be content with the droolingly (have I created a new word ?) awaited and perfectly adequate blogs by the various departments which are illustrated with photographs perfectly. Also, if we all save the selected pictures in our file explorers, they will be there for us to look at for as long as we wish. Now, I must sign off before T.T. gets the hanky out. Mustn't wax lyrically. Regards, Paul, in sunny (not) St. blazey.
Where will the excellent "Bric-a-Brac" emporium hut be re-positioned on platform 1 so as to attract the public? All the rooms in the main station have been taken up. Including the Edwardian refreshments room, an ideal facility for a terminus, which could attract numerous visitors particularly those from the large, adjacent caravan site.
ReplyDeleteMike Rose
As far as I can remember, on the blogs from at least a year ago; the shop was destined to go into the refreshment room. Unless, of course, minds have been changed and there IS a plan for the wooden shop to onto the platform. There is room for it and a bit of light and dark stone paint would help it blend in. Have to watch this space at the end of November for the answer! Regards, Paul.
DeletePersonally I hope the hut isn't placed on the platform. After going to such trouble to build an authentic-looking station, it would be a shame to spoil it by adding bits and pieces of random clutter.
DeleteThat process seems to be happening at Toddington. Just recently a new wooden shed has appeared on platform 2. It's been painted nicely and has been made to look vaguely 'railway style', but in my view it's a shame it's there at all. I don't want Toddington - the only substantially original station on the line - to end up surrounded by a shanty town of sheds.
I know what you're going to say - "Come on, it's only one small shed, it's not going to make much difference." Well, maybe one small shed by itself won't make a big impact, but it's the thin end of the wedge.
If one small shed is allowed, why not two small sheds? Or several sheds? Or some shipping containers? Couple of Portakabins, maybe? Where do you draw the line?
The new Broadway station is a brilliant creation. Astoundingly good work by all involved. I take my hat off to the whole team. But - don't go and spoil it now!
As I have already commented elsewhere, a truly brilliant achievement by our brave band of volunteers. Many thanks for the extra photographs. But now, as the days shorten, and the evenings draw in, minds will be concentrated on what can be done before the winter, and winter weather, and freezing frosts, arrive. Progress will then slow to a crawl until the spring.
ReplyDeleteAnd with an opening date for Easter 2018 ? And don't forget the vitally important bric-a-brac emporium. Where are you going to put it ? It's all going to be a tight fit !! Gentlemen, go to it !!
Peter
Excellent progress! Well done! Is Broadway station building the same length and width as Toddington? From photos it looks longer. Thanks, Aaron.
ReplyDeleteIt's longer than Toddington. And longer than the original Broadway, too, as there wasn't a refreshment room in its first incarnation.
DeleteMark
As far as I know, Hall Green station, north of Stratford on Avon, has the same design of station building as was originally at Broadway. It's definitely a 'big Toddington'. Hall Green signal box is now at Winchcombe, of course.
DeleteHere's a recent-ish photo of Hall Green station. It could be Broadway on a quiet day!
http://www.railaroundbirmingham.co.uk/full_photos/hall_green_bham_platform_building_from_stratford_platform.jpg
Auntie Wainwrights closed! Is this the end of the emporium? Where will we go to for the bargains? Who will harang the potential customers? All this and more in the next edition of "Broadway", a lady revealed.
ReplyDeleteBack to reality... another great progress report on our "Northern Belle"
Regards
Paul & Marion
I,think,it's the same width,as Toddington!.But it's quite a lot, longer!.(The original Broadway building was bigger,than Toddington!). Anthony.
ReplyDeleteBROADWAY STATION 31st October 2018
ReplyDeleteThe station master arrived at the bottom of the drive to the station. The tarmac drive and the fencing was in excellent condition. As he walked up the drive he noted the new telephone box was clean and tidy, how different from his last station. The porters were there, putting the last of the boxes of goods, for the town shops onto the delivery cart, they were, he noted, well dressed. In the ticket office he was greeted by the ticket clerk with a cheery smile and a "good morning sir". He replied with a smile and "good morning". Then through the door to the platform, hanging baskets were dripping water after having just been watered, the station looked immaculate. He noted they had water bowls down for dogs to be able to drink fresh water, a nice touch.
Into his office, he saw there were no notes for late running or other problems, a fresh pot of tea was on his desk, and a note to remind him that Sir Paul and Lady Marion would be taking the 10:28 to Cheltenham that morning. He drank a refreshing cup of tea, then went out to the platform, checked his watch and the station clock, both showing the same time. This must be the most idealic station on the line, the building was fresh and clean, the staff all willing to go the extra mile for customer satisfaction. Somehow, at the back of his mind was a nagging doubt. This was not how he remembered it from his first visit all those years ago. The building seemed to be new but looked how he remembered it. He walked down the platform, strange, these passengers all seemed to be wearing different styles of clothes, what was happening? Some of the passengers seemed to look right through him, others acknowledged him.
The first passenger train of the day arrived, the guard did not seem to notice him. The locomotive seemed strange, much larger and more powerful than he remembered them. Then the loco was uncoupled and ran round the train and coupled up again, what was going on? Trains did not do that. He walked back down the platform and stopped by a group of passengers, they were looking at a stone with a date on it. He read the date, took a step back and read it again, this cannot be right! The date was wrong surely! Re opened in 2018! he turned in panic, something was wrong. He went to the ticket office, Stopped as he saw a poster, the dates all said 2018, he asked a passenger with a ticket to show him it, the passenger showed him the ticket, again the date,2018. He thanked the passenger and went to the main entrance of the station, there stood his darling wife, holding out her hand, come with me she said, I did say you should have a last look around before we go, was it as you remembered it? Yes he replied, in fact it seems to better than I remembered it. They turned and took a last look at Broadway Station, turned and climbed into the horse drawn carriage. The carriage turned down the drive and melted into the morning light.....
Yes, just read it and shivered (so well done).
ReplyDelete