Clearing the Deck

Tuesday 15th Oct

S & T paid a visit to Broadway today with the prime objective of removing the 38 pallets of cable troughing from the trackbed - the first stage of clearing up to prepare for ballasting. These will be temporarily stored on platform 2 each side of the signal box until they are installed for the cabling south from the signal box. Neil C drove the Telehandler from Winchcombe to achieve this task

38 trips up and down the trackbed took most of the day

But the trackbed now looks nice and tidy - here's a view looking northwards to the fence at the limit of GWSR property

And  here are the re-located pallets in their new position:

 

While this was going on Malcolm W was down in the locking room doing some trial fitting of an electric lock. Quite a lot of work still to do here. We need to make some couplings and pins to link the lower tappet blades to the locks. Some of the tappet blades will have to be removed for the drilling of holes to suit. I believe there will be 16 electric locks required.

Richard C and Carl S took the opportunity to record some site measurements while all this was going on. This to determine the positioning of the 3 signals (this includes the route indicator signal which is currently erected in Winchcombe  yard) which will control movements at the northern end of the station. Hopefully once this is all agreed we can dig some holes and progress with setting the signal posts. The posts will be set behind the lines of the drainage pipes and cut into the slope of the edge of the embankment - this will include a concrete base and small retaining wall.
Out of interest, from the end of the platform ramp to the perimeter fence there is a distance of 330 metres (361 yards) in which to fit the northern track layout. Here's Richard C about to pace it out with the measuring wheel:

Hope Neil got back to base with the Telehandler without causing too much traffic congestion!

Curly