Answers and more News

Well, we have a question and it  seems like I should know but being a 'phone man I don't so I asked the powers that be and sure enough I got a succinct answer

"The best I can find is that BR(WR) started painting posts with aluminium paint (black bottom section) in the 50s.  Since we are broadly aiming to recreate the 30s/40s then black and white is correct for us.

Regards,


Neil Carr BSc(Hons)
GWSR Operations Manager 

If I was good at blogging then perhaps it could have been posted as a response but I am a mere mortal.

Thanks however for the question- it goes to show that our pageview statistics are not just automatic web crawlers!

In the meantime, since I last looked, the post has been squared off, the base plate has been cut to size and delivered so the Base Plate and Flanges now await welding not only that, but I am reliably informed this will erected nicely in time for the Steam Gala. 

That is welding, floods and anything else permitting.

Meanwhile back in the dusty depths of S&T The workers have been getting on with the point rodding brackets for Broadway, in fact you could almost say that we are now awash with them. After we had split down the 6 way units we inherited, they now become  



   The four way, three way,  and then the two ways that we need. By Crikey we will be busy!

Well done chaps! and welcome back to Richard E who ventured across the yard this very afternoon, dont forget the gate code, see you soon Richard.

Mike S

Slow and Steady Progress

Spent quite a bit of time in the last couple of weeks trying to get things ready for the first of our new Concentrators to be installed.
This will be at Gotherington- you may ask why? The reason is that the older unit (that 2+4 GPO unit) is in the sort of wooden box that we need to be able to reuse later on! And they are a bit in short supply. Watch out C&W we might be asking you to do some more of those tip top varnishing jobs for us!.


So here's a pic of what we started with ( Its actually a teleprinter Key and Lamp type unit of about 1950 or so)

Which changed internally to the all electronic version shown below

 

Shortly we hope to report that its working away nicely and you can enjoy its many little advancements.

Just to be serious though, the project has taken quite a lot of man hours and worn out quite a few of Mr Olivers brain cells, However he does remain confident that the next ones will be much easier.

In the meantime, back at the Ranch aka Winchcombe Yard, Progress continues on point rodding rollers. We seem to have an awful lot of 6way ones but we only need a max of 4 way for Broadway so lets take 'em apart and reassemble them

Good ol' Carl Smith getting on with it.

Meanwhile, across the Yard a discussion continues re the Broadway Bracket

Richard C, Andy P, John P and Malcolm of course

I am told that the base plate has almost completed cutting to size, then for the welding and we are away.
Best wishes for  speedy recovery to Richard E and to Keith- Keith argued with  a four legged cow and the cow won. Get well soon both of you, we need those rollers finished and Toddington Steps.

Mike S

Is Tea a good lubricant?

Oil & Grease

So far this year, Signal and Telegraph have organised three workdays to continue the basic maintenance of lubricating the external mechanical signalling equipment.  However, this year marked a change to the way in which the job was organised.  Previously, the one-day routine had been to concentrate on a particular equipment group, e.g. signals or points, up and down the whole railway, but this year it was agreed that we would concentrate on doing all the signalling equipment at a particular location in one day.  It was felt that this approach would foster a better working relationship amongst the team as we would be working together as a group rather than spread out throughout the railway. 

Getting ready for the start of another oil and grease session.

This got off to a good start at the beginning of the year when the team descended upon Toddington and carried out the lubrication of all signals, points and rodding and detection equipment located there.  The day also included a visit to the Laverton Loop where lubrication of all equipment was carried out.  We were able to welcome several new members to the team, and this allowed us to form two groups, which helped to speed up our progress.  This was just as well, as it had been decided that the greasing of the slide chairs on the hand-operated points in the loco yard at Toddington should be added to our routine. This was duly completed by late afternoon.  I had not appreciated just how many hand-operated points there were in the loco yard, but both of us involved certainly knew by the end of that afternoon!

The second workday of the year involved targeting Winchcombe, and again the routine included the addition of the hand operated points in the sidings on the up side of the line and the points in the C&W yard.  We hope that our colleagues on the Permanent Way and in the Carriage and Wagon department have noticed an improvement in the ease with which these hand points can now be operated!

This last Sunday 6th April saw the third workday of the year taking place and on this occasion we visited Gotherington and Cheltenham Racecourse to continue our quest of lubricating all signalling parts that move. Part of this quest included a long walk to the new operational distant signal for Gotherington, however, we were able to travel to Gotherington station and Cheltenham RC station using the timetabled train service!  This was the first time that we had made use of the train and it presented a bit of a challenge in so much that we had to complete our scheduled tasks around the departure times of the trains.  Anyway I can safely say that we managed to complete all tasks.

As the new routine settles in it will mean that all signalling equipment is lubricated on a 4 monthly interval basis thus ensuring the continued reliable operation of the external signalling equipment. 

As you will see from the photos below (taken with a camera which somehow survived all the oil and grease), it is not all hard graft in S&T – the department still functions on copious amounts of tea!

The usual suspects but can you spot the difference?

From the pen of Mr Roy Steel ( our Foreign Reporter) and others.

                                  

Broadway bracket and Broadway Rollers

Tuesday 1st April

Day started bright and clear. Then it got worse "Would you just check the Signal Post Phone Winchcombe Signal 2?" My heart dropped, its an awful walk round and down to the southern tunnel entrance literaly, its  on the wild side.

So no hiding today in the comfortable bowels of Signal Box Locking Rooms and PAX units.  Tested OK from the cable head under Winchcombe box so no alternative, just load up and get down there. 

Methinks "Sticky Plungers, thats what it will be"

 Luckily the redoubtable Carl Smart offered to help carry the kit and beat a path down through the nettles. 

Sorry, there are no pics of this- too much kit to carry. Will try again next week when we can carry out a permanent repair, in the meantime please be gentle with it!

And then it was back to HQ for our first outdoor lunch of the year.

Here are just few pics of the afternoons activities

Firstly  a rare pic of Carl Smart getting on with  preparing and selecting point rodding rollers for the platform sections at Broadway. 

Whats rare about it? You may ask. 

Well he usually disappears if he sees the camera come out. Behind him you might just be able to see a Broadway Finial awaiting a final coat of paint

 

Malcolm and Andy P continued on the assembly of signal arms onto the dolly's of the Broadway Bracket Signal.

 Mind that nice new paint now!




 Here you can see the outcome of all Carl's work , at least we now know just how many more we have to find. Now was it 19 3 sets and 58 4's or the other way round?

I hear that we may have a new input to this blog shortly so watch this space for more exciting adventures from the world of S & T!

The work goes on

Well, here we are back again. I  had better not say where I've been for the winter but in the meantime here are a few pics of the jolly gang doing S&T type jobs

  Toddington Box steps starting to get a  well earned spruce up ( Richard Collier and Richard Etherton)

  Richard E getting at the  south end window of Toddington box, is it really all filler Richard?

 Meanwhile back at the Yard, Keith was starting on  a Broadway jobbie for the customers to play trains with. I understand it will be linked up to the Bracket signal as a working item, it might have a little way to go yet

 But don't worry Keith, Mr Collier has now got 'ere with a bigger spanner

 Mmmm, me thinks still a way to go though. (Since these pictures were taken its been completely dismantled and is presently waiting for the paint to harden before re-assembly.)


And then as promised here's an update on the Broadway Bracket firstly  here's Andy and Carl putting together the framework for the bracket itself ( it now has its timber boards filled and handrails  as of 25th March)

 

And John P fiddling with his Finials!

 Stop Press- as at 25th March the base plate went away for cutting to size . Next job after that will be welding the webs and plate together


Almost forget to welcome our newest recruit  Len from Evesham. He and I spent a delicious morning rewiring the DC feed to the Toddington pax unit under Todd Box.

And a Get Well Soon message for Richard E, hurry back please the other side of Todd steps needs finishing!

In the afternoon Neil and I extended  the  cabling for Winchcombe 25 C&W and 26 the infamous S&T extension. One day soon the C&W building will be complete and all will work again. 

So that's about all for now I will see what I can conjure up for next week.

Buenos Nochas.

Sorry, I almost forgot I was back in England

Mike S

Well, here we go!

About two weeks ago I said to Malcolm  "Today will be my last  funday before I need to plan for our winter departure to sunnier climes"  I managed another day and then another one and of course the very useful Volunteer meeting last Saturday - and just a   few hours after that! .
So you might by now understand that my leave pass has been cancelled ufn by the Gov'nor.
We gotta be ready for the Ferry to Bilbao.

Happy to report that we now have a better understanding of the innards of the pax and I have  cleared 3 separate  faults  and got Todd 35 and 36 working, but not 42 the Steamy Coach.
Sorry chaps its dis outside so I've passed my report to Neil to deal.


For now its signing off time, I will be back when the swallows return in the Spring.

Merry Christmas to all our readers


Mike S

Sorted!

You might have sensed the frustration from my last visit.
Bit like horse riding when you fall off you just have to get back on and learn some more. I went back again today and altered the tagging as per discussions, you may remember"Those who Know"   and it worked!
Learnt quite a bit, I wish those who did it long ago had had the drawings that we now have - they could have wired it correctly first of all.
At least one extension is back and working 35 and probably 36 as well.
Next job Tie line 10 but that might have to wait a while


Mike S