2 JUN: KINGS AND KIPPERS

The GWSR continues to benefit from the visiting engines and a delightfully sunny morning brought out the royalty again!

That said there is obviously no end to the range of odd things which one can find at the Racecourse Station.  This morning’s haul – probably not unconnected with the ongoing Wychwood Festival – included a sleeping bag dumped on our side of the fence line:

Better not to speculate I think.  And even more mysteriously:

Which you might reasonably have assumed was some sort of eviscerated bird carcass.  However, being within a couple of feet it was readily identified by smell as a KIPPER!  No, I don’t know what it was doing there either!

Anyway, it was day for tidying up – mainly the Steam Gala leftovers and the assorted wind blown, storm dirtied rubbish, as well as trying to halt the exponential growth of everything green!  To do this was a trusty team of Maurice, Terry, Dave T, Bob, Ros, Bill, Mike, Colin and Steve while Dave G was away at (yet another!) meeting.  Others were observed actually taking a ride on the train or heading off for duty ‘up the line’.

Of course some were present but on light (snack) duties:

I have no doubt there were many busy bees I didn’t observe, but I did see Maurice, Colin (and Strimmer Steve) doing clearance work:

Meanwhile Bill, Terry and I (after returning Platform 2 to its non-operational  ‘care and maintenance’ condition) did a little more to fix up the new shed.  We decided a nice coat of Hammerite  was in order (covers up most deficiencies)  and will shortly be bolting the frame to the concrete.  Progress indeed.

Old Noll – with no warts visible – was in no such need of amateur painting and looked rather splendid:

At tea break there was clearly an earnest discussion on some aspect of railway spotterism – maybe the height of the KEII wheels, or Oliver Cromwell’s fuel capacity?

Reader’s (publishable) suggestions would be very welcome!

Regards,

Tim