I returned to the Racecourse Station today – after 3 weekends absence and guess what?  Looked just the same as ever – pine needles all over the track, pine cones littering the platforms etc.  Seriously though I think there is a little more light breaking through from the Platform 2 side but otherwise it looks just the same as it did before we had our trees trimmed.  So, well done to those who thought that one through.

It was another delightfully sunny day – cool to start but by 1000 it was a very pleasant working temperature of 20C.  And, although there are still some absences on leave, there was reasonable turnout of Steve, Andy, Ben, Wylie, Colin, Mike, John & Bill.

Mike swept up, John sorted the late season vegetable crop and Colin – amazingly – had to do some watering (almost in October).  Steve as ever, moved around fixing everything that the rest of us had broken!  Wylie was trained to use the billy-goat and spent a happy hour trundling up and down Platform 2 removing the latest debris.  Sadly I was preoccupied during this period and by the time I snapped him he was phoning his agent…

There wasn’t much new on the task list so a strong team deployed down to the Signal Box end of P2 and got some serious shed progress underway.  Most notably, Andy proved equal to the task of stripping the multiple layers of external paint:

The last few corrugations are down to bare metal; the base black layer being the most intractable.  Only another few months and we’ll have it ready for the new stuff!

A few feet away Bill, Ben (and later Wylie) were fitting some more skirt and, at last, connecting up the water supply:

So we now have a useable tap inside the shed; electricity next week. Here’s the proud ‘owner’ admiring his handiwork:

While Ben is tasked with divining for a lost rivet…..

Anyway, all the trains seemed to be running to time and looked suitably splendid in the autumn sunshine:

So, another good morning’s work – thanks to all.

Tim

Jim Hitchen from the Construction and Maintenance Department kindly sent me the following report on work in progress at Cheltenham

Hi Bill

A select band of 6 volunteers turned out yesterday, most with the intention of clearing up the pine needles  brought down by the storms of the previous week.

Here Stephen using the traditional method (rake and barrow) and Paul with the Billy Goat.  A determined effort eventually saw most of the needles on the bonfire pile.

Here Mary captures the final pile – a ‘guess the weight’ competition may have been in order but I’m not sure, after all the hard work, that anyone cared! It’s soul destroying that the next lot is  probably already on the ground today!

On the basis of out of sight, out of mind, I hid away in the line-side hut, pop riveting the new corrugated skirt in place.

At the rear you can just see the water service pipe which will supply an internal tap, primarily for watering on  platform 2 and, of course local cups of tea!

Trains were generally fuller today, with Foremarke Hall and P&O in steam. Here the latter is swathed in a clouds of steam and black smoke waiting patiently for some late comers to board.

Finally it pulls effortlessly away, heading northwards.

Tim should be back soon on Blog duty.

Bill

It’s likely that this weekend’s ‘Day Out with Thomas’ event will be the last on the GWSR for the foreseeable future.  The ever increasing cost of putting  on the event,  regrettably now outweighs the returns. It was  noticeable also that the trains leaving Cheltenham were far from full – maybe another  sign of the times.

From a volunteers point of  view there was a good turn out, mainly pitching in to make the station and and surrounds neat and tidy for the  Thomas  Fan visitation. The double D’s (Dave T and Dave G) were on car park duty directing the traffic to the correct spot and many brooms and barrows were in evidence, with the occasional bit of leaning on the broom to take a breather. Stephen was using the brush cutter to good effect around the site. As an aside I have to say what an impressive job has been carried out by the tree surgeons in tackling the overhanging dead and wayward branches on Platform 2.   Apart from looking smart it will reduce the amount of tree debris on the platform and trackbed.

For my sins I carried on with the rebuild of the line side hut. Not quite to the Standard of the Repair Shop Team (what a brilliant programme this is on BBC 2 – 6.45 each evening) but satisfying nevertheless. I was ably supported by Terry who continued with the monotonous job of paint scraping.

.

The Racecourse Station echoed to the sound of chainsaws rather than steam engines today (Monday) as the long-awaited tree work began in earnest.  The work, as regular readers of the blog may recall, was initiated after the heavy snow storms of the winter and basically involves making the line as safe as possible, whilst maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the this stretch of the line.  The pines (several varieties) have a dense needle structure and, at their current height and age (about 100 years old) are beginning to be vulnerable to the vagaries of the weather.  Moreover, and I suspect especially at Cheltenham, there is a tendency for everything (buildings, trees, platform etc!) to lean in towards the track bed.  After careful consideration and a in-depth survey, the decision was taken centrally by the railway to do work up and down the line on some of our ailing conifers – essentially to remove or reduce dead, diseased or damaged trees.   

The work, being rather beyond the internal capabilities and capacity of the railway’s volunteer workforce, was contracted out and above are our colleagues half way through one example.  Their expertise was well in evidence as, wherever possible, trunk sections were carefully lifted out by the extending crane:

Elsewhere, work was less dramatic and simply consisted of trimming the lower branches and removing the obviously dead limbs.  Considerable care was taken to avoid dropping anything onto the track itself, and to ensure the signal wires remained clear etc.

That said there is plan for some of the trees closest to the track and with the worst ‘leans’ to be removed entirely at a later date.

I am certainly aware of the need for the safety of passengers (and volunteers) to be balanced with the requirement to preserve the appearance of the line – and so, I think, is the Board.  As such an agreement was readily entered into to plant at least as many new trees as we are removing – possibly ones which don’t drop so many pine needles on to the track (please!).

I left at lunchtime but there will be more pictures at a later date of the final appearance; my money is on us not really noticing the difference after a week or two.

Regards,

Tim

Attendance was thin at the Racecourse Station yesterday (I wasn’t there and neither was Blogger Bill) but I have a short narrative report from Dave T

“I noted Bob and Ros, Mike John and self, plus Paul making his (very welcome!) first appearance for some time.  Andy Bint dropped in to deliver a replacement extension socket.  John tidied his tomato plants, etc and took away the umbrella stand to work on at home.  Bob and Ros were tidying their garden to make it an easier task for others to keep an eye whilst they’re on holiday.  Mike swept the laurel leave into piles and I did some car park attending, shop tidying and then, in between trains and at Dave G’s request, put the Billy Goat over the north end of Platform 1 – even moving the benches and dustbins in order to vacuum underneath!

There was a funny incident in the car park. Three Japanese ladies parked according to my instructions, then one of them leaned out the window and said they were lost and supposed to be going to Bath!  Staying in a hotel in Cheltenham they took the wring route out of town, saw the racecourse sign and decided to come in and have a look. They went down to the Platform to use the facilities, watched the first train leave and them promised to return for ‘Thomas’ next Saturday with some younger family members.

DaveT”

Back next week (or earlier) with some more news and photos.  Tim

There were unusual noises and a whiff of something other than coal and steam at the Racecourse Station this morning:  we (and our passengers) were ‘treated’ to a cacophony of sound and clouds of burning rubber.

These were not, as Bob suggested, passengers trying to make the 1105 departure for Broadway but some auto-sport event at the Racecourse itself. And, whilst my motto is live and let live plus great admiration for the drivers’ levels of skill, a more thoroughly unpleasant background for our services it would be difficult to imagine.

Ho hum, I expect all will be back to peace and tranquillity by next week (or even tomorrow hopefully).  So the assembled few plodded on with tasks only marginally varying from last week: tidying, gardening, major league strimming and shed fettling – featuring Steve, Bob & Ros, Andy, Terry, John, Bill, Mary, Mike and no doubt others who I couldn’t see for the blue haze!

Here’s a new angle on Bill plus shed:

The task of trying to remove 27 layers of hundred year old paint is clearly having an effect – hence the slightly manic gleam in the eyes! However, much progress was made in fitting more of the shed’s skirt – visible on the back wall at ground level.

Elsewhere, the growing conditions continue to be good for our vegetation – wanted and unwanted.

So the above can be carefully tended whilst below needs reduction:

At least the passengers got the chance to close the carriage doors an head off into the peaceful Gloucestershire countryside:

With grateful thanks and appreciation to Bob Stark for the loan of his excellent camera plus his work to edit and upload the pictures.

Regards,

Tim