GWSR Broadway Developments

Ah, Nick's in overzealous H+S mode...

 

Hello
Post removed.
Have no desire to start any kind of conflict.
Will make no further comments on this subject.
Do not really care what Broadway Station is built like.


N

 

Welcome to the "GWDR"
not interested in running an historically correct railway
To quote "as soon as we get rid of enthusiasts the better"
we tried to save Bourton On Water station not interested!
we tried to put a proposal to save Henley In Arden not interested!
To quote "we got away with new build at Cheltenham we no longer wish save historic building's or infrastructure if we could just run Diesels that would make my life easy"

We are just wasting our time.
lumbered with shares I can no longer get rid of!

 

Don't be silly.

Seeing as we're back onto unfairly criticising the board, I'll put forward my views now that I've had some time to mull over them.

1) Comparing the canopy for Broadway to that at CRC was unhelpful, misleading, and done purely to whip up emotional support - when I first heard it I believed it, and upon further investigation when finding out that actually that it was not really true at all I was annoyed that such a lie had been perpetuated.

2) Whilst we all know the buildings at CRC aren't authentic, nothing ever will be at CRC, as there was nothing ever there. I think people would prefer some shelter than just a bare platform. The railway too was in a very different place at the time - before Cheltenham trains ran from nowhere to even more nowhere through nowhere close almost somewhere. We had to get trains running to Cheltenham as quickly as possible to pay for the extension, and get money rolling in for sustain the new longer line with all the extra infrastructure ad rolling stock requirements that would entail. Whilst one day it would e nice to improve what's at CRC, I think people are being unfairly critical of it given the circumstances of the time.

2) Many of the comments on the Broadway blog take little account for the fact that we have to run the rest of the railway, Broadway blog got around 45,000 hits a month whereas C+W only gets around 14,000, so it could be implied that many viewers are too "Broadway-centric." If we wanted to pay for all of Broadway now perhaps the C+W department should shut down for a year?

3) One of the gripes is the full height curtain wall on the building. Not even the board are very happy about this and are trying to work a way around it - perhaps the Broadway group could work with them to find a solution to present to the authorities rather than huffing?

4) Another gripe, and the reason I understand, that Bill resigned, was unhappiness at the fact that Broadway station will not be complete when opening. I think the comments here saying how much we'd all prefer for it not to be finished and done properly should answer that, you cant have your cake and eat it.

5) Deleting the Broadway station website and locking the blog was, IMO, childish. It strikes me as sounding like "I'm not playing with my ball but you can't either." If Bill felt he could no longer lead the project to his satisfaction, fine, he could have easily handed the blog over. As it is, it has done difficult to repair damage to the railway's support in respect of Broadway, 45,000 views a month will take a long time to build up again and the resultant donations, regardless of any board decisions as to design.

6) Finally, the one area I am critical of Alan Bielby and the board, is the actual canopy supports. We all want the nice iron latticework rather than box-girders. On this forum there have been some helpful suggestions as to how to reduce this cost that I forwarded some time ago to the chairman with no reply (previous emails of mine pertaining to the same matter were answered). If it was decided to just leave it, and say it's something for another day, that would be far preferable to the current situation whereby it looks like the box-girders are the final design with no potential for it to be replaced easily in the future.

 

says "removed by user"....

 

I wonder why that is then? It was working earlier today.
Posts 161/162 made some funny remarks about it though.

 

Correct.
I posted that in good faith, as an observer.
If you can't resist picking holes in it, either get a life or it will be removed.

 

Whenever you video/photo something there is always the possibility it will show something that shouldn't really be shown!

 

In saying this flying scotsman123 you repeat the accusation that Alan Bielby Chairman and Project Manager made.

However, CRC canopy is constructed of welded box girders, Broadway' s canopy as designed by him , is designed of welded box girders

CRC canopy has a curtain wall, Broadways canopy as designed by him has a curtain wall.

So what exactly is it that is misleading, designed to whip up emotional support? Are either of the above facts untrue? If you are confused I would refer you to the plans as submitted to Wychavon council.

http://wam.wychavon.gov.uk/WAM/show...show&appType=Planning&appNumber=W/13/01373/PN

If you can point out any GWR features in the canopy I shall be obliged to you.

 

Get off the fence won't you?!
The Bourton on the Water Station saga has been covered already. Suffice to say it wasn't historically correct for Broadway (it was a 1930s Cotswold Stone design, one of 2, the other being Stow on the Wold which survives as a much modified private residence) and, even if the GWSR wanted to save it, there would not have been time, the local Council wanting rid of it as soon as possible after years of using it as a store. Look on the web to see pictures of it crumbling as it was dismantled! I'm all for saving historic buildings and reusing them if possible and, actually, the GWSR has not done badly in this regard, from Monmouth Stn at Winchcombe to the Gloucester Eastgate platform slabs now at Toddington. So, in my view, I think you're wrong.

 

Only partly correct. The curtain wall was designed by building regs, not Alan, as I said, they're looking at trying to get round that. That only leaves the metalwork, which I do disagree with the board on. It was heavily implied that the canopy would be virtually the same as the new one at Broadway, when it is much closer to Toddington than CRC.

 

Hello,
Have edited my post.

Will not be taking any part in this post as I really care very little about what Broadway Station looks like.


Nick

 

Well, it won't look like this! Thank goodness.
(There should be a photo of the station site in 1985 here but it won't seem to play!)

 

Bourton could have been put to use at Cheltenham and Henley could have been used for Broadway despite proposals put forward no no interest in preserving anything only modern build "quick and easy"

 

Interesting points raised that they are looking at ways around the curtain wall / fire regulations. To me it seem crazy that 'if' there is a way around, why is it only being explored/incorporated now - pretty much at construction, rather than during the planning / consultation period?

I'm sure cost will come into it somewhere, and as others have pointed out, there is a large chunk of existing infrastructure to maintain and improve - as well as building an extension and new station - from a finite pot of money.

Garry

 

Thank you for taking the time to inform us all about current affairs at broadway. I read that blog from the start and I also look at c&w often too. I live miles away however, As a result of reading them, I went to the railway on gala day last year and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was so interesting to watch the broadway station rise out of the dust, and the authenticity and attention to detail, a real credit to all those involved. I cannot understand why the blog has been deleted. Even the broadway station website is no more. I remember a blog comment a couple of years back that was pretty scathing and critical, and bill Britten's response was incredibly professional and courteous. Your right, at 45,000 visitors a month that's a lot of support to lose. I too, would rather see an authentic job, at the cost of a delayed completion. Looking at the blog comments, and it's sudden disappearance, I must say I too came to the conclusion bill 'spat his dummy out' or 'threw his toys out the pram' for want of a better expression. However, his enthusiasm, dedication, and professionalism I observed in the blogs seems to contradict this kind of behaviour. Come back bill! Eat humble pie! Get back on the team! Finish the job you started so well!

 

There will be one of the regular volunteers' meetings for the railway this month, where hopefully this matter can be put to rest once and for all, searching questions are usually asked. I don't think I'll be able to go, but will give a summary of anything relevant if the subject comes up (which I'm sure it will!) when I get the minutes.

 

As has been mentioned previously - the blog has NOT been deleted. It is no longer updated and no further comments are being accepted but it has not been deleted!

Broadway blog link: http://broadwaygwsr.blogspot.co.uk/


Keith

 

The point still stands though, the main website has been deleted completely, and rather than just hand the blog over to his successor, has decided to keep it all to himself. I think over the whole thing this is the thing I take the most dim view of.