GWSR Broadway Developments

Wow, just goes to show what can be achieved when going that extra mile for heritage. Well done to all.

Now a plea to the BAG, please don’t go and spoil the look by putting a garden shed up on Platform 1. If you need some covered space for a store/Bric a brac shop why not construct a GWR heritage style iron framed and corrugated iron clad building like other railways have done.

 

Given that there were murmurings and misgivings about the design of the place initially it is great to see how well it has all turned out. Presumably some of the comments were heard and considered which has resulted in a place to be proud of.

 

I hope so. The placing is not random, but after consultation with the stationmaster.
The irony is that the original instructions were hardly necessary, given the original modest customer flow. Now, however....

 

You need to put that on their blog, not here, where it is far less likely to be read.

 

Hopefully the Broadway Blog will stop as I've spent far too much time looking at it when I should be doing other things. It's too addictive and should cease immediately. In all seriousness things will now depend on working around the public to some extent and working "out of season" so the pace will not be so obvious - it's a case of managing expectations. This is a dream come true for me and others too I'm sure, having joined this GWSR outfit back in 19 hundred and frozen to death. I'll see the reborn Broadway for myself very soon.

 

From the Broadway webcam now.

OK, I know it's not Dean clerestory stock but its fine!

 

.At least there is no peeling of the paint on the car roofs and the paintwork in general is clean and shiny. Is this typical of the lines stock or just a pristine rake?

 

I think FS123 is the person to answer that as he does a great deal of work at the GWSR C&W Dept (when he should be studying I'll bet!). The GWSR has had to pull out all the stops to have 3 rakes of 8 coaches each ready for Easter (plus a spare or 2 no doubt). From reading the C&W blog, it's clear that the standard of stock has improved and, after the Broadway reopening, plans for a carriage shed at Winchcombe should progress to keep this stock safe and tidy.

 

I’ll let flying Scotsman 123 give the full reply, but generally both main rakes are kept pristine. Both at 8 coach lengths and the third spare rake (not quite so pristine) shortly to be 7 I think.

 

Know it won’t work for everyone, plus you need Facebook. 35006 leaving broadway
https://www.facebook.com/gloucestershirewarwickshirerailway/

 

We try to make that typical! Our two main rakes of 8 we're very pleased with, and virtually everything in those rakes has been repainted in the last 5 years, the third rake is getting there, repainting is easy for us but more in depth work obviously takes a little longer, so on the third rake admire the shiny paint but don't look too closely please! With plans changing so quickly recently with some disappointing discoveries and me being at uni means I've rather lost track of how long the third rake will be and its composition! Either 6 or 7 I think, with one being a BG.

Surprised to see it's P&O on the volunteer specials, bet that caused a bit of consternation! Pity I'm not quite home in time for them, but never mind, I'm rostered for a fair few days over Easter.

 

I think that as p&o has no role during the Easter public opening, (it being an all Gw affair) it was getting its 5 mins of fame today.

 

I believe 35006 was rostered for last Sunday but trains were cancelled due to snow, so I presume it's taken the next duty, which is the volunteers' and shareholders' trains today and tomorrow. 7903 was originally rostered for these if I recall correctly.

 

A few years ago both the Chocolate & Cream and the Maroon sets were rather tatty, both internally and externally. However, in recent years they've become a lot smarter. Hopefully they will be able to maintain that standard with a third set in service.

 

I get the impression that that new building for C+W, with more room for a paint-shop, etc really was a big help; before, it seemed as if it was a bit of a struggle to keep up, but now they seem to be really eating into the backlog.

What they'll do when they're all caught up (including the linear scrap-yard :--), I'm not sure - maybe start doing work for smaller railways? Or maybe they'll just take it a little easier!

Noel

 

I don't think there'll ever be an occasion where there is a lack of demand for the paintshop facilities on our railway! And the troops tend to get restless if there's nothing to paint sat in there! One issue we will have is that now the third rake is being used more we don't have the luxury of pinching one out of there and repainting it quickly as part of a 2 or 3 way rotation as we have done for the past few years. We have got a couple more DMU vehicles booked in this year, but one possible way to fill the gap is by bringing some more NPCC in the paintshop in the future, which would further tidy up the yard.

I've long said our upholstery department should start doing contract work for other railways, they're always at least 2 coaches ahead of the rest of us, and that's with them taking extended holidays!

 

Mee-owww!

Re: @jnc's concern about the linear scrapyard eveporating ..... I'd put money on there being plenty out there in need of a good home to keep it alive for a whiles yet!

 

Go on, someone has to ask, NPCC?

 

Should be NPCCS - non passenger carrying coaching stock ie luggage vans, BGs, GUVs, etc, or whatever weird and wonderful names the GWR came up with for theirs.

 

Close enough!