GWSR Broadway Developments

Further progress was made today on the signal box tunnel. Both sides of the platform are now at corbelling level.

The corrugated sheets were laid over the tunnel and fastened down. Now it is starting to look like a tunnel! Two extra RSJs were inserted last week, to give extra support in case a vehicle (mini digger etc) has to cross in front of the box at some time in the future.
At the end of the day, the concrete reinforcing matting and rods were being laid in.
The actual concrete pour will take place in a week or two, after the shuttering has been put in place.

The station build will continue once the SB tunnel is complete. The first stanchions should be up before the end of the year.

A visitor today came to say that her grandfather had been a ganger at Broadway, and her mother a signalman, together with duties at Kingham. As is so often the case, there are no photographs in the family now. Such a shame, but often the case.

If anyone has old photographs of the station, we would be interested to hear.

 

Nice to see Bill on site today, hopefully he will be back working at Broadway shortly.

 

The signal box tunnel received the concrete pour for the roof today. When it has gone off, after 28 days, it will be strong enough to support a mini digger, or a small loaded dumper - this will allow excavations further along the platform for the footbridge and waiting room at a future date.

Ballast spreading took place at Peasebrook Farm today. There will be an extension blog update later this evening on this.

 

Another good day today, with advances on several fronts.
Both LH and RH sides of the platform around the SB tunnel are now up to slabbing level, and candidate slabs were laid out on the adjacent platform today for analysis and cutting to size. The cutting will take place a week from today. The beam across the tunnel mouth has had a lovely row of 'soldiers' built across it, which seem to float on the air (actually they are resting on the bottom of the beam, just out of sight.) A first row of corbelling was added to this too; more on Saturday. Slabbing this stretch, and infilling would be next on the list of 'to dos'.

On the main building the first stanchions were laid out. Two corners and a centre one were drilled; the next job is to insert threaded bar into the holes so that they can be bolted down.

In one of the photographs bearers for the door and window arches are being cut.

More ballasting on the extension is due tomorrow.

 

All the brickwork on platform 2 is now complete, following the laying of the last row of corbelling on the SB tunnel roof. This was done by the 'CRC2 Monday' gang, who have now transferred their activities back to Broadway.
A partial infill on the southern side was also achieved, the dumper being loaded by hand six times for this.
Slabbing can commence once we have cut the natural stone slabs, recovered from CRC station, to size. This is due on Wednesday.
The SB tunnel roof still needs to harden for the next 3 weeks or so. It will then receive a membrane on top, a layer of sand, and then further infill, with tarmac as the final layer in due course.

 

The Monday gang was busy today, with 6 volunteers on site, despite 0 degrees temperature, and a frost on the ground. Even the stanchions in store had a covering of frost, making for freezing fingers. But heigh-ho. The temperature then slowly rose, making it OK to use the resin bond later in the day.

Last week 3 stanchions were erected. Could we improve on this today? Yes we could !

The new stanchions needed to be carefully positioned, and the location of the holes marked, then drilled. Resin anchor and threaded bolts are then inserted into the holes. While the resin goes off, you have a long lunch in the cabin, which has a heater

After lunch, the stanchions were lifted on to the threaded bolts sticking out, and bolted down.

So doing, we managed a further 7 stanchions today, making the total fitted so far 10 out of the 11 required along the platform side. The car park side needs the same number again, and we will start on this on Wednesday, weather permitting.

Work around the signal box tunnel should then also continue, when we have a larger gang. Rear slabbing, back filling and adding the concrete steps will be on the agenda.

 

A blustery and rainy day for the Monday gang today, but we realised a great achievement: the final 6 stanchions were erected, and they are now all complete, with 11 down each side, 22 erected in all.
The size and shape of the station building is now quite recognisable.
The next job is to link the stanchions at the top with a ring beam, which will require the hire of a small crane. The GWR heritage roof will sit on this ring beam, with stanchions and ring beam hidden inside the final brickwork.
One picture attached also shows the steps being built that will lead from the platform to the SB locking room. At the top there will be a small gate and two GWR gate posts (with a ball on top).
We need some more of these posts, as there will be 2 more (double) gates on site, but we don't have all the kit for this. If anyone has any GWR gate posts and/or gates that are surplus to requirements, do please say. We would be very interested.

 

A small team of 5, assisted by an 85 ton crane, put up the ring beam on the station building today. This went very well, except for the two southernmost pieces, where the bolt holes were in the wrong place. This is not a big thing though, and they can easily be relocated with a mag drill.

Once the ring beam is in place and the bolts made secure, the floor can go in. In the pictures the building looks taller than it will be, as the stanchions are standing below floor level.

The steelwork for the footbridge towers has also been ordered. The foundation slabs for them are about to be cast too.

On the southern corner of the signal box a gang is working on the steps down to the locking room, which are now finished. A GWR type gate and post will be located at the top. Further south, there will be 3 GWR lamp posts, replacing two municipal street lights planted in the early days. Should become a very authentic looking corner, together with the replica running in board already there.

Once this area has been brought up to height, we can drive the dumper across the SB tunnel and dump infill on the northern side. This will also allow us to erect the steps leading to the box.

 

Great to see the Ring Beam being erected. The idea for a ring beam originated on this blog I believe as a way forward to securing an authentic roof so we owe a debt of thanks to whomever first mentioned it.

 

Breva: Thanks for your update.

Just out of interest, can the exterior brickwork start go in now, ie up to roof level, or does that have to wait until the roof/canopy steelwork is in place?

Thanks

46118

 

We can indeed start on the brickwork, but first we need to get the floor in. This is about 2ft higher than the bottom of the stanchions (see the little walls across). We need to get the ring beam level, then we will put up the remaining pieces of the walls below floor level, add sand, insulation and concrete to bring the whole thing up to floor level. Then the brick laying can start.
Believe me, there are a lot of folk here who are itching to get started !

 

Today the SB infill, having reached the SB tunnel, has started to go over the top and on to the northern half, where there is still a big void. An initial couple of 9ins layers were put down today, and a ramp built against the tunnel to allow vehicles down on to this side of the building, for digging and back filling.

A bracket to locate the top of the steps has been manufactured and was test fitted today. The bottom will rest on a concrete foundation which still needs to be cast.

On the station building the last two beams were put in place today, so that on the picture with the roller you can see its full extent. The afternoon was spent adjusting the individual stanchions, so that the ring beam ends up level. A bit more work is needed here. When this is finished, we can start on the floor.

 

How are the individual stanchions adjusted? Are they packed at their base?

 

There are nuts above and below the feet on the threaded bar. When all is level the space below will be packed.

 

As i read that ,the nuts are the adjusters? So is a locking nut used ? Thats one on top of another .

 

If you have a nut either side of the baseplate, that is effectively the same.

 

The Monday gang - only 4 of us today, people seem to leave their Christmas shopping to later and later - worked on the station building and the SB infill today.

Following an enquiry about the bolts at the base of the stanchions, here are two pictures of the stanchions being adjusted for height, and the mortar being pushed underneath. They are now all at the correct height and mortared in.
The floor was then set out, with all the door openings marked. On the picture you can see blocks that have been prepositioned. Only the rainy weather stopped us from making a start on the blockwork - better luck next time.

On the N side of the SB tunnel we put down a layer of brick rubble (ex Mythe) and then a layer of infill to make up another 9ins. The mini digger also dug a space for the SB footsteps foundations. Slowly this gap is closing too.

Tomorrow is a training day on site, but we may be able to add to the infill as well.
At the end of the day the sun came out, allowing another of those wonderful sunny Broadway signal box photographs, with the shape of the building in the background this time.

 

An excellent update as usual. The last 2 photos are superb and they really give an insight into how good Broadway Station will look in future. Thanks to all who do the work and provide support to those who are making this happen.

 

I echo Kingham's comments.

How is the lamp-post appeal going, Jo ? You haven't mentioned it on here yet but this could be the wider audience.

 

My gut feeling is that we will get the 10 posts, but I won't know for sure until early January when the Trust has seen its post Christmas mail.
We didn't want to make too much noise about it, as we really want the April share issue to succeed.