GWSR Broadway Developments

"At the risk of appearing cheeky - where does the Warwickshire come into it?"
If my memory serves me correctly, when the Glos-Warks Railway Society (as it was then called) was formed in the late 1970s, its original aim was to lobby to keep the railway from Stratford upon Avon in Warwickshire, to Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, open for rail traffic. When the line was sold off by BR in 1979, the Society then adopted its Plan B, ie: to save as much of the Line as possible by purchasing as much of it as possible. The land purchased stretches from just south of Swindon Lane Bridge, Cheltenham to just south of an overbridge north of Broadway Station. With hindsight, it would have been wonderful to have purchased the whole stretch at least as far as Honeybourne (although this might have stretched resources too far - who knows?)The line from Honeybourne to Long Marston is still in situ of course but north of Long Marston to Stratford it is a cycle track and road. Meanwhile, the GWSR continues to add value to itself in the form of Hayles Abbey Halt, construction of as authentic as possible Broadway Station buildings, GWR-style lamp posts etc, etc.

 

I don't know whether this is true, but I heard the stretch between Broadway and Honeybourne was nearly sold to us at the same time for a very good price which we could have afforded, but a farmer lodged a protest and it was the cost of the legal shenanigans that would have followed that put us off.

 

Not really by us, although there's a pressure group that periodically suggests rebuilding Honeybourne to Stratford by network rail.

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I do sincerely hope that in the fullness of time the GWR does extend to Honeybourne. In my book any heritage railway which is isolated from the main railway network will always remain in the 'second division', however good it is in other respects.
Clearly after the extension to Broadway is completed and operating there will be a period of consolidation, but whilst some volunteers are happiest operating a railway, thankfully there are always others who want to be creating new!

Honeybourne to Stratford should be reopened as part of the network IMHO.

Andy

 

Yes, I have been told of that situation and I have no reason to doubt it.
Another snippet that I was told shortly after joining the GWSR in the late 1970s was that BR wanted £1million for the line with track in situ, which was totally unaffordable at the time. In the end, the permanent way went for scrap for a much smaller sum. I can't verify that but maybe someone with access to the negotiations between the GWSR and BR at the time can.

 

Back to Broadway Station rebuild... on Monday the bricklayers were onsite carrying on with the corbelling (as they were today ), we moved approx 290 paving slabs from the track bed by platform 1a onto Platform 1, kindly assisted by Alan from PW and the telehandler, so as to clear the track bed for forthcoming track laying and also to get the slabs nearer to where they will be needed.

The other half of the canopy received it's undercoat today as well.

 

For the questions about the status of Honeybourne station, see these photos of the Long Marston side of the station http://www.wnxx.com/17/1706/150617/230001.htm

 

The trials of that unit will be for the Rail Live Trade only exhibition next week.
They are meant to be running a shuttle service from Honeybourne to Long Marston.

 

An unusual historical item about Broadway has just been uncovered. It's a tape recording of a 9F with a mineral train, heading south past the good shed.



Enjoy this piece of history! Who would have guessed that it would surface after 50 years?

 

More progress on the Broadway Station building and also on the tracklaying, which has now reached the Childswickham Road Bridge, north of which is the trackbed adjacent to the Broadway Goods Shed and Yard (now owned by the Worcestershire Caravan Club). More signalling is also being undertaken with another signal post "planted." The Broadway embankment pinning work has been completed. Looks like things are all starting to come together.
See links:
http://broadwaystationgroup.blogspot.co.uk/
http://broadwayextensionblog.blogspot.co.uk/

 

And today history was made: rail has made it back to Broadway!!! (OK, so it's only to where the stations sidings were, but they do now have rail to inside the station area!) Jo's wonderful blog post gives the story in detail - check it out!

Noel

 

Broadway Station building as seen during a guided tour last Sunday. The scaffolding hides much of the work being undertaken but the roofing sheets and glass panels will soon be going on. The length of the new station building (the original was longer than Toddington's Station building but not as long as the new one) is evident. The new building needs to be longer to include a café and better toilet facilities.

 

What would this cost if NR were building it?

 

If NR were building it, it would have the design, charm and character of an out-of-town retail park.

 

You mean a bit like the initial GWSR plans for Broadway?

 

Now now, that's all behind us now!

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OMG, zero to bitch in 3 seconds.

 

Whilst working yesterday, the first set of buffer stops arrived, on the back of a trailer reversed all the way down the trackbed, some feat as its a very long way. Its now positioned at the far end of the site, and I understand that P Way will start putting down sleepers on Saturday and then track laying - all very exciting!

It now isn't possible to drive onto the trackbed from Station drive as we have uncovered the footings in "the gap" and will now start connecting platforms 1 and 1A, so the second buffer stop will have to come up over Broadway Bridge.