GWSR Broadway Developments

'Twas ever thus! The reason the Bluebell Railway took nearly forty years to extend from Horsted Keynes to East Grinstead was largely due to legal and property issues, rather than physical construction issues. Reinstating a half-mile long tunnel, an eight arch viaduct, restoring one and building a second station and removing 100,000 tons of domestic waste and laying six miles of track were, by comparison, more readily grasped problems: still hard, but within the compass of what most people would understand to be "building a railway".

Tom

 

As I recall, the Talyllyn's extension past Abergynolwyn took a fair old time, due as much to tracking down landowners who didn't always realise they were landowners as anything else!

As Tom said, it's paperwork (and more damned paperwork!) every bit as much as elbow grease.

Back to Broadway ..... they're really getting a wiggle on now. It's already looking superb and I'm looking forward to seeing the finished article. The regular updates from the project have been much appreciated too.

 

As Jo has obviously been extremely busy of late, I thought I'd put up this link to the updates on the gwsr blog pages. Especially impressive to see the fast moving work ongoing at Broadway. I'd guess tracks through the station by end of November? .. there are also some good pictures of the canopy with some of the scaffolding now removed, plus a few pictures showing how things were before any work started.

https://www.gwsr.com/blogs_and_photo_diaries.html#extension

 

Possibly not even that long, I suspect. They made it to the end of the platform on Saturday, so they'll be starting on the station any day now, and even with the new longer platforms, it's not that long.

And while I'm here, thinking of how far this has all come, a 'tip of the hatly hat' to Bill Britton, who got the whole ball rolling back when there was absolutely nothing there, and who carried the ball until eventual success was clear. You may be gone, but you're not forgotten!

Noel

 

Given the debt owed to Bill Britton, are there plans to have a plaque dedicated to him on Broadway Stn Building? As regards the Track its always a clear sign when the first pw train rolls into the station proper that your well on your way to completion when you consider that not that long ago, Broadway was a flattened site.

 

I'm almost certain that Bill is still an active volunteer with one of the other GWSR station maintenance/repair/improvement groups.

 

Speaking of Bill Britton and the bare trackbed, it gives me an idea to take a photograph from the same spot today, just to compare. If I find time, I might do that on Wednesday. That day, another layer of the scaffolding platform side is also due to come down.

We took out two ballast trains today, and I put up some pictures of that.

I'm not in favour of plaques, and certainly don't want one with my name on it. For me, the object I sponsored, or helped to build, speaks for itself, and I get pleasure seeing it and knowing that I contributed. Looking round the railway, there is hardly a bench without a plaque on it. On a nearby railway, I even found a plaque with a picture of a dead person on it! (shudder). It's not what I'd like to see on a replica station.
So far, I have resisted plaques at Broadway - all the benches accumulated so far are plaque - free

 

Crumbs, Bill hasn't died! Still active at Cheltenham racecourse station, where he does the blog for them at crcsmagazine.com. My Broadway station rebuild history is sketchy in the early days but I think it was another chap who initiated the clearance etc. but am away from Cornishmans at the moment to check. None of which is meant to detract from the enormous effort Bill (and many others) has put in at Broadway though!

 

Quite right. Si monumentum requiris, circumspice! It also avoids issues of offending others who feel their contributions have been overlooked.

 

The way it was worded " your not here" made me think he was the member who passed away, so apologies from me on that, But why not have a discrete plaque to those who have done the work,?

 

I thought so!

 

Because they know who they are! I thought "discrete plaque" was something a dentist chastised one for.

 

I confess I had to look that one up.

It appears the son of Sir Christopher Wren put that one a plaque near the tomb of his father in St. Paul's cathedral, and it means:
''if you seek his monument, look around''

I like that! We should not need to advertise that we gave a modest donation.

 

I believe it was Jim Graham that started it all off, then Bill took over from Jim.

Jim now works on PW so no doubt will be working again at Broadway helping with the tracklaying.

 

That's the chap, thanks!

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

 

That would be a bit much; lots of others have done a lot.

But I think he ought to have a major role in the opening ceremony.

Sorry; I only meant 'he's not out and about at Broadway any more'.

Noel

 

Thats why i made the remark, thinking, it would be in remembrance of a voluenter, but as you say, its not just one person , but i think it would be good to see something to remind visitors, that the station was rebuilt from the ground up, Joe public very often won't know that the " old GWR Station they have arrived at is in fact new

 

We have exactly that planned.
A 'foundation stone' in white, let into the brickwork.
I can't remember the exact text, but it's something like
'Built GWR 1904
Demolished 1963
Rebuilt GWSR 2018'

 

I hope all those working on the station and extension have written or are going to write their names on the backs of something that's out of sight that might be found by people many years from now.

Sawdust.

 

Scaffolding removed on the platform side of the station building today, the building looks fantastic! Joe will have a better selection of photo's on his extension blog.