GWSR Broadway Developments

I'm busy writing up today's blog, but while the pictures (and two videos) upload, here is a taster:



It was wonderful to see the new station full of passengers milling about, admiring the booking office, trying out the toilets and staring at the magnificent canopy. It was a great day, everything worked, people were happy. We did it, and on time !

 

Everthing worked, including the toilets! You must be flushed with success.
Don't mind me, I'm just jealous of what looked like a fabulous day for all of you.
Can't wait to see the blog.

 

Heartiest congratulations to the GWSR extension team especially, and all on the line. The work completed, particularly in this final 'run-up' to reopening, has been an absolute miracle and wonderful to behold - talk about 'new life approaching Easter'!

Can't wait for my next visit - I was very impressed when I visited last year (and also great to meet @flying scotsman123!) and I think our plans for May Bank Holiday week include a chance to sample Broadway - I suspect we may even aim to stop off and enjoy a walk into the village!

Steven

 

You must visit when I'm not busy revising organic chemistry next time so I can show you round properly!

It's been exciting watching folks' pictures of the day appear on Facebook throughout today. Can't wait to get home now, just to experience the buzz that must be on the whole railway, there was definitely an element of it when I popped in a few weeks ago with all sorts of people coming into C+W to see people about things!

 

I've now posted the Extension blog, which contains two videos:
(last train of the day, hauled by a tooting class 37)
and one of 35006 with what I think was the second train leaving:



Enjoy, as we did

 

Heavens above, I though I was reading the WSR thread with all the initials. As a former GWR line maybe the use of GWR nomenclature would be better.

 

A good piece has just aired on BBC West Midlands local news featuring today's first train.

It looked superb, and hopefully a little extra publicity will do no harm.

 

Curly arrows innit? (says the organic chemist at heart doing an organometallic PhD).

 

Ah happy days, when life was simpler (says the undergraduate dentist)!

 

"Brown vehicles" you mean? I had not heard of NPCCS!

 

I think NPCCS was the BR term. Yes brown vehicles - who on earth thought of Bloater, Monster, Siphon, etc?!

 

Many of the GWR telegraphic names did make some connection with the cars use. It probably worked well, most of the times especially given the large stock the old railways had.
In today's climate of abbreviations and texting it is probably just as well that there are few types of freight car on Britain's railways.

 

My guest and I visited Broadway Station today by train from Toddington in choc & cream Mk 1 stock hauled by 35006, one of the shareholders' and volunteers' specials. NUNC DIMMITUS.

 

Congratulations. It all looks absolutely superb. You should be very proud of what you have achieved. Now rest and enjoy your weekend.
Ian Coleby
West Somerset Railway Chairman

 

As seen at Broadway (and Toddington) today.

 

Rest? You must be joking! Enjoy it? Certainly will!

 

Thanks for the pictures, an interesting first visitor impression. You wonder what catches their eye...

In the picture of the canopy you will see some loops and these are for 3 under canopy lamps, whose arrival from a specialist manufacturer is imminent. I hope we can fit them before the first public day, but you have to be patient with one-off reproductions. It took us a long time to work out what they looked like, from hazy 1904 photographs. They will be similar to the lamp post lanterns, but in place of the finial there will be a gas pipe, from which they are suspended. I am not aware of any others in existence, although I did see one for sale on Ebay once. Ours may well be unique on an actual station.

Another, larger and hexagonal one is due to go under the canopy extension. All were sponsored by a kind supporter. Again, a lot of head scatching preceded approval of the design. It will be similar to the ones at Moor Street.



Yesterday was a grey day. As the big pacific was out again, I tried a lineside shot. At 25mph the steam is not exactly going to roar out of the chimney, but it came out not too bad.

There will be other shots on the Saturday Extension blog.

 

A lovely shot - is this the section of line that was originally meant to have a long loop from platform 2 of the new station? Wouldn't look great (even if wrong line working)!

 

Oops that should have read - 'Wouldn't that look great'.

 

Thats a tasty picture. The Bulleids were regularly hampered by drifting exhaust. Pictures of them travelling at speed often had the cab obscured by steam and smoke.