GWSR Broadway Developments

Agreed, although despite that we do a pretty decent amount ourselves. In C+W the only thing we can't do is turn tyres, everything else is achieved by volunteers. In the loco department boilers tend to be sent away to be overhauled, bottom ends seem to vary a bit more depending on owning group. And of course much civil engineering is carried out by contractors, but we still have our own volunteer bridge team that know what they're doing.
Our biggest catering outlet is franchised as well so those staff don't count, but on the other hand we run a cafe (soon to be 2) and at least two train buffets every operating day with volunteers which can come to a dozen per operating day.

 

There is Railway C which hires in all traction and this either includes 'support crew' for daily running (which could make swapping locos to cover failures more problematic) or has footplate crews trained to do daily exams or even rostered for wash-outs/disposal etc.

Railway A has the high wages bit, Railway B has high charges paid to contractors and Railway C has high charges for hiring locos (a quick look at GWSR plc accounts suggests they are at least in part Railway C in this scenario). These differing costs will not be the same but it is simply incomplete to say 'hey, we don't have staff so it costs less for us to run'.

There is 'no one size fits all' approach, as which works best in which scenario is affected by a number of factors, and each has advantages and drawbacks, the nature and severity of which partly depends on how well the different scenarios are planned and managed.

Steven

 

Indeed, and everyone seems happy with our arrangement as "Railway C" - each loco group has its own set of volunteers to do work but can also call on the pool of general steam loco volunteers to help too. The railway provides nice facilities on the basis that if we build it they will come, and by and large they do! I don't think there's too much danger of loco groups "going off in a huff" as is sometimes feared with this kind of model as the people involved are well integrated into the railway.

 

I understand all your arguments and totally agree no one side does fit all. I agree that we pay a reasonable daily hire fee to our locomotive owners , but apart from 4270, all the locos in question are considered long term Home fleet. Add in the fact that those groups are all active volunteers in the department, sometimes helping other groups
as and when needed, it becomes quite a successful operation - for us. We have a higher number of engines than some railways and this allows down time for maintenance to undertaken by the volunteers.
It’s interesting to see othermodrls, I believe a lot of owning groups now prefer to get a daily steaming fee. Waiting for the railway staff to get round to the overhaul can run into many years for some engines.

 

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Just out of interest @Andy B because Toddington workshops is a far off and foreign place for us - I know boilers tend to get sent away for contract, but what on the bottom end *can't* be done, other than tyre turning? Obviously some groups send chassis away for contract anyway but was just curious, seeing as e're discussing it here.

 

Good news about the footbridge steps. Even without the canopy extension it will help to normalise the appearance of the northern end of the station.
I have seen the steel supports on walking the trackbed north of Broadway (Photos in one of the blogs I believe). I suppose it would bring matters to a head and concentrate minds if a bridge became unusable do to damage by heavy vehicles and needed replacing. I imagine that the authorities would seek to adopt the cheapest solution such as infill which would make extending to Honeybourne in the future much less likely.

 

The hire of locos from active groups who independently also raise funds and input volunteer labour/skills works well - for so long as the group in question remains active & is actively lead. As time moves on things tend to change & the departure of one or two key founding members can alter the situation considerably. Without top up funding few locos earn enough ££s to contract out an overhaul or afford the replacement of large expensive components as inevitably becomes necessary. Railways hosting or owning a considerable fleet well beyond those immediately required for traffic have an advantage in a strategic reserve if carefully stored for the future allowing both variety over time and avoiding wearing out everything at once. Conversely "pay as you use" hire restricts the liability of the host railway & costs are generally incurred in the year in which the equivalent revenue was earned avoiding dependence upon those future times of plenty which never actually arrive.
As has been said there are pros & cons with each of the various arrangements.

 

Why is 4270 not considered long term home fleet?

 

I meant that 4270 is owned by a single individual (JH) and all the others by large groups with shareholders. We have a long term contract on 4270 and are looking forward to it’s return from Crewe after wheel balance weight repairs.

 

The canopy lamps have arrived. These are specially made copies of the acetylene fed originals, visible in this photograph:



They were sponsored by a generous supporter of the station. It has taken us a long time to get thge design just right, including the gas supply pipe from above, with its flexible joint. They will be lit by an electric lightbulb, real gas was a step too far. Apparently acetylene gas is very smoky.

This is what they look like close up:



They will be fitted next Friday, after which we will take a shot of them in situ. Better still, come and see them for yourself, and buy a ticket!

The donation received also includes a provision for the two hexagon shaped lamps that hang under the northern canopy extensions. You can just make one out by the WAY OUT sign.

We hope to start on the steelwork for the canopy extension and footbridge steps in a couple of months.

Work is in progress to manufacture / alter the black and white signs over the doors. Some will be V boards and some suspended from the trusses (the toilet area does not permit the use of V boards due to the bay that was built there)

 

Another bridge strike on Broadway Station Road/Evesham Road Bridge. At least the vehicle stopped (little choice it would seem!) I don't know how much damage was done to the GWSR bridge. See link to GWSR S&T Blog.
http://gwsrsandt.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/over-bridge-competed.html

 

Trains were allowed to pass slowly for the rest of the day. I got the impression that on this occasion the lorry definitely came off worse, but I had to zip back up to uni yesterday so haven't heard anything since.

 

It was a low loader (pictures in linked article) and the impact apparently just sort of 'scraped' the cargo off onto the road, so not like a full force impact with the top of a lorry.

Anyhow, I'd better get a move on down to Broadway before some other ****** comes along, hits it harder, and puts the line out of use! It's probably only a matter of time.

 

Can you still get creosote?

 

Think it's actuall called "creocote" now, presumably slightly less nasty. Most people still call it creosote anyway.

 

Ah! those were the days, of my teens, when you could cycle to a small quiet GWR halt, enjoy a packed lunch, the sun and the quietness of the countryside, with just a few bird sounds and that of a distant tractor, until the local or through train arrived. Once it had passed or departed tranquillity was restored until the next train.
The smell of the grasses and wild flowers could just be detected above the strong pungency of creosoted sleepers.
The wonderful thing about it all was that there were many places like that in steam only days and not limited just to the GW.

 

Joe Public can't buy creosote but it can be obtained by approved users. Permitted for use in sleepers and telegraph poles, amongst other things.

 

I guess the newly rebuilt Hayles Abbey Halt on the GWSR comes fairly close apart from the whiff of creosote. If you hear the sound of 4 tractors in the distance that'll be an A400 Atlas turboprop from Brize!

Looking at the webcam at Broadway this morning, it would appear that some of the station building signs have been fitted. Looking even better already.

 

We used 'Creosote ' at Hayles and sadly it doesn't smell the same. It also needed reapplying after a year, which we did a few days back during a maintenance 'bash'. It is certainly very rural though, and indeed frequented by RAF aircraft.

Two boards over the doors at Broadway have been hung, and two more are in preparation. Also, the replica canopy lamps were hung yesterday, as well as the Hicks oil lamp in the booking hall. I will post pictures shortly.