GWSR Broadway Developments

A source of regular confusion over the years, sometimes even to volunteers. The official name of the railway is The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway and the correct abbreviation is GWR. That is what appears on the Rule Book and all operating documentation and it’s why the line’s logo says ‘GWR’ not ‘GWSR’. The name of the operating company only is the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway plc, named as such I believe simply because there were objections back in the early 80s when it was formed to the use of the abbreviation GWR from a local Bristol radio station AIUI.

 

I finally got the sunset photograph of a train at Broadway that I have been looking for:



While we were building platform 2 it occurred to me that a sunset glint shot must be possible from here.

Once trains began to run, the window for actually doing so closed appreciably, until I realised that in fact it has to be in deepest mid-winter, on a rare day that we are operating to Broadway. This evening I managed it!

You have until Wednesday to travel at this time of year, and I noticed that the Broadway cafe is selling hot chocolate with a little shot of something in it. What a nice idea

More pictures of same on Wednesday's Heritage Herald blog. (Nat Pres gets a sneak preview....)

 

I was thinking of you this afternoon, glad you managed it - what a result!

 

Blimey, Alex, that was quick! One minute! Have you got some sort of alarm bell on your phone for Nat Pres posts?

 

Well, yes actually!

 

He uses Wi-Fi enabled paint brushes.

 

As I have said on your blog, these type of photo's would look brilliant as Christmas or other cards. Stunning photo's Terry

 

I'm happy to lend the photo files for any purpose that benefits the railway.

 

Thank you, much appreciated.

 

Blog update, with sunset pictures, just posted:

https://haylesabbeyhalt.blogspot.com/2020/01/steaming-into-sunset.html

I took a video as well, on a second day.

That looks like it for a year now, no more evening sun and running trains this winter.

Saturday we start work on Stanway viaduct, and the track will be pulled to one side.

 

Many thanks for all your blog activities over the last year Jo - always a great read and I admire your efforts to improve the historical accuracy of the GWSR infrastructure.

A Happy New Year to you and all the Broadway/Usketeers/track gang.

Keith

 

Thank you Keith, that's very kind of you.
It does help when there is a bit of correspondence, one doesn't like to transmit into a great void.

I moved to the area after watching Bill Britton's blog from my desk when working abroad. I was a bit worried as to what we might do after completing the station, but there is plenty going on. It's all very exciting.

I will continue to push for a heritage railway. We are a bit different from the other GWR railways as we started with nothing at all, and that I think is still in our genes. When you have nothing, anything will do. But after 40 years I think we can now afford to go for quality. We have changed 0-4-0 Cadbury No.1 for a Bulleid pacific. We must do the same with our heritage infrastructure. You never regret going for heritage afterwards, but for some reason many people are opposed to it beforehand.

2019 was a good year for the railway, but there are ongoing high costs in the civils, which take away a lot of the extra cash flow. This will no doubt continue. Next week we start work on rebuilding the drains on Stanway viaduct.

The Toddington yard rebuilding - following the closing down of the garden centre that rented 33 % of the area - and the Stanton road bridge will be big challenges in 2020.

Tomorrow there is a small expedition to recover an item offered by a supporter. I always enjoy these

 

That I think is definitely worth repeating! It took me a little while to get used to seeing certain people extolling the virtues of the attention to detail in the construction of the station at Broadway given original plans, but hey ho.

We must also bear in mind though, that when we try and get too ambitious or controversial, it can switch people off to heritage concerns entirely, which is a shame, but a reality we should be aware of.

 

The Garden Centre closing? I'd not seen that anywhere else?

 

Then you should read the blogs...

Keith

 

You're not reading my blogs... the lease came up for renewal, and they didn't renew. Moved out per 15th December. It's a big opportunity to sort out the yard at Toddington (with pukka heritage stuff I hope) and even before spending a singlepenny, we get a big increase in car parking, which has become a real issue since we opened to Broadway.

It is likely that the whole yard, from Stow Road to the sheds, will get a complete re-design. Currently it is almost all temporary stuff, and not very authentic/convincing.

 

I might add that a volunteer circular went out, so the news is official. But you can see it for yourself, the buildings are now indeed empty.

 

The lease came to an end. 25 years, I believe. Which created a problem in that extending the Lease, so I am informed, would have had to be on comparable terms. Hence it was terminated.

There is a problem at Toddington inasmuch that 'foot traffic' from the Car Park to the Platforms crosses the access road [with vehicular traffic]. Not normally a problem but, at certain times of day may cause conflict between Pedestrian and Vehicular traffic. A safer way to Service the site would be for Car Park traffic to enter where the [now vacated] Garden Centre building is sited leaving the pathway [from the Car Park] to the platforms 'vehicle free'.

The existing route would still need to be maintained for Load movements.

That is my understanding.

 

And indeed a not very complimentary news article in the local rag...

 

''Toddington Garden Centre, near Winchcombe, is shutting after landlord Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway refuses to renew lease''. <BJ>
https://www.gloucestershirelive.co....credibly-popular-garden-centre-forced-3652621