GWSR General Discussion and Operations

34070

 

Some good news from the GWSR.

Black '5' 45110 will be in service this weekend

Also in service:
3850 and 45.149 Saturday and Sunday
20.137 Sunday only

 

Looking at the roster , 45110 is out Saturday only (3850 both days) but is diagrammed to also be running next week. As always, check ahead as things do occur and last minute changes etc etc.

 

Well the roster did get changed to swap to the open cab locos for this week, but events overtook things and GWSR now closed during the week due to extreme heat - back open again on Saturday.

 

3850 vice 34070 today. Gutted.

 

I had exactly the same experience yesterday, in spite of ringing up the GWSR on Monday to confirm that it would be Manston. Still, it was a case of making the most of it and I enjoyed my ride behind 45110, but that wasn't what I travelled 160 miles in each direction to see.

 

6880 Betton Grange inside the diesel shed at Toddington on Friday 26th July 2026


Few more here
https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/Days-out/2026/July-2026/GWR-/i-THkRJRZ

Neil

 

Special train scheduled for Broadway, this coming Monday 17th:

(Credit, GWSR C&W blog)
Should be very interesting!

 

Just wondering, what is the planned use for the platform 2 building at Broadway?

 

Meeting room, plus store.

 

I see it as a function room, eg bar during galas, or for hire / ceremonies. Our commercial people need to see it when it's finished, and then hopefully that will stimulate ideas.

Previously there was a weed covered hole where it now stands, so ouir first intention was to deal with that. Also, the station can then be called finished, and available for filming contracts. The atmosphere will be quite different from our other stations when it's finished, with the double canopies and linking footbridge. What we must not do is allow the room to be filled with crap, because space fills, and it will be very tempting.

 

The canopy is being lifted in at the moment:

 

Stunning! Great to know that Meccano is still a thing!

 

I see the fascia boards are temporarily being held on with C-clamps (and I assume lots of nuts and bolts are being used throughout the structure, too); all, of course, to get it up as quickly as possible, as the crane hire, etc are costing many dineros. What is the schedule for putting in rivets? Will the scaffolding be held until that is done, or will you all be able to dispense with the scaffolding (and its hire charge) before the rivets go in?

Noel

 

The fascia boards do have bolts in them already, I'm not sure why there are G clamps, except perhaps to wind you up?


In this picture the bolts are being fitted. You can also see the complicated layers of material to make everything fit together.

Next is drilling the remaining holes, then riveting, while the scaffolding is still there.

 

All looking very nice indeed (and I don't normally praise anything GWR!).

Now we wait for your tin-eared management to plaster it with 21st century anachronistic fittings.

Pat

 

Absolutely fantastic. The main picture has echoes of the demolition pictures from long ago that exposed the canopy. Except this time its in reverse!
What a jewel in the Crown this will be.

 

For those who are not aficionados of Jo's 'GWSR Heritage' blog, there is a new post, Canopy lift completed, richly illustrated with copious images of the whole process (along with short bits on some siding relaying, and an initial investigation into the leaning ground frame hut at Gotherington).

The separate sections for each day of the work confirm that the crane was only in use for the first day, which should help keep a lid on the cost. The fault-free design, and component construction, meant that everything fitted together without a hitch; also helping enable the quick end to the crane's use. A lot of work still to go, though, alas: more holes to be drilled; bolts inserted, then replacing all the bolts with rivets; a lot more painting; a lot of wooden secondary structure to be erected; corrugated roof sheets to be installed; etc. One thing that caught my eye was the addition of three more courses of bricks along the back wall, part of the 4 course corbel there.

A little smaller than the P1 building, but still a very great deal of work. It's so hard to believe that a little over 15 years ago, there was nothing here anywhere except some earthen banks! I did some digging, and here is what I think is the project's first blog post; and Broadway - First Working Party Day - 28th March 2009! It's a bit hard to grasp that Broadway station is all (platforms, the lot) newly built; it looks like it has been here for a century.

Noel

 

This was the station site two years later, in 2011.
On the left is the site of the former waiting room for trains to Honeybourne.



The blog @jnc quotes was started by Bill Britton, the chap in orange with the blue hat.
As things got busier, Bill delegated some of the blog writing to me, and showed me how to start one of my own (the CRC2 job). I am still flying the flag today
The canopy gang saw the hole in the ground, and offered to finish the job. So Monday's canopy lift was a big day for us.