GWSR Broadway Developments

Remember 2013? Some snow in Lincolnshire still hanging around in early April!

 

But there is a world of difference between 'some snow' and it causing disruption (which was what I was gettting at). We had a huge dump in Scotlandshire in 2010 and it lasted on the hills for weeks. How long did it actually disrupt people? About three days.

 

Just done battle with my absolute mess of calendar apps to sort my roster dates out, 7:30 starts for 3 days' TTIing, maybe help out at Winchcombe on the Friday too, or perhaps take the camera out and explore the new section. 28 days to go, and I note C+W have just brought a carriage in for a "quick job"!

 

It's getting beyond a joke, we've had two feet of snow here in the Cotswolds

 

While working at Broadway yesterday, I heard there was a Directors meeting Monday afternoon, and it was expected that one discussion would be about when the first steam loco would come to Broadway for gauging checking, Sunday was mentioned as a possibility for Foremarke Hall to make an appearance,

Many extra days being worked as only a couple of weeks until the first passenger trains arrive, 17 volunteers there yesterday. My team are helping Building Services with laying slabs on the forecourt side of the station building. Their target is to lay all the granite kerbs and to lay slabs to just past the booking hall entrance, we managed to slab 8 rows, finishing up halfway across that entrance, including laying slabs for one of the drop kerbs. More will be done on Wednesday, including BS laying granite kerbs.

I didn't get much chance to look at what others were doing, but further leveling of the platform surface was taking place, including rolling, before the tarmacers can start (between the 12th & 14th I believe), lots of painting around the booking hall. Plumbing being worked on in the disabled toilets, the Ladies & Gents plumbing now finished I was told. I saw Neil fitting locks and door handles to the booking office door, but I am sure he was doing lots of other things as well. A pile of ballast was removed from the forecourt (we dug this out, partly by hand, last Wednesday so that BS can lay the granite slabs). I'm sure much more was going on, which I missed, sorry.

Lets hope the weather is kind to us so we can get most things done before 21st March!

 

Something else that was going on was the final polishing of the running in board with its cast letters:



... and not long afterwards it was up ! You're looking at the cafe here, and while it is still raw, a few moments have been found to fit the wainscoting around it. The ceiling and plastering are also big outstandings, but they can be done without bothering the public once services are up and running.



The lamp tops have also been put on, and indeed wired up, so they should work by opening day.

The 3 canopy lanterns are in the course of being manufactured and may just make it before the opening.

Of course March 30th is the first public train, but there will already be trains on March 21st and 22nd, so there is now frantic completion work at Broadway every day, a Herculean effort by the gang.

 

Thanks very much for the update; those of us far away are watching avidly, so any updates are really welcome!

Noel

 

Ah well that choice does make sense, as I'm sure I heard somewhere that Foremarke Hall was going to be the engine to pull the first train into Broadway, plus practically speaking the Halls are generally the trickiest when it comes to gauging on certain routes. So if the Hall can move around Broadway Station alright, then pretty much everything else should.

That said, I am curious as to why Foremarke Hall was chosen for this honour, not that I'm complaining mind you. Just wondering as to why they picked it specifically over others such as 2807 and 35006. A good choice nonetheless all round though.

 

I think there would be some disgruntlement if the first steam loco into the rebuilt Broadway GWR station was an SR Bulleid Pacific! I think either 7903 or 2807 are appropriate, both have worked on the line for a good few years now, and as you say, I imagine 7903 is the best for gauging runs, and possibly it being a "namer" adds to the attraction; if the roster is to be believed it's the first loco out of Broadway all 4 days.

 

Heh, yeah fair point, guess I can't help but put 35006 forward as I'm more a southern railway fan myself. But yes I suspect you are right on the matter that it is a GWR engine plus a namer so it all round fits the bill best. Just trying to recall though, which way is 7903 currently facing? I'd figure it must be facing Broadway, as seeing it come tender first would be a bit of a shame that.

 

7903 is facing south actually, with 7820 and 2807 facing north. Maybe the powers that be would rather the first train leaving Broadway was smokebox first? Or it'll be 2807 after all!

 

Huh, maybe so, guess all we can do is wait and see. I look forward to seeing the big day at any rate, along with in due time seeing 35006 at the station too, as the bulleids have always been a firm favourite of mine.

 

Yup. 7903 facing south.

 

Hard to think that in less than a month that will be a operational Railway station, and no "Temporary Ticket Office" portacabin in sight!

I would presume outside jobs are being focused on more than anything else, though.

 

The station is being built on several fronts:

Toilets (almost finished)
Ticket office/stationmaster (hatches being built, painted)
Booking Office (painting, doors fitted, locks fitted etc, crowd barriers readied for erection
Electrics being completed by a contractor
Preparation for partial tarmacing (all of P1, and the footpath up the drive)
Laying of slabs outside the front
Laying of granite kerbs outside the front
Assembly of 3 legged benches

There will not be any portacabins, but nonetheless the station will have a lot more work to do on it, even as trains run. We said we would achieve the minimum necessary to get trains running, and the cash flow flowing. We will do this.

 

2807 arrived back from Llangollen on 8 January and has been undergoing winter maintenance. My colleagues at the GWSR have told me that it needs to be ready for the roster for 30 & 31 March, April 1 & 2 and 17-26 April inclusive. (Note that rosters can change). 2807 was a regular performer over what is now the GWSR in both GWR and BR days and, whilst it would be very heartening to have it on the 1st official service train, 7903 Foremarke Hall is also a worthy choice as this class was a common sight over the line in BR days. 2807 was built in October 1905 so is from the same period when the original Broadway Station was new. I still think 2999 would have been brilliant but it (still) isn't ready and, if it were, would be unlikely to leave the GWS so soon after its build.

 

I'd have no issues at all if 2807 is chosen, as it and it's class are a firm favourite of mine when it comes to GWR engines, always so smart and grand looking despite it's supposedly freight only origins. The fact 2807 is pretty the oldest Great Western engine in operation and was the first to arrive at the GWSR in it's humble beginnings, these facts and much more more then give it a right to pull the first train. As for 2999 I'd love to see it visit the GWSR at some point, though with that engine I'm more interested to see it in it's atlantic form, that form looks just gorgeous to me. But from what I hear the GWSR in due course may have itself a 2-2-0 County in the long run, and that is quite the looker too no denying.

Now if we could only get the GWSR a set of genuine GWR carriages...

 

Yes please!

 

If I was brave (or stupid) enough, I would say we should do a Titfield Thunderbolt, 'borrow' an engine, race down to the SVR, attach their rake of GWR carriages, take them all the way to Cheltenham and...! Oh wait, no mainline connection... Blast it all!

 

What about 2807 and 7903 double-heading the first train out of Broadway?