GWSR launching shares offer for Broadway...

Great progress within a relatively short time, thats what I like to see, onwards and upwards!

Just out of curiosity though, does anyone know how the signalling between Toddington and Broadway will be laid out, in particular, will the Laverton loop be signalled so as to allow it to become a passing loop, like Gotherington? Just wondered, as that would no doubt be useful when the railway is finally running train to Broadway, certainly on busy days.

 

That's a good question re the Laverton loop, I'll try and find out. at the moment it is just a ground frame, so the driver has to get out of the loco and change the points, as there is no signal box, and never was there.
I'll get back to you on that...

 

This is the situation now as I recall.
The plans for signalling at Broadway itself have changed a little over the years; at one time Exminster Signal Box was dismantled (it had been used as a wildfowl hide) and the plan was to re-erect it at the site of the Broadway original box (which was also wooden) next to the Evesham Road bridge. However, the box was too big and the location was not as suitable (Broadway goods shed and sidings now being a Caravan Club site) so a decision was made to build a new box on Platform 2 (northbound) at Broadway - not original but very like the practice further north on the line in Warwickshire for example.

I believe I can recall an article explaining that Laverton Loop would be taken out once track was laid to Broadway but that may change. A passing loop in situ can be a useful asset as you say, especially on gala events etc.

I wonder what happened to the old Exminster Box? I think it ended up at the Forest of Dean in kit form but I don't know for sure.

 

Just discovered the same myself kinghambranch, general consensus is that the loop will be taken out once broadway is reached. construction of the signal box is soon to start, and should look a bit like this;




Alex

 

Very reminisent of Shirley. I think it looks good.

 

I like the idea of it being on the platform, I understand the idea is that, if the signal man lets you, you can go inside and have a look. at all the other stations, the signal box is not on the platform so people don't get to visit it as often. It's things like this and the fact that the platforms being very long at broadway so the loco can be in the station for a nose on the footplate that are the reason that we seem to be doing well.
Alex

 

Up too £107,000 as of Monday morning, I'd like to think me posting this here has contributed some of it...
Alex

 

There's a reason for that

 

£145,000 as of tonight, with the November editions of steam railway and railway magazine both with an advert in just coming out...
broadway here we come!
Alex

 

Alex - it's a great start, but let's not get carried away. The railway needs around £1.5m to get to Broadway, so the first £0.5m is just a stepping stone. Secondly, I think it's safe to assume that most supporters will respond very quickly - hence the fast start - but it will very soon reduce to a slower pace. And I'm not sure why the Boardroom Blog said that Railway Magazine has only just come out - it's been out for over two weeks.
There's also another appeal which may compete for funds from the enthusiast with no particular allegiance , namely the GCR bridge appeal.
By the way, I write as someone who has made a 5 year pledge to the GWSR development foundation, so I have every desire to be as excited as you. I suspect though that a couple more legacies may be needed, (unless there is a Plan B, such as lottery funding), before everything is in place to steam into Bill Britton's new station.
What also struck me reading the prospectus was the amount borrowed (and thus being repaid for several more years) to purchase the track for the Laverton extension. So borrowing could be a Plan B, but any significant level of debt does leave any business very exposed in the event that it gets its sums wrong or there is a sudden downturn in business, whether due to recession, change in customer preference, or business interruption (as at Chicken Curve). So I would hope the railway are very careful before going down that route.

 

I'm aware that the speed of money coming in will dry up, and I did think when posting that railway mag had already come out. I didn't know however that a loan had been taken out for track to Laverton, I didn't look too closely at the numbers side of things in my brochure, I was mainly interested in the information on the bridges. I suppose money is still coming in to the broadway station fund, without it building would surely cease, so that's some of the 1.5 million already raised and spent. I can see that there might be some competition with the GCR, but it's about 100 miles between the two, so I'd have thought that to make the most of the rewards, people buying shares won't be straying too much into that area. I think that the development foundation is always on the lookout for lottery funding and other grants, so, as you say, hopefully something like that can be secured for some more money. I'd heard somewhere that all the money had been found for track, which is why the shares offer covers bridges, rather than the old "sponser a sleeper" appeal which came out just before the embankment slips if I remember correctly.

Talking of embankment slips, £1.5 million was spent repairing the two we had, plus another £500,000 or something like that spent on checking other embankments on the railway and carrying out preventative work so it wouldn't happen again, so hopefully there will be no more setbacks.
Alex

 

That's a very valid point, but in actual fact, there are other appeals not related to extending heritage lines which are also competing for a finite pot of money - new build projects, for instance or the Bluebell's "Keep up the pressure" appeal (They've done their extension, but it has left them tight for motive power). I'm sure that both the GCR and GWSR will achieve their objectives in spite of all the competing appeals, but how long the two projects will take is anyone's guess at this stage.

I agree with you about the dangers of incurring debt in order to reach Broadway, but with sufficient funds received to begin work on the bridges - indeed, sufficient funds almost to compete the repairs to the three least expensive bridges - perhaps once there are signs of progress, it may help to bring in more money.

 

I doubt there will be much actual building going on until the new year, the line is about to shut down for winter maintenance so all p'way will be greasing fishplates etc, building and services repairing existing structures ( and the blitzing of the maroon rake to make it maroon again!) so probably once the railway opens again work will start towards Broadway, that is what I expect will happen anyway, there was supposed to be a meeting about that, but I never found out the result.
Alex

 

'Bump' 'ahem' Up to £176,000 as of monday, still going well, albeit slowing down a little (to be expected) hopefully the money will carry on coming, the search for a contractor(s) is soon to begin!

 

'Bump' £200,000 raised in 12 weeks, at current rates, 15 weeks more and we will have reached the mark anyone interested, link in my my signature.
Alex

 

I've just read the update on the GWSR's Boardroom Blog regarding the fund-raising progress. As I thought (honest!) it seems that the southernmost bridge will be tackled first (Little Buckland) as its closest to the current railhead and is also in a very poor state. Money is definitely coming in (I send in my share form last week) but the Railway needs much more if all 5 bridges are to be repaired properly. The Boardroom Blog anticipates remedial work starting in May 2014. Can't Wait!

 

I had hoped that would be the way they'd do it, south working north, there is then the possibility of p'way getting going all that sooner Hopefully there will be another influx of money during and after the christmas cracker event, that should attract lots of people and hopefully some will be interested. On a side note, that will be the last time 7903 runs before her boiler ticket expires (only running on the first day) as she is only on standby for the rest of the year.

Remember, you can also make donations if you don't want to purchase shares for whatever reason, there is gift aid!

Alex

PS yes I know I'm essentially rewriting the board blog on all broadway matters here, but it's all good publicity

 

As of 20 November the share issue stood at just over 230,000. 256k is the estimated repair costs for the first three bridges working north from Laverton and it would be great to reach that figure. If you haven't looked at the broadway blog recently, the ground works and concrete base have been completed for the new signal box. It is hoped to start on the brick base next week. Keep up the brilliant work!

 

Alex: Just out of interest is there a mechanical lever frame and all the other gubbins "in stock" to fit in this box when built?

Good to see the GWR design by the way, much better than the design at CRC.

Not following this too closely, but am I correct in saying a footbridge, ex-NR, recently became available for Broadway?

Thanks

46118

 

I think most bits and bobs needed for the signal box are currently in store at winchcombe, all ready to go, certainly the basic frame, as I remember being told that the only way they could find out if they had everything was to put it together, before having to take it apart to put together at broadway!

The Henley-in-arden footbridge has been rescued by Andrew Goodman after not going to the Wensleydale railway/where ever else it was reportedly going, and is currently in his yard (I think) and as I understood it, there is another footbridge which its name escapes me (Hall green is floating around...) going to broadway, leaving the HIA one perhaps for CRC.

edit, just found it on the broadway blog - knew it was around somewhere, they have their sights firmly set on Hall green footbridge