First of all a brief introduction. My name is Andy Protherough and I have been a working volunteer with the S&T Department for a little over two years. Fortunately, working nights (midnight to 0900a.m.) for a local dairy, gives me the opportunity to work alongside a small team of dedicated guys during the working week rather than during the family weekend.

Projects covered during the week include the refurbishment / restoration of all aspects of signaling equipment from small nuts and bolts to a complete bracket signal such as seen south of Gotherington station, at our workshop* within Winchcombe yard. Once these refurbs are complete, the items either go into storage or out to various locations along our line. Larger projects undertaken include the fitting out of Gotherington signalbox, 'planting' and fitting of signal posts, installation of point motors, point rodding, electrical cabinets, etc. all under the watchful eye (pipe and cup of tea) of Malcolm Walker! Our weekday gang usually consists of myself, John (dad) Protherough, Carl Smart, Ron Redding, John Nicholls, Richard Collier and Tony Long and Stuart.

We also have a dedicated Wednesday gang of electrical fitters, namely Ed Reilly, Kevern Oliver, John Lewis and Harry Rowe. Our 'Mr. Electrics' at Winchcombe comes in the shape of Neil Carr.

I hope to bring regular updates of our progress at the beginning of each month, reporting on news of what has been achieved during the previous month. To bring you up to date for 2009, I have included below news for January, February, March and April. All being well, the next update will be during the first week of June for May. Hope you enjoy the read…..

P.S. 95% of our 'workshop' at Winchcombe is the great outdoors. Drilling, cutting, painting……you name it and it's done outside. So if anyone out there has a £100000 gathering dust under the mattress, we do have plans drawn up for a permanent workshop to be erected behind santas grotto. Cheque made payable to…

JANUARY 2009

To start the week off, Monday 5th brings a layer of snow to the Cotswolds. Malcolm and myself spend a number of hours clearing snow from points and FPL's (Facing Point Locks) around Winchcombe to allow movement of the railcar. Tuesday saw the railcar refuse to start, requiring a jump start from John P's Landrover Discovery. During this week, John P. and myself dismantle Toddington motorpoint 20 along with the associated blades, stretcher bars, fixing bolts and coupling bars. Electricity supply disconnected by Neil Carr to Lever Locks 1,2 and 3 in the 'box.
A start was made on the lamp hut next to Toddington signalbox to clear many years of accumulated rubbish to make room for a wet day workshop. This was to take a number of trips back to the skip at Winchcombe via the railcar over a two week period.

Wednesday and Thursday saw the continuation of rubbish clearing from the lamp hut and the building of a workbench and shelving.

The second week saw the loading of the scaffold tower onto the railcar for transfer to Toddington North. This was then erected around the route indicator signal T22, T23 which was then dismantled by myself, John P and Carl Smart, loaded onto the railcar, moved north to the site of new 'E' switch and offloaded.
Malcolm and Neil meanwhile suffer the cramped conditions under Toddington 'box drilling and fitting brackets and plates to the lock fixing bars in readiness for new equipment.

The third week saw the manufacture and fitting of more lock fixing bars and electric locks and fitting of additional steelwork to Toddington 'box.
Back at Winchcombe, restored fittings were taken from storage and put ready for transfer to Toddington along with items such as concrete blocks for mounting wheels to route signal wires under the running lines and a large quantity of concrete troughing with lids to take cables safely from the signalbox to various cabinets in the north headshunt.

During the final week of the month, the above items were loaded onto the railcar and transferred to Toddington. Fittings were offloaded at the signalbox, the troughing and concrete blocks distributed along the embankment ready for installation.

FEBRUARY 2009

Week commencing 2nd February saw a number of projects. Namely re-bonding the track circuits through Toddington crossing after this had been renewed by the p/way dept. The wall of platform 1 was measured and marked for drilling and fixing wheel casts to carry signal wires through the platform. The concrete wheel blocks adjacent to point 12a had over the years subsided quite badly causing the signal operator to exert a greater amount of leverage to operate the signals. Therefore these were dug out, straightened up, leveled and repacked with fresh ballast.
Further work to the locking trays was completed by Malcolm and Neil under the 'box.

The second week saw over 200 meters of concrete troughing laid from the signalbox  to the south end of platform 2, and then from the north end to the site of the old route indicator signal just north of Stow Road bridge. Wednesday saw the uprooting of the above signal post by JCB Steve and re-planting at it's new temporary home next to P21, approx. 100 meters further north. This will eventually be replaced by a bracket signal currently coming towards the end of it's refurb at Winchcombe.

The third week brings what has in the past been a very exhausting job. Cable laying. On Monday with the aid of a pair of jacks strapped to the rails, the cable drum was lifted a few inches above sleeper tops, the end of the cable attached to the railcar and as Neil slowly moved the railcar in the Winchcombe direction, so 500 meters of cable was uncoiled. This exercise repeated for the 20 pair and 50 pair cables.

Once uncoiled, each cable was then dragged again by the railcar, through platform 2 negotiating any obstacles, towards the north headshunt leaving enough spare cable at the southern end to reach the inside of the signalbox. Once in place, both cables were then placed inside the concrete troughing laid out last week.

Tuesday, myself, John P and Carl Smart were tasked to rebuild the route indicator signal. Being an unseasonably warm day, hauling heavy cast fittings 30 or so feet skywards brought one or two beads of sweat from the brow. Apart from the paintwork looking very tired, at least all the moving parts have been cleaned of years of neglect and given a generous coating of lubrication.

Thursday brought more cable laying with the 110volt supply to the new 'E' switch motorpoint.

The last week of the month starts off with the digging of holes at the base of the route indicator signal to take a number of concrete blocks for signal wire wheels. Shuttering was formed and fixed in place at the south ends of both platforms ready for new concrete. The original concrete having been removed when p/way replaced the timber sleepers through the crossing at the weekend.

Tuesday has us mixing concrete, ably assisted by Neil Carr on the mixer, John P on the wheelbarrows, myself and Carl Smart shoveling and leveling the finished product. Both sides completed by 2p.m. we all deserved our late lunch, cup of tea (and another chuff on the pipe - Malcolm). The afternoon saw the completion of track circuit bonding from the 'E' switch back to Stow Road bridge.

MARCH 2009

The first week of the month had us planting and concreting signal wire stakes from Stow Road Bridge to the route indicator signal. Back at Winchcombe the week was taken up with the extaction from the yard of a number of electrical cabinets and the subsequent stripping down and refurbishment, completed by a fresh coat of paint.

The following week brought together weeks worth of refurbishment work with the re-building of a bracket signal that will eventually grace the Toddington North skyline. After much tweaking, the assembled parts were then numbered and colour-coded for dismantling in readiness for transfer by railcar to Toddington.

The new ground frame for Toddington is nearing completion by Malcolm. New flooring has still to be sourced.

Fill in jobs during the past two months has entailed the clearing up of Winchcombe yard. This has entailed putting items into stillages, onto pallets or into skips for scrap. Longer term restoration items have been stored on several goods wagons in the yard. Once completed, the 'empty' yard will then be at the mercy of p/way who will be extending the storage sidings with a view one day to having a covered carriage shed. This will have the advantage of reducing the amount of weather related maintenance required to our ageing fleet of passenger stock. Anyone with a few hundred thousand pounds to spare, please get in touch.

The third week saw the final clearing up of the yard which just left the job of leveling the site to the JCB.
Non-slip flooring donated by a bracket signal found in the undergrowth during the above clear up has been modified to fit the new ground frame. Being of a metal construction, this will reduce future maintenance requirements. A metal handrail is now being manufactured by Malcolm using further materials found around the yard. All parts are being labeled to ease reconstruction when moved to Toddington.

The final week of March and we are back at Toddington North with the rail drilling machine for more track circuit bonding. Unfortunately, we have encountered some very hard rail which our drills are reluctant to penetrate. On further inspection we have found these rails to be of manganese, especially around the new 'E' switch. Various approaches to our drilling has seen the destruction of two/three drill bits per hole. At £10 per bit this is not good housekeeping!
Holes are dug and shuttering for the concrete pads for signals T4 and T20 is put in place. The posts for these signals have been prepared and painted in Winchcombe yard by John Nicholls, John P and Carl Smart and currently await a visit from our welder to fit a base plate to each. These will then be bolted to the concrete pads before fitting out with refurbished parts from storage.

APRIL 2009

Tuesday 7th and finally the concrete goes in to the ground for T4 and T20. Upon each of the railcar trailers sits a concrete mixer, two tons of ballast and ten bags of cement, a water container and a bucket. I man one, John P mans the other. On the ground is Carl Smart doing sterling work with the wheelbarrow taking the concrete mix to the hole, tamping and leveling. Malcolm, along with his trusted friends (pipe and cuppa) make frequent journeys with the railcar to and from a watering point in the platform to keep our water containers replenished. One and a half hours later one hole is filled. A quick brew and the trailers are moved to the up line to repeat the process on the Malvern side.
After a very late lunch, some drilling using a hand power drill of the errant 'E' switch. Again not 100% successful.
Motorpoint moved  into position ready for installation.

Second week and we get to bolt down the new motorpoint, fit the rodding that drives the switch blades and connect the detector bars. And yes, more drilling and rail bonding.

During the third week, work at Winchcombe sees the refurbishment and painting of one long and two short ladders that will eventually provide access to the Toddington North bracket signal.
At Toddington, any new exposed cables are covered and stakes concreted in. adjustments are made to signals T6 on platform 2, and T22 + T23 route indicator signal. Neil Carr wires up new motorpoint back to signal box. Checks made and all is working O.K.

The final week of April has us remove the point rodding/fittings and concrete stools that made up the south ground frame and transfer all to its new home at the North head shunt. These will be reinstalled here possibly during May.
Position of the new home and distant signals at the approach to Toddington from the north were measured. These will now be incorporated within the remodeling diagram and the necessary equipment found, restored and painted at Winchcombe.

While all this has been going on at Winchcombe and Toddington, we must not forget our team of electrical fitters working away at Gotherington signal box. As yet we have no fixed date for completion, but the miles of wiring and banks of relays and switches continues to grow! Hope you guys don't think we have forgotten you, as we often remark on how nice it must be working inside 'the box' when the heavens open full throttle here at Toddington North! Keep up the good work, and Ed, remember to use only managed forests for your paperwork….