Week ending 8th August

With the refurbishment of the wooden centre pivot arm for Toddingtons signal T20 not quite complete, the only work carried out to this signal was the removal of the original spec plate. This will allow the correct spec plate to align with the centre pivot arm.

To complete the groundframe at the headshunt, myself and John P cut, drilled and bolted down the timber flooring. Once fitted, a generous final coat of wood preservative was applied to all the woodwork.

On the opposite (Malvern) side of the track, two lengths of signal wire were rolled out from signal T4 back to the south end of platform 1. One will operate signal T4, the other will operate a shunt signal to be placed at the foot of T4. With one wire attached to the balance arm of T4, it was pulled taught to find its natural alignment and metal stakes dug and concreted into the ballast at approx. 7m intervals. Each stake was then fitted with a double pulley wheel casting and the signal wires pulled through.

During Thursday, Neil Carr connected the electrics to both signals back to the lineside cabinet leaving just a final connection to be made once the arm has been fitted to signal T20.

Work in Toddington 'box has progressed well with the most noteable alteration being the modification of lever 31, and the fitting of two new levers 32 + 33 along with the associated lever and cam couplings.

A start was also made on the refurb of six 25mph speed restriction signs. Firstly with the aid of a wire brush attachment to an angle grinder, all traces of paint and rust were removed before given a coat of red oxide primer. Once finished in black and yellow, these will grace the lineside around Gotherington and Bishops Cleeve giving a more pleasing look than the temporary white wooden signs in place now.

Week ending 15th August

One of the last few jobs remaining for Steve and his trusted mini-digger at Toddington North is drain clearing. S & T have been assisting with this task recently so as to hasten the final movement of vehicles lineside around this area. This will enable the fitting of more vulnerable pieces of equipment that don't stand up very well to abuse from wheeled or tracked vehicles.

These drains run the length of our railway approx. 5' from the outside running rail and approx. 4' deep. At approx. 90' intervals are inspection chambers made up from concrete rings with two concrete lids and a metal grid across the top. Most of these chambers have missing or broken rings and lids which have to be replaced once any accumulation of ballast and other rubbish has been cleared from the waterway below.
   
At last the wooden centre pivot arm was fitted to signal T20 along with its spec plate, downrod and balance weight arm. A new signal wire was then fed through the pulley wheel casts back to the north end of platform 2. When signal T20 is commissioned next week, this wire will be connected to the original wire from signal T6 which stands at the very end of the platform 2. (T6 will then be stripped of its fittings and the post completely removed). A final coat of white and black paint is applied to post and fittings, and the scaffolding removed.

Another task S & T have been helping with is the removal of excess ballast dropped by the p/way train on the new track formation north of the Stow Road Bridge. This has been good exercise and a way of shifting a few excess lbs around the waistline at the same time as helping out another very busy department. Thanks go to Carl Smart and John P. in helping me with this task.

After another visit to the NHS by the tamping machine, longer lengths of point rodding had to be inserted to the ground frame main point and FPL. This was required after the track was slewed approx. 8 inches by the tamper to get a better line through the curve.

Week ending 22nd August

Malcolm and Neil spent Monday supervising the tamper on Gotherington loop. While there, time was also spent oiling and greasing the many signal fittings and wheels around the Gotherington area, many of which have not seen any use since being put in.

At the foot of Toddingtons signals T4 & T20 will be a shunting signal. To site these, a three foot square concrete pad has to be constructed. This task was completed by Carl, John N, Richard C and John P. Once filled, a timber template with four 10" long bolts fixed in holes corresponding to fixing holes in the baseplate of each dummy signal is carefully sunk into the wet concrete. These will be left to cure for a week before fitting the signals.

While the first train of the day was on its way to Cheltenham, Neil makes the last electrical connections to signals T4 & T20. The track circuits are extended from the original signals T4 & T6 at the platform ends up to the insulated joints at signals T4 & T20. By the time the train returns to Toddington, the old signals on the platform are decommissioned and the new signals commissioned much to the surprise of the loco crew!

Further up the line just past the NHS turnout, Steve and his mini-digger are tasked with digging a hole 7'x7'x6' deep. This will be filled with concrete upon which will stand the bracket signal which has undergone extensive refurbishment at Winchcombe. This signal was recovered from Abercynon, South Wales during resignalling of that line by Network Rail.

Week ending 29th August

Tuesday, and the hole dug by the mini-digger last week has now to be filled with concrete. Brought up by the railcar from Winchcombe on two trailers, are 7 tons of aggregate, 30 bags of cement and plenty of water. Unfortunately the hole looks a lot bigger than we expected, and when measured, we find it is actually 10'x8'x7' deep. We think Steve should have gone to Specsavers…..never mind, it'll be alright!

With two 120ltr cement mixers set up at the rail side, John P on the trailer shoveling ballast, Neil and Malcolm adding the cement and water and tipping the mix into the hole, it was soon apparent we were going to run short of materials. A decision was made to build some shuttering to form a plinth 4'x4' in the centre of the hole and fill this and then return on Thursday with more materials to fill the remainder of the hole.

Using an online aggregate calculator later that evening gave an indication that we would require a total of 15 tons of concrete to fill the hole completely, so an order was placed for a further 8 tons of ballast and 20 bags of cement.

Returning Thursday, by 2pm the job was complete. Before the concrete had started to set we sunk four 15" long bolts for the bracket signal and four 8" bolts for a shunting signal allowing approx. 2" to protrude above the surface. This will now be left for a few weeks to cure while we finish off with drain repairs, and installing three more signal posts out towards Stanway viaduct. We will hopefully return towards the end of next month / October with the road/railer machine and lift the bracket signal onto its plinth. Once in position and all the fittings are attached, the signal wires that operate the route indicator signal will be detached, extended under and alongside the running line to connect with the bracket signal. The route indicator signal will then be removed and taken back to Winchcombe for refurbishment. This may well find a home at Broadway in the future.

The shunting signal at the base of signal T20 was also fitted to its concrete block.

In all, August appears to have been a very fruitful month with a lot of refurbished equipment at last going into service. Toddington north now looks part of an established working railway with just a little work left to do by the p/way department to correct the alignment of the running line into platform 2 off the turnout.

It is very satisfying to see the hard work put in by the Winchcombe gang being put into service, after many hours of releasing seized parts, removing years of grime, oil and paint and turning out a quality finished product to enhance and help our railway grow. WELL DONE to you all.