Progress updates

Drains and buffers: latest developments in Toddington yard
posted 19th April 2007

All of the drainage system is now in place.  The deep excavations made earlier in the year have now been filled, burying the separation tanks, the only access to the equipment is via manhole covers in the yard.  Work can now progress towards starting work on the locomotive pits which will allow comfortable and safe access for staff beneath locomotives for lubrication, inspection, servicing, clearing ash and so forth.  Track has been lifted from siding 8 (see plan) for the first pit to be excavated.

Meanwhile, a pair of buffer stops have been given a smart coat of red and black paint and these will shortly be installed at the ends of sidings 3 and 4 while sidings 5 (unloading road) and 6 (the first siding in to the David Page shed) have been reinstated.

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Picture captions:

1 - Freshly repainted and overhauled buffer stops ready for installation on the end of sidings 3 & 4 (Mark Young)
2 - Road 8 having been lifted ready for the installation of one of the pits (Mark Young)
3 - The site cleared and leveled after installation of the water treatment tanks (Mark Young)
4 - Roads 5 & 6 having been reinstated after installation of the drainage in front of the David Page shed (Mark Young)
5 - 9F 2-10-0 no. 92203 presides over the vacant space in the foreground, where the pits will be installed (Ian Crowder)
6  - Drains and trains: one of the new drains with 92203 in the background (Ian Crowder)
7  - 92203 Black Prince and 7903 Foremarke Hall simmering on siding 6 following its reinstatement (Ian Crowder)

Updated yard plan
posted 7th March 2007

Following feedback on the previously published plan Fred and Ian have produced an update which can be downloaded here. The document is a PDF, follow this link to download Adobe’s PDF reader.

Toddington yard plan
posted 26th February 2007

Thanks to the sterling efforts of Fred Lea and Ian Crowder we can now provide you with a plan of the full proposed new look Toddington yard. Please remember this is the proposed plan and may be liable to change in the future.

Click here to view the plan. The document is a PDF, follow this link to download Adobe’s PDF reader.

Mainline relaid
posted 26th February 2007

After a week of filling trenches the GWSR Loco Department, S & T Department and Permanent Way Department came together at Toddington on Saturday 16th to reinstate the main line and siding one before the season starts. In one day three panels of track were reinstated, all signals South of Toddington box were reconnected and the communications cable ducts were reinstated. A big thank you to all volunteers who helped to get everything reconnected in just one day.
 
The photo shows the P Way department testing the relaid main line which reopened to traffic on 24th Feb.

Later in the day works moved onto the relaying of Siding 1 which even received its ballast before night set in thanks to some dedicated work with barrows and shovels.

The pictures below show the re-ballasting process that was completed on Saturday 23rd February. The first picture shows the ballast along the centre of the track as it is deposited from the wagon the PW train moves forwards. The second picture shows the PW train working back over the ballast with the plough on Shark guard’s van spreading the ballest over the sleepers.

Toddington trenches
posted 7th February 2007

Contractors are pressing on with the GWR's £100,000 project to improve the locomotive servicing and maintenance facilities at Toddington - and like most major projects the first works are below ground level. 

Following removal of the track panels from the main line and sidings 1, 2 and 3 a deep trench has been dug and ducts installed to carry water supply (which includes eventual installation of a GWR water crane); removal of waste water from the treatment and separation plant to be installed and cable ducts for electricity supply and telecommunications. The pictures below taken by Mark Young show the main trench in both directions. You can see that the granular backfill is in place along with reinforcing mesh, ready for a concrete raft to be poured. This raft will act as a 'bridge' over the trench, preventing any damage that might result from trains passing above.  Once complete, the main line will be reinstated ready for the coming season.

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1 - Looking towards the signal box - granular backfill and reinforcing mesh in place.
2 - View from the signal box end of the trench.  The end of the David Page shed is to the right.