Deep in the Shed

Work continues inside the shed on the coach, the team will be on hand this weekend to update any visitors to the Volunteers Day on the 12th May, you can hear all about what is going on and you will be warmly welcomed if you want to join in.

As you can see there is still much to do and many more hours are required to finish this project.  Here you can see Noel (he is there, honest) getting stuck in to work underneath the coach or is he hiding from the camera?

Other team members are continuing with the preparation of the body for a first base coat and repairs are made as necessary to any areas showing signs of corrosion.  Still much to do but every hour done is one closer to completion.

The other side is coming along as well. It all depends on the time that we can put in to the project as to when we will see this coach grace the platform in Oswestry.

Again thanks to Andy G for the photographs.

More soon on other projects.

The Thin White Line

Another of those jobs that need doing every so often is the painting of the white line along the platform edge.  Now on a smaller preserved railway station, with space for two or three coaches in the platform, this would be a job for an hour or two.  We have the delights of a platform that can hold twelve coaches so that makes the job a little bit longer.  Whoever picked the short straw had a bit of a challenge ahead.

The day kicked off and was going well until reaching the service train parked in the platform.  Temptation to paint over the step was resisted and progress resumed further up the platform.  If anybody stood by the platform edge there was a good chance that they would leave with a nice white stripe across their shoes.

Once past the obstacle left in the platform progress was a bit quicker. Do you think Mr Dulux would like to sponsor the line with all this free advertising?

Now progress was rapid but still a long way to go.  That's about half distance and already multiple cups of tea had been consumed.

Here we are now almost to the end of the platform, just the bit left up to the water crane. Now won't that be a nice sight a loco taking water at the end of the platform on a ten coach train?  It might not happen in the next couple of years but we are progressing towards our dreams.

It's a good job that the down platform is not yet restored as the painting would have been twice the distance.  Many thanks for another job done!


Caption.

Now who can think of something to caption this picture?  I think that the guilty parties should be nameless for the moment.  Let's just say that there was a logical reason for this, but that would spoil the fun..  Suggestions welcomed. 

Once again thanks to Andy G for supplying the pictures and to the volunteers for the work done. Fancy joining in?  We are having a Volunteers Day this Saturday, 12th May.  Come and see for yourself and have a chat about what is coming up.

Nostalgia.

North of the station, track has reappeared from under the sleeper pile, there is much debate about what to do but a few of the Thursday gang have become emotional about previous times and how much fun everyone had with the sleeper stack.  Feeling quite lost without a stack of sleepers a search party was sent out to look for anything to fill up the empty space.

They searched high and low, under bushes and behind sheds.  Eventually strange half devoured things were found and brought up to refill the pile.   

 

 The sleeper stack starts to grow again, though at a much slower rate than last time.

 More sleepers are found and brought up to the pile.

Seriously this is not an attempt to rebuild the pile but part of the ongoing clean up of the site, the chairs are stripped off the non-useable sleepers.
Thanks to all who are helping in the clean up, it will improve the view over the whole site, also thanks to Andy G for the pictures.

The Signal Box

If you get chance, come along next weekend on the 12th May when we are having an open day at Oswestry to rededicate the South Signal box.  What was once a stripped out shell has been returned to life.  The day is getting closer when the lever to pull off the starter signal can be pulled to start our trains to Weston.

Here are a couple of past pictures and some new ones, bringing the story up to date.  Thanks to Andy G for the pictures.

John, who replaced much of the rotten woodwork, looks at his new flight of stairs which will welcome our visitors.

Even the Chairman, Rob, has been on hand to give a top coat to the restored wood work, Glyn was learning from past experience and took shelter on the landing, avoiding the paint drips...

Meanwhile at lower altitudes a great deal has been going on with that other Cambrian speciality... digging holes and filling them up.  Here is the before.

Once completed the soakaway will allow water from the gutters to drain away

The final piece of the path to the signal box was concreted, the mesh panel over the wet concrete is for access and not, as someone suggested, a test of valour.  It also served to see who had the extra portion of cake after lunch.

Further holes appeared and will be filled later.

Work on the signal box will now continue inside.  Come along and see what has been achieved and chat to the volunteers on the 12th May. During the day you will also be able to chat to all active departments.  The PWay team will be behind Travis Perkins doing their stuff.

Priorities

First things first, after almost a month of not really posting it is time to catch up, which I will do over several posts.  With so much going on and many jobs completed it's a bit difficult to know where to start. Time to set some priorities!
In True Cambrian Spirit this all has to be done with a mug of tea.... and having the sunshine out certainly helps with decision making.

Here are some of the Thursday gang sorting out the priorities.

Number 1
A mug of tea...

Number 2
A refill...

Number 3
Lost count, better go back and start again...

Thanks to Colin for the picture.  I can assure you that after the tea was despatched much was done, 

Normal Service To Be Resumed Shortly...

Sorry for being off line for a while, do not worry, much has been going on and I will catch up shortly, family events have taken precedence at this difficult time.

Here are a few pictures to keep you going, courtesy of Andy G..
The preparations for the signal box event are coming along and holes are being dug, filled and finished at an alarming rate.

Inside the coach is coming on and there are the first signs of colour are appearing.  Looking good isn't it?

Work on the paths continues and it's thirsty work watching Glyn The Younger level off the concrete

And to end a wave goodbye from Jumbo. Thanks for all the love and support you gave us.

Another Job Ticked Off the List

Sorry for the delay in updates.

A quick plug for the Cash For Your Community token appeal.  If you have any please drop off at Oswestry Station as soon as possible, we need to get these sent off so we can register them.

Another milestone was passed last week, the sleeper stack at Oswestry has been flattened and all that are useable are now on their way down the line.  Here is a little bit of history and a summary.  Below is a early shot of the pile and the team going through the sorting procedure.  If you like playing Jenga you will love this job.

With the starter signal planted behind you can see how much everyone enjoys this in the good weather and the strategically placed mugs of tea.  Thirsty work this is!

Once sorted into categories the sleepers are overhauled and any remedial action taken on those can be reused. 

The last lot were done in pretty grim weather so many thanks to the Thursday Gang that finished off the job and to anyone that has helped with this operation, it's been a long time but we have got there, 

The last five sleepers from the pile, now a quick was a brush up of the track and we can go right up to the crossing.

Thanks to Andy Green for the pictures.  

But what we really need is a nice restored signal box to work all of the points and signals.... Hang on a minute....

Here are the details of the signal box and the upcoming event on May12th for the reopening ceremony of Oswestry South. Taken from the CHR Website.

Railway signalmen of the past, present and future are being invited to Oswestry station on Saturday, May 12 for the reopening ceremony of Cambrian Heritage Railways’ (CHR) historic signal box – which will coincide with an open day at the railway.

Built in 1892, Oswestry South signal box was operational until 1970. Unlike much of the town’s railway infrastructure, it escaped demolition in the late 1960s and early 70s, but was stripped of its contents. The ‘box regained a lever frame recovered from Wellington (Shropshire) when it was restored in 2005/6.

As part of the structure’s recent refurbishment, CHR volunteers have sourced and installed additional appropriate equipment. Although there is still much to do, it is now in a position whereby members of the public will be able to visit and see just how mechanical signal boxes, once common across the country, operated.

Part of the work was funded by a grant from the local Triple Niners charity from funds raised at the town’s annual bonfire.

CHR Chairman, Rob Williams, said: “We are delighted that ITV Central News' Transport Correspondent, Keith Wilkinson, has agreed to undertake the formal opening for us and we will also have a signalling expert on hand to explain to members of the public how everything works.

Also ticked off the list on a personal level was the first appearance of my loco and brake van after a few years of hard work.

Until next time