Last Week of the season !

 Week Commencing 27th October 2025

Monday

A few around on a Autumnal day.

Quite a few books went over the weekend at a £1 a book .Maybe we could try again over the coming week  ? So instead of taking back to the office for storage they made their way to the mess hut.

Ron took " Billy " for a walk on the drive. 2 of the most useful things at Broadway Station.

Down came the signs . Last of the galas.

After many weeks since we aquired it , Ian finally got the adaptor to fit and stay on the hose.

Kevin took to the start of removing the 2 overhanging trees . 1st branch of many .taken down to the workshop area , chopped up for the bonfire or peoples wood burners.

The 2 offending trees leaning out of the hedge ,photo doesn't show how much they are leaning , time they came down.

Over on platform 2 , brick work up to the first corbelling .

Wednesday

It was raining when the 3 of us arrived  , and it was the last working day we would see the trains until maybe next year.

Too wet to even put the books out . Maybe on Saturday

 

So lets have a train ride .

Locomotives on duty today were " Betton Grange " and on its last week "P And O " seen below at Toddington.

Dave

Gala Weekend

 Week Commencing 20th October 2025

Monday

3 of us on a wet Monday , with the gala weekend coming up it was time to have a sort out of all the books that were in the office . and then box them up ready for the £1 sale !

Not a book but Ian has a plastic truck for sale if you are interested ?

Another day another broken manhole cover and 3 slabs , right in front of the station building ! What was a skip lorry doing on the pavement ?

Wednesday

A bit brighter and more volunteers .

Time to put the sign up showing what's on this weekend. 

There was a trial run with the books over to the shed and due to the bad weather forecast for Thursday it was all put back ! ready and waiting for the weekend.

Afternoon saw the final undercoat for the dagger boards.

Elsewhere Kevin was attacking the overly large hedge behind platform 1 , helped by Chris and Dave.

Not much happening on platform 2 , mostly internal block work.

The 2 Locomotives on duty today , which of course can be seen at the Autumn Showcase Gala were " P and O " and " 3850 "

Finally its with sadness to report the passing away of Robin Elliott 

Robin used to travel many many miles to work with the Broadway group in the early days , I could say he loved cleaning bricks because he certainly cleaned more than his fair share . Saturdays with us and Sundays as a booking clerk at one of the stations .

Our condolences to his family.

Dave

Autumn Days

 Week Commencing 13th October 2025

Monday

Just Chris and myself today and only half a day at that .

A few odd jobs were done .

A buddleia on the car park garden was cut down and removed to the bonfire area , which needed a tidy up ready for the next light up . 

Talking of lights , Dark afternoons are on there way  so the station lights were tested to see if we had any duff bulbs , all worked well.

Wednesday

Back up to 5 volunteers .

Ron did a bit of mowing and strimming on the drive way.

A bit of trouble with our dead deer ! Wild life had pulled it down from where we left it and on to  platform 2 , the wind blew from the northerly direction and smell ! Nothing for it but to remove it somewhere down wind / we took what was left of it to the south end of platform 2 and Kevin seen below pushed it down the embankment .

Another session on the dagger boards /Undercoat number 2 on the one side.

Kevin with the help of Chris and Dave attacked the hedge .

The car park garden wall needed finishing and the places where it had collapsed rebuilt.

Pink Timetable today so 1 steam and 1 Diesel.

For those that might be coming to the Gala next week our shed at Broadway will be selling railway books and most books at only a pound each!! Hundres to choose from so Pop in grab a hand full .

Dave

Back on Line !

 Week Commencing 6th October 2025

Monday

First thing was a bottle change , and after that , a visit to the Loco shed see the sleeping giants !

Back at Broadway , numbers up to 5 . Storm whatsit had brought down more Cones and needles .

Ron took to the track bed to collect more debris.

Chris took Billy out on the drive and then did the platform

The neighbours large tree at the end of platform 1 leans more on our side than theirs ! Kevin was using his extendable cutters' to remove the branches which were heading to the trackside.

Chris after doing the platform came to help Kevin clean up his mess.

I was over on the bridge investigating why the camera had stopped working .

Wednesday

Over on platform 2 the back is up to the corbelling stage , now the end wall is growing higher .

Kevin is over on the hedge by the big tree .

Chris was in the small garden having a weeding day .

The cable feeding the camera between the office and the bridge was tested and had somehow had broken down, nothing obvious , so Ron and I installed a  new length  and the it was all put back together and it was all back to normal.

Look away now if your are squeamish . Walking around the area by the office a smell hung around , which found belonged to this poor deer which had failed to jump over the fence and got its leg trapped  ! must had been there for a couple of days ! We managed to get it down from view but had to leave it there . 

Locomotives on the Pink Timetable today were 2807 and class 37 37215 taken from the bridge whilst I was working on the camera

Dave

Small Jobs around the Station.

 Week Commencing 29th September 2025

Monday

3 on the Monday

Ron , Ian and Myself .

Bit of sweeping up by Ron on the car park under the watchful eye of Ian.

The illusion of the platform lights being on !

Big old Smokey bonfire .

Ron and I took to the cone ( ankle twisters ) and needles removal on platform 2 .

Wednesday

Same 3 volunteers.

Time to fix the slippery ramp that gives access to the shed. replacing the wooden slats with tread board from the old bridge steps.

Fixed just before the shed opened , tested by a fluffy duck for strength . passed ,

Big push to finish both sides of the dagger boards with undercoat.

A quick trip to the bottom of the drive to tidy up that corner.

Locomotives around today were  " P and O " and " Foremarke Hall "

Just to say that the Camera is off line at the moment , looking into why its not behaving ASAP . I have put another link to the other camera on the Blog so at least you can watch the trains !

Dave

The Grass has finally started to grow !

 Week commencing 22nd September 2025

2 nice days this week after last weeks wind and rain , finally the grass has reappeared after the long hot summer .

Monday

4 around today , little heaps of pine needles have been gathered up around the site , something to do with the high winds .

Chris had a turn with " Billy " first a trip down the platform and then up and down the drive , Billy had a full bag at the end of the morning.

More donations needed sorting out .

Myself was on the mower and Ian did the edges.

Wednesday

Over on platform 2 , the rear wall grows steadily ! Now on to the north facing wall .

Joined today by Chris and Dave , Dave helped with the strimming around the trees and posts.

Kevin was doing a bit of dead heading in the bottom garden still quite colourful .

Top garden had a tidy up , grass and weeds are in a full growing mode.

Chris was over on platform 2 giving a good sweep.

A spare hour or so on the dagger boards and lick of undercoat.

Locomotives on duty today were Foremarke hall , 2807 and D 47376

Dave