An Unpleasant job

 Week Commencing 28th July 2025

Monday

After meeting my new helper Paul at Toddington for a gas bottle change on Train 1 we headed back to Broadway to do an unpleasant job in the Gents toilets . Urinal 3 had been reported as blocked last Wednesday , we sort of sorted it out but water wasn't flowing as it should . Monday we had another go.

It was a case of stripping down the waste pipe and bottle trap and clear out the formation of uric acid crystals ! If one was blocked then the others couldn't be far behind , which was the case. Off they all came for a clean out !

On the other jobs  , Chris continued the weeding on the car park garden .

Diesel Gala over for another year and Kevin removed the sign.Then mowed the drive Grass ? Weeds !

Weather was just right for a bonfire too .

Wednesday

A day off for me ! Kevin must have gone and done a bit of Gardening  !

Dave

Just the two of us !

 Week Commencing 21st July 2025

Monday

Just Kevin and myself today , looks like Ian's knee problems are going to put him out of action for a few more months now .

First a trip to Toddington to make sure all trains have sufficient gas on board for this weekends Diesel Gala .

Back at Broadway we cleaned up the bottom garden .

Wednesday

An area we hadn't had a go at yet was the northern end of platform 1 .

Below is a picture of what it had become , plenty of bramble , a few ash trees and some wild flowers .

Last week i made a start clearing a path behind the slab storage area .

My first uphill sweep takes about 1/2 hr to clear an area like this .

Kevin started nearer the station side where the brambles and ash weren't as thick on the ground

But still thick enough .

By the late afternoon the area we wanted to finish was nearly done , just left some areas of wild flowers that the butterfly's seamed to love

Locos around today were 3850 and Class 37 6948 which will be out this weekend on the Diesel Gala

Just a PS 

We are getting short of items we sell in our Goods shed , so if you could donate items suitable ,IE  puzzles , books and Bric a brac etc . It is for a good cause 

Thank you

Dave

 

Grass has stopped growing !

 Week Commencing 14th July 2025

Monday

Just Kevin and Myself on a hot Monday  , firstly the flowers need a water , which now takes us the first couple of hours to do . Grass has stopped growing due to the lack of water , only the weeds grow now !

Afterwards I applied some wood treatment to our new gate , blending in well now with the rest of the fencing.

After a gas bottle run it was back to the car park garden . This Yucca had start to lean over the small wall and it was decided to remove it.

Once we start we dont seamed to stop . 

Anything out of place and looking untidy was cut down and transported to the bonfire area .

Wednesday

More unseen blockwork on platform 2

The area between the huts needed a clean up after the rain on Tuesday.

First time out for the blower , 

Joined today by Chris and Dave , who cleared some of the debris away from Mondays endeavours .

Tuesdays rain blocked the down pipe from the stairs , needed attention.

Locomotives on duty today were 2897 and the Class 47 

I skipped off early to watch the Scotsman being towed from the WSR to SVR , not by a 37 or 47 but by a Class 66 ! nothing but the best it seams .

Dave

Drive way Bank has a tidy up.

 Week Commencing 7th July 2025

Last week

Nothing much to write about ! , Monday it was far too hot so the flowers got a watering and we then went home . Wednesday just tidying up.

Our new portable water container !

Kevin watering the sign garden , whilst over the other side of the road more weeds were cut than grass !

Monday

All quiet on platform 2 Holiday for some .

Just Kevin and myself and the big job of the day was to try and tidy up the drive bank !

All the kit required.

A bit of a wildflower mess .

Kevin hit the top , whilst I worked my way up.

Job done only took us the morning .

Afternoon saw the raking down of the bank and moving the rubbish to the bonfire area.

Wednesday

Chris joined us today , a job in the shade was the cutting back of the shrubbery by the car park so we can see the car parking signs.

Getting our kit down to the bank is becoming a bit pain to say the least , one way is to climb over the fence , one is to battle your way following the fence all the way down , with the lamp posts and bushes in the way and finally go through the gate at the top and virtually fall down the bank with your kit.

So time for a gate ! quite straight forward , 2 pieces of new uprights , couple of hinges , a piece of wood for the diagonal and a new lock and there you have one gate . Just needs a bit of wood treatment which we will do on Monday.

Locomotives on the Green timetable today were The Class 37 and P and O

Dave

 

Done at Last

 Week Commencing 23rd June 2025

Monday

Just the 2 of use , Kevin and Myself , poor Ian's knee is becoming a bit of a saga and last reports he was still in Hospital , 2 weeks and counting.

It was quite a hot day so we did a few odd jobs. First some people have reported the camera wobbles in the wind ( who doesn't ?)

When I first put it up the vertical piece of wood that the camera is attached to was tight between the two L shaped girders , over time the wood has shrunk !

A new wedge at the top sorted it out.

Grass or what's left of it was cut behind platform 1, mostly consisted of  chopping the heads of the weeds.

A delivery of sand for platform 2 , it needed wheeling around to the other side , always glad to give a hand.

Wednesday

Up to 4 again , with Chris and his son Dave joining us for another go at the bank on platform 2 .

our aim today to cut down the brambles, ash and thorn bushes to line up from the signal.

Kevin on battery Brush cutter on the thin stuff , mysel on the thick stuff with the petrol Brush cutter and Chris and Dave rake it down to near the track bed .

A good mornings work from all , after the signal is traditionally the territory of the lineside clearance. it would take us many months to do just that bank never mind the opposite side. 

A bit of a lazy afternoon due to the temperature rise , besides we were knackered !

Green timetable saw 1 of steam  " P and O " and 1 of Diesel Class 45

Dave