A Fair Old Day

 Monday 22nd August 2022

Pat and I were late ish back from our gas bottle changing duties at Toddington some body had parked the Maroon rake way out of the station, in the siding north of the station, just before the viaduct.

On arriving back at Broadway , we had missed some of the early morning action ! Due to the amount of debris on the drive it had been decided to get the blower out to aid with the tiding up.

A mention of 8 wheel barrows full but I only saw Ian with the one.

Eventually there was Peter Q with another, whilst Pat was ready for go with the hover mower.

On the car park side of the station the grate on the manhole was being its usual stubborn self , all manor of levers were being used to prise it out of its holder. eventually it popped out , giving access to the vast amount of needles that seams to accumulate in it.

Peter K was working on the new gate. Whilst down the slope Brian Had been clearing the area of dead vegetation.

During the day we had a visit from a strange form of transport ,  " The Weed Killer Train "

Peter K and Ian showed off their handy work a nice new gate post and gate , just needs a tidy up and a lick of paint.

Elsewhere Dave and Brian went off to get some wood for the new barriers that will replace the aging metal ones at the end of the platforms.

Last Wednesday Dave and Ian dropped off half of the Broadway style waste bins at Toddington. 

Whilst at Toddington " Alycidon " was being made ready to go home after a very successful Deltic day last Friday.

If you weren't able to make it, here are the two  " Deltics " running around the train at Broadway.

 " Royal Highland Fusilier "

 " Alycidon "

Dave

Not that Hot

 Monday 15th August 2022.

The temperature was in the high 20 `s but after the previous days 30 degree plus, it didn't seam that hot for the usual team of volunteers that turned up this Monday.

All this dry weather has done our platform furniture no good , it has dried the wood out and some of our tables were on the loose and wobbly side . The usual fix is to now use fence bolts to add another fixing to the bolted on wood. It works well but alas Dave ran out of those too.

Pat was on the bank behind the mess hut.

Whilst Peter Q  having watered the the embankment plants earlier set about making more Trug handles on home made lathe.

Ian was coming back from a spot of gardening.

  Mike had brought back the Lincat boiler from the repairers , reconnected electricity and water to it and was undergoing testing. No more waiting for the kettle to boil.

Outside the café where one of the Litter bins used to live ( its now been moved ) several stains have appeared on the platform slabs , Brian set about trying to return the slabs back to a reasonable condition. Using hot water and detergent and his knowledge of past cleaning of the decks on various ships  gave it a good go. 

Last week Peter K cut a hole in the spear fencing this week a test fit of a gate .

Dave and Ian later worked on the last of the bins, nearly ready for shipping to Toddington. 

Another thing that Peter made were some metal feet for a new barrier which go at the end of the platform to replace the old metal ones which are falling to bits.

Dave had then bolted some uprights to them , just trying to work out how high to make them with the temp horizontal wood.

Don't forget its Deltic day this Friday , we should have both " Royal Highland Fusiliers " and " Alycidon "running all day. 

Dave

Warming up again

 Monday 8th August 2022

Another hot one at Broadway , every thing including the weeds have stopped growing but lots of old vegetation needed to be removed.

Pat and myself had been on early morning gas bottle changing on the restaurant coach , so when we arrived back at Broadway things had been on the go , in some cases about 7 ish !.

Mike had set up his stall .

He was preparing to paint the end screen.

Brian was scraping the bank of old Vegetation

 

Peter who was a very early bird had finished watering his plants . and was putting the hose away , we were wondering how long before we can use the hose , its a lot easier than watering cans on the slope.

 

Later in the morning mike had moved on to the 4 small toilet windows .

To make life easier for us old folks , Peter K was asked to put a small gate in the spear fencing at the top of the slope , to give access to the bank. his idea to use the old cut out spear fencing as the gate and make a new support on the right .

Peter brought me in a new bit for my home made mini wood lathe , a bearing with a revolving centre.

A bit of modification to the old lathe was needed to make it fit on the left side , but alas once the sun rose over the nearby trees it became too hot to test it out.

It was Brian's Birthday  ( bar a day ) so what better way to celebrate than a bit of Chocolate cake , no candles that would have been be a serious fire risk !

Dave

After the Gala

 Monday 1st August 2022

6 volunteers on site today , just the usual tasks to do.

After the weekends Diesel Gala , which sems to be well patronized , it was time to take the posters down.

 

It seams a shame to throw them away , a bit of memorabilia for the future ?

 

 Down on the drive Peter was watering his plants and generally sweeping up the week debris.

Brian took to the heights to tidy up the top of the bank.

Tony did the top of the drive and put his rubbish in Peters wheelbarrow just as he was passing.

Elsewhere Mike was painting the window underneath the canopy extension , whilst Dave and Ian were cutting wood for the construction of yet more Trugs , which I mentioned last week sell well in our Goods shed.

If you missed our Diesel gala and the Deltic 55019 " Royal Highland Fusilier ", It will be with us for a few weeks more and on the 19th August it will be joined by its fellow Deltic 55009 " Alycidon " for a day of just Deltic`s on our line.

Dave

Vic was on duty Saturday and here are a few photos and Video.

Classes 55 & 20. 

Vic.