A follow up day on fishplate greasing with the Wednesday gang. After the gang called the BAG for help with this huge exercise, 4 members turned up a fortnight ago, and yours truly again today for the follow up. The fresh air, good company and physical exercise were irresistible. Oh yes, and there was lunch on offer !

A pukka freight train - that's what you get with the PWay.

After a cheering cup of tea in the gang's very own mess coach, our train lurched into life and trundled through Winchcombe station and the tunnel out to Gotherington. We were here to finish off what was left undone, after we ran out of fuel the last time.

It's heavy.

We parked at the Gotherington platform, and out came all the heavy tools required for the job of mechanised fishplate greasing. First the generator, which was equipped like a wheelbarrow so that you could push it. Well, like an overloaded, top heavy wheelbarrow. That takes two men to push.

It's heavy - part II

Then came the nut remover (known on the K&ESR as the 'Nurdler') which was so heavy it came with a special set of wheels to go under it. Unfortunately, you had to lift it on and off as well. That took at least 4 people, with a fifth to hold the wheels in place.

It's heavy - part III

Then came the nut replacer (also known as a 'Nurdler' on the K&ESR, we SE-teners are a folk of few words). This one was fiendish, as it had a diesel engine, which was not only like moving an anvil, but also a b...h to start.

Now it's incredibly heavy !

Finally came the PWay trolley, which was so heavy it came in two halves (4 people to each half, if you please) and when you have to lift that over set of points set against you, it's he whole team that is required.Count the heads - there are eight!

Paul has dropped his contact lens... is that in the four foot, or the six foot?

The petrol generator-in-a-wheelbarrow was wrestled on to the PWay trolley and, flanked by the two nut removing machines, the team set off to finish Gotherington loop. The first machine removes the nuts, a powered grease gun squirts a dose of sticky black stuff behind the fish plate (and after a day's squirting, invariably on the operators as well) and the second machine does the nuts up again.
Robert did a lot of the squirting, and your scribe was amazed to find him in shorts, with leopard spotted shins covered in sticky black grease. Why not wear trousers? Apparently it is easier to clean the bare legs under the shower, than to wash the trousers. OK....... And a hot tip for those without Swarfega in the house - mix some sugar into washing up liquid, and it does the job just as well. We suppose the sugar takes the soapy taste away ?

Have spanner, will tighten nuts.

We were delighted to greet a new recruit today. Unfortunately, with advancing age my memory for names, already poor, does not improve, but I believe his name was John. I do recall that many years ago he was a fireman at Swindon, hence the interest in the GWR. Welcome !

Unfortunately someone played the usual mean trick on new arrivals, by giving him the spanner with the shortest handle.




In the morning, we finished off the loop and proceeded further southwards beyond the bracket signal, round the curve and on to the straight in the direction of Bishops Cleeve.

Yes, that is really a tea bag in there...

Just as we were starting to flag a bit, it was lunch time. Alas that is not the whole story, as we had to walk back to our mess coach in the train, by now a good mile away. What a trudge over the ballast. But the walk was worth it, for waiting for us with a large kettle of hot water, and a considerable supply of mugs, was Dave. Dave was 'mother', and the tea was jolly refreshing too.





But this was only the start of the catering - yes catering - arrangements. Haven't the Wednesday gang got themselves a lovely and cosy little arrangement in that mess coach. The centre of the coach has been equipped with a full kitchen, and it was humming.

 

Two short order cooks.

A delicious savoury smell wafted down the corridor, prompting your scribe to take a peep at its source in the kitchen. Here our two chefs were preparing 16 meals of faggots, peas, mash and gravy. This is the real deal....

The meal was served - at the table, if you please - in the dining room, with chequered table cloths, condiments and extra helpings of mash and peas, after all had been served. The faggots were delicious, specially prepared by a butcher in Tewkesbury, and extra large. Fishplate greasing seemed so far away. And the cost of this princely meal? £2.50. And it wasn't even Christmas.

Andy's road-railer Landrover - there's only a single spare seat, so book early.

In the afternoon, further fishplate greasing proceeded, until we had reached this point. Recognise those Scots pines in the distance? Bishops Cleeve, that is. Another greasing session is intended in a couple of weeks, but in the next section lies a considerable stretch of CWR, so perhaps we'll find another new arrival to grease that.

The long road home. This way to Gotherington...

At the end of the afternoon, about turn, time to head for home and load up the tools. But it's a long trudge back. That is only the distant signal, then it's the home, then the loop, then the station. Keep pushing, back there.

Back in the mess coach and a last cup of coffee.

An RCF you say?

Clive got out a thick and voluminous binder - listen carefully, at the back. The subject of the lecture was RCFs and squatting. I had no idea we were suffering from this condition, caused by high speed trains. High speed? Here?

Another fun day, with a great gang.