A splendid day today, a case of Indian summer. Just like the old days (well, a month ago) as we sweltered in the heat, and then sat on the terrace with tea.
It was a beautiful morning, with mist in the vale from Broadway to Winchcombe, then none as the road climbed up to Cleeve Hill, with this view back down towards CRC from above, basking in the sunshine. An island in the sun indeed.
We had about 30 slabs left to lay at the rear today, so we set off with vigour. Bob and JC are laying in the background, while Keith and a new recruit Peter are digging out the line of the future slab row to the correct depth in the foreground. It was so much easier today as the ground was dry, so no 'clay clogs' for us this time.
We were soon out of aggregate for the concrete, but just in time Richard from Fairview hove into sight with a welcome delivery. That dumpy bag has to go there, and this one - here.
John O, recovering from a delicate operation, is not allowed to lift anything. Is this lifting? I say it's not. He just could not sit at the sidelines and do nothing. Here he is showing our new recruit how to mix concrete. Then it was Peter's turn...
Peter, who graduated in Physics this summer, was keen to muck in, and - we let him. Aren't we terrible. Only 11 more shovels full to go, Peter!
Worse still, we let him push a barrow of his own making up the slope. We were only slightly disappointed to notice that he managed it faster than us experts.
The line of new slabs seemed to advance more rapidly than ever today. Bob and JC have run out of concrete and are waiting for Keith to heave up a fresh supply.
This was a little intermittent today, as the mixer drum kept clogging up. Not sticking to John O's secret recipe, see. We warned you!
Nearly finished already! Just up to the lamp post still to go.
Then the final slab went down. Notice JC's new kneeling pad with handles. Pity he only discovered it on the last day of kneeling.
Is that last slab a bit 'on the piss'? Surely not?
Your blogger was taken to task today for describing the string the brickies use as a 'string'. We are happy to stand corrected; that string is not a string, it is a
line. This is how you roll it up (you have to explain everything to the youth of today).
With the final rear slab set in concrete, we did a bit of mopping up today to sort out various odds and ends. One of these was to cast the final step at the south end of the platform, using some anonymous pieces of plastic scavenged from the store under the bridge for formers. Worked a treat.
We were back to wheeling 90kg barrows for 200m, we had forgotten that pain. Or at least John S had, he did the walk twice while some looked on.
Looking back north over the cabin and ramp to the platform, this is the bit we have to address next. We have to join the platform to the level crossing. This involves digging out the slope further than in the picture, putting edging slabs down both sides, and a fence between path and railway track.
The rest of the platform, after settlement, will receive a layer of fine stone, be rolled again, and finally receive a layer of tarmac.
Those who work on the railway get an occasional reward, in this case a free look at a chartered freight train with visitor 3850. Here it comes trundling into CRC1.
It contained a quantity of railway photographers. Are they waiting for yours truly, with bright orange jacket and non-GWR wheelbarrow, to get out of the way? Oh, alright then, sorry.
3850 was facing the other way, allowing a different sort of photograph, albeit full into the sun.
Finally, can readers help with identifying a loco?
On a date unfortunately not recorded, John Diston took this shot of the morning down Cornishman racing through Broadway. The picture would have been taken about 11 o' clock in the morning, as it was 10.36 off Stratford. In the background you can see the running in board, with the approach to the horse dock behind. This area behind the platform is now occupied by the garden of the old stationmaster's house, sold off in the 1960s.
The smokebox number is obscured by the duty number, so can anyone hazard a guess as to the name?
Here is a zoom in on the name plate. Is it my imagination, or does it not end in 'castle'? Is there something underneath the name as well?
Your educated guesses would be most appreciated, so that we can annotate the original photograph correctly.
We stopped early today, the main job of laying the edging slabs having been completed. Three of us then set off for the embankment just south of Broadway station, where a large digger was known to be working today. More about this on the extension blog - see you there.
10 comments:
Could the loco be 5051 Earl Bathurst perhaps?
Excellent work as ever.
Alex
The last two letters look like ST and that narrows it down to one, Earl Bathhurst.
I agree that it is probably not a true Castle as the small plate underneath probably states "Castle Class" as with Spitfire.
I think it is Great Western ( underneath the main name you can see the additional words which i suspect say Castle Class)
I am not convinced on the engine name. The spacing at the end doesn't seem correct for 5051, looking at pictures today. I am more inclined to think it's Beaufort but then it was a double chimney by 1961. Hmm.
Graham (from BAG)
As Graham says the spacing at the end doesn't suit Earl Bathurst. Compare the nameplate with the photo on this link http://www.davidheyscollection.com/userimages/00000-sheffirail-auctions-5051b.jpg. I think the loco is 5072 Hurricane. Link here to 5072
http://www.semaphoresandsteam.com/p150609566/h420AF20A#h420af20a
The letters seem to fit the nameplate, it was single chimney and was shedded at Stafford Road so likely to be on the Cornishman. The small plate under does say Castle Class as in the photo here http://www.davidheyscollection.com/userimages/000-0-a-gcra-7007b.jpg
Jo, Some deductions.
It is not Earl Bathurst. Earls didn't have 'Castle class' under the name plate. It has a 3 row superheater which started at 5071. Some older engines were modified to 3 row but would be a castle name so the plate 'castle class' would be irrelevant'. I can't see any mechanical lubricator either in front or behind the steam pipe so must be earlier than 5098 Clifford Castle when the Mech lubricator was introduced. It looks like a single word name. so can't be one of the 'Abbeys' of which Stafford Rd had two. Looking through my Loco shed books of 1950's/early 60's, 5072 is the only 'Aircraft' Castle to be shedded at Stafford Road from approx '57 until withdrawal in 1962. So it must be 5072. Never had a double chimney. So 'Castle you can see must be 'CANE' tail end HURRICANE. I will search my Trains Illustrated to try and get a rough date when Reporting No 449 was superceded by 825.
Looking at it with a magnifying glass, the last three letters look like ANT. Could it be 5080 - Defiant?
HURRICANE, no doubt. The middle letter I is consistent with the narrow letter exactly vertical in the centre of the nameplate in the photo. The previous two letters (RR) although blurry appear very similar in the photo. The H would have to be lost in the bright blob in line with the reversing rod making the name symmetrically positioned on the nameplate. I remember the loco well from my trainspotting days at Wolverhampton Low Level, near Wednesbury Central where the GWR main line crossed over the South Staffs Walsall-Dudley line, Swan Village and, of course, my favorite Birmingham Snow Hill. Wonderful days.
Jo, Regards the date. (bit of a ramble)
Can't find any record of Reporting No 449. I have several lists but no 449. There is 447,448, 450 in the August 1955 Trains Illustrated complete list, All from Northern cities to Penzance. 825 is listed as well as the 9am Wolv to Penzance. There is a note to say the list is of 'Normal' trains and specials and extras may have non listed numbers. As the loco has the Cornishman head board (reversed?)so hardly a special. I have a book showing 825 on a Castle 4094 at Newton Abbott in 1954. So 449 is a bit of an oddity. Perhaps GWS or Swindon Museum have the answer for the date. Before the Cornishman was switched off this route. There was a Penzance reiief to the Cornishman that dep Stratford at 10.22 and the main train dep. at 11.01. in 1961/62 There is a picture of 5089 at Widney Manor 8/7/58 in 'Power of the Castles' and explains that in Summer months the train ran in two parts and they REVERSED the Headboard which it looks like in your picture. The Cornishman always ran via Hatton at these times.Did your photographer usually take his shots on Saturdays? However Hurricane seems to be the favorite.
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