Thursday 16 November 2017

Wednesday at Winchcombe

A smaller gang than usual this time, but no less enthusiasm! Four outside, and two more in the workshop.

Firstly, here is the weighbridge house, now with the exterior complete. It is good to see something properly watertight.






Of coure the inside isn't quite finished yet, so more painting of the walls and roof timbers proceeded today.

Ken was on walls this time...









... and in this picture you can see how far he was able to reach. A longer ladder is promised for next week.
Jim did the woodwork under the tiles in white gloss.


The scaffold towers were dismantled and one was taken to Broadway, to enable the gang there to repair the two dagger boards broken by the mini digger on the platform. We're helping each other.

In front of the weighbridge some large concrete blocks holding up the neighbour's lawn were taken down. The intention now is to take off the bull nosed bricks at the top, increase the height of the wall, and the replace them. That will look a lot more original.

The neighbour's trellis was also taken down, so that the rear window of the weighbridge house could be accessed. The window will be repainted and have its putty refreshed. The trellis will then be replaced with a new one, as the old one was rotten. All to keep good relations with our neighbours.




In the workshop Pat was making up more fence panels. The idea is to fence off the grassy areas between the station building and the new Elf centre as too many dog owners are letting their pets foul this area.











Also in the workshop we can see the two gates that Barry shortened last week. These will be fitted near the Elf Centre steps.













Finally Bruce was trying to sort out some working fluorescent tubes to improve the workshop lighting.









Hoping that you enjoyed the historical photograph kindly lent to us by Bryan Nicholls last week, we are going to try another.

This one may well have been taken on the same day as last week's picture of the forecourt, as it's of a similar era. There are 7 station staff visible in the photograph, all proudly lined up along the platform.

The station is not new in the picture, as the ballast is already quite used looking, but everything else is still quite neat. Notice the slabs in the busy areas of the platform, and ash behind. 

The layout of the station is the same as at Broadway. A longish station building with 5 chimney vents, canopy overhang at one end leading to a similar footbridge, and a waiting room with canopy on platform 2.

The first station master at Winchcombe was Mr. W J Edwards, who was there between the opening in 1905 and January 1912. It may well be him in the foreground. He had a staff of 8, some of which were duplicated, as well as a rail motor driver, so the 7 figures in the picture could well represent that same station staff.

There are no trains in view, so this photograph was taken for the benefit of the people on it.

If anyone else has any old photographs of the line, we would be interested to know, and more than happy to put them on the blog.

9 comments:

  1. I know you were looking for a new project but rebuilding the original station building is rather a Herculean task at best.....LOL
    Seriously, it is nice to see pictures of the original station.
    The weighbridge hut does look very good now it has been 'made over', but now what will be done with it? It would be nice to get it working, as these are rather rare now. The one that I mentioned that was on ebay was, as I suspected, of the smaller Parcels Office type AND they wanted £500.00 for it! It is a Henry Pooley type and they say it has always been indoors, but what a price relics go for these days!
    Maybe Broadway would like it but I imagine they can find better uses to spend £500 on! Regards, Paul.

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  2. John Mac
    My first ever reply to a blog post!
    The weighbridge apparatus certainly used to work, as some years ago it was the custom to get classes of visiting schoolchildren to stand on the table, and the entire class was weighed! Then it was the teachers' turn.... much hilarity!

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    Replies
    1. That sounds like an excellent idea!
      How about it, Friends of Winchcombe Station?

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  3. Another job well done, we agree with John Mac, an idea to add to the Tuesday wartime sessions? The building looks really good now, can't wait to see it in the flesh on our next visit. Well done everyone.
    Regards
    Paul & Marion.

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  4. Thanks for another very interesting update on work in progress. Although the original Winchcombe station was lost long before BR closed our line, I have to admit to finding the Monmouth Troy replacement a very pleasant building (albeit built of sandstone rather than brick - or in the case of Gotherington - Cotswold stone) and one that seems to suit its location very well. It also has a forecourt passenger entrance which I presume the original Winchcombe station didn't have - but the new Broadway one does.

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  5. we could have another activity for the WW2 schools evacuees by weighing the class ! then the teachers as suggested ,so have informed the organiser David Brown .

    Still on the run , German SPY aka john Mayell !

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  6. Hello, I can't quite make it out but are they large stone slabs holding back the station masters garden? Graham

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    Replies
    1. Looks like a panelled fence to me. There is only a slight rise behind it, so there wouldn't be a need for any major construction to hold the garden abck. Today there is a low wall made of Bradstone.

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