In the dry

Good progress has been made by the B&S team in providing a dry porch to the admin cabin in Toddington. It's particularly important during this typical summer - it's been pouring with rain these last days!

Now that the concrete base has gone 'off' the actual porch can be built. Two of the three side panels have been erected, and the roof has been waterproofed. To give it a bit more style some tongue and groove paneling is being painted ready for mounting inside. Next week should see this go on, together with the third and final panel. This is the most important one, as it faces the prevailing wind.

The porch will also need some joints filling in, and a final coat of paint, so we are not quite there yet.

Here's a quick peek into the B&S cave, where the parts for the porch were cut to size and partly assembled.

Pat Green can be seen working on the tongue and groove panels mentioned above.

The B&S team do a lot of what is perhaps unseen work, but still essential for the railway's unhindered functioning. One of these jobs is moving the standpipe, which is currently located in the middle of Winchcombe yard. So far it has led a miraculous survival, with all the ballast being dumped, and scooped back up around it.

Some items of rolling stock, left in LT storage with us, are due to be moved and once again the standpipe will be in the way, so B&S are now moving it to a safer place.

This trench has been dug, to move the standpipe to the rear of the B&S shed.

Also at the back of the shed, the bunkers have been finished off with their sleeper walls. They look very neat, another great job.

Another job ticked off the long list is the repair of water pipes (for carriage resupply) in the middle of the trackbed at Winchcombe station. These received some damage when the tamper passed through after the track renewal.

The team will also set off on Saturday to collect a supply of bricks, using both of the railway's trucks.