Two gangs today

Your correspondent Jim was sent to Coventry today (er, does that mean Cheltenham Race Course?) where he joined a small but happy gang preparing the new path from platform 1 down to the level crossing.

The recently fitted gates on P2 needed adjusting first, and then the next job was to replace a short section of fencing along P1, which we can see Barry doing here.


A gate restraint was also fitted to the field side.

The next job was to prepare the path down to the crossing so that it could be tarmaced.

The edging timber needed completing along the path, and in this picture you can see Jim cutting a straight edge so that the new tarmac can join the old in a seamless fashion.

The old footpath then had to be dug out and levelled ready for the new tarmac. As it was a bit reluctant to give up its rocks and stone a Kango had to be used to prise out the hard bits. The two ends of the path were then filled with 2 dumpy bags of stone, as can be seen in the pictures below.

These two pictures show the CRC job at the end of the day. Once tarmaced, people can use the two paths each end of the platforms to go from one to the other via the level crossing.

Meanwhile, back at the farm....

Three other B&S members continued work on the weighbridge house. All walls and the ceiling are now painted, as well as further parts of the windows, which were also sealed where required.

The neighbour got a new trellis in the back garden too.

Some rotten wood was removed from the door frame. To do this, Pete had to remove a number of bricks, which he can be seen doing here. He put them all back in again too.

 

Apologies for the blurred image, it's the excitement, it's the excitement.

Here's that length of turf which some visitors misidentify as a dog toilet. You can see where the new fence is going to go, along the kerb. To get the fence posts into the ground you need the Kango to take out some of the concrete, and this was in use at CRC (as you know) so that's a job for next time.

On Saturday a start was also made on the granite setts by the visitor centre.

Down on platform 1, lengthened earlier in the year, the additional lamp post - a replica GWR casting which you can order from us via breva2011 (at) hotmail.co.uk - is finally fitted out completely. It has been painted in the later GWR period chocolate and cream, and received a new top with lightbulb. Does it work? You'll have to come round one evening and look.

Finally we caught three of the B&S gang having a convivial tea break by the Coffeepot.

Coffepot closed? No matter, we'll have just as much fun on the platform. Here's a big 'Hello' to you from Pete and 2 of the gang. Let's see what adventures they had next time.