Slabs on a hot day

The hot days have affected more than one department (although some can work inside a dark shed, while others have arranged for a shady parasol and benches) and the B&S gang have worked out under a relentless sun with only occasional forrays into shade offered by buildings as the sun gradually moved round during the day.

There were 10 in the gang on Wednesday.

Pete and Mike however went off straight away to attend to an urgent call from CRC where a water leak was affecting the main supply to the P1 toilets, and, worse still, to the coffee machine! A temporary fix was achieved - coffee on tap again - and Mike then went off to buy parts for a permanent repair, which he will do very shortly.

The first job to be tackled was to infill the edges along the new roadway to the barrow crossing. This job is now completed, and you can park your car right up to it now without fear of being nudged by a ready mixed cement lorry.

Next, the gang moved on to the volunteers' toilet block, which hasn't really got a hard path leading up to it. Well, it's hard at the moment, but not so good in the middle of winter.

Here a start is being made with a Kango to excavate the shape of a row of slabs leading from the roadway.

After quite some excavation progress had taken place the volunteers decided to stand in the shade for a bit. Notice the hats, and shorts. White legs to the fore !

With the path route excavated it was time to barrow in some sand for the first of the slabs. Mike volunteered to cross the hot yard with the first load.

A little while later the row of slabs starts to look like something.

Before anyone asks, no, you can't walk along C&W's concrete path, as it slopes downhill away from the toilet block. This is going to be a proper path.

Phil stands in the sun in rather hot looking clothes to check his work.

By close of play the path had been laid with a total of 12 slabs, but a closing shot of the whole thing will have to come next time round. They still need grouting and the edges tidying up.

A background activity has been finishing off works to the signal box cable pit at the rear. Here is the pit with new covers fitted, another job completed.

The spoil from the excavation of the toilet block path was reused on the other side of the main roadway. It was shaped into a base for a set of 10 slabs laid outside the new storage containers. These people too will have dry and clean shoes next winter.

During the day our ops manager was seen taking the Baguley-Drewry rail inspection car for a run. You can see a little film of it at Broadway here:

https://youtu.be/rvY5hzS5z10

Finally, a quick peek inside the B&S shed where we find Bruce priming a set of original scripted bench ends. Planks have been undercoated behind him on the right. Another set of more modern, post 1935 'shirt button' type bench ends can be seen peeping out underneath the planks.