Apologies for the lack of updates for the Permanent Way Gang for nearly a year!  Over this period the gang seem to have focused on turnout building, both in Toddington yard and the remodelling of the line north of Toddington to the Broadway extension.  Progress at times seems slow but the turnouts are somewhat more technically complex than laying plain track.  During 2009 we have been able to set up a midweek gang overseen by Glyn "Goldbar" Cornish.

To carry on where Paul Fuller left off:-

2008

Thurs 30^th Jul - Broadway extension formation beyond Laverton being cleared of gallops by JCB.

Fri 1^st Aug - A small gang start on the removal of the old siding 1 turnout (t/o) and connection to mainline, S&T also on site removing south ground frame.

Sat 2^nd Aug - Siding 1 and access to running line turnouts removed, area cleared of unwanted materials. Yard throat area graded, siding 1 and head shunt realigned.

Sat 9^th Aug - Timbers laid out for new turnout for the second road to the shed. After much thought (and dropping in of available crossings) a 1N8 crossing is requisitioned from the yard to replace the selected 1N7.

Sat 16^th Aug - Work continues in the yard on new turnout.

Sat 23^th Aug - Turnout now coming together, slowly.

Sat 30^th Aug - Cembre demonstration of drill and impact wrench, demo kit speeds up drilling etc, gang impressed, so much so we order a set!

Fri 5^th Sept - Emergency repair at Toddington to allow Growler Group running to go ahead, thanks to them for helping us out in the pouring rain!

Sat 6^th Sept - Loaned Cembre kit allows new turnout for shed access road to be finished, siding 1 (throat) timbers laid out and switches roughly positioned, crossing positioned.

Sat 13^th Sept - Siding 1 switches screwed down, closures down as well.

Mon 15^th Sept - Tamper starts out from Toddington heading south.

Sat 20^th Sept - Both closures gauged and screwed down, headshunt reconnected.

Sat 27^th Sept - Not happy with closure curve on siding 1 t/o, switches relocated and new rails cut, curve now okay! Area roughly lifted and packed to allow access back to the shed. Diesels shunted back on 28^th Sept.

Sat 4^th Oct - Both finished turnouts are levelled and packed.  Headshunt also completed.

Sat 11^th Oct - Extensive refurbishment of turnout in Diesel pit/unloading road replacing life expired timbers.

Sat 18^th Oct - A call to the north! Bullhead point to Broadway extension removed area cleared.

Sat 25^th Oct - Timbers placed for new flatbottom B10 turnout for access to siding, switches positioned.

Sat 1^st Nov - Gang recover baseplates etc from material in Toddington car park for use on the B10 turnout. Materials offloaded at site, some drilling and screwing down of crossing.

Sat 8^th Nov - Siding switches gauged and screwed down, closure rails dragged down from Stanton storage area.

Sat 15^th Nov - Temporary connection laid back to existing bullhead switch, siding shunted to remove wagons by the "smallest" shunter available, Black Prince!  Turnout nearing completion.

Wed 18^th Nov - Flail visits extension, up to ballast wagons at Stanton.

Sat 22^nd Nov - Removal of bullhead track in siding to enable flat bottom trap point to be laid. Finishing off B10 turnout, timbers laid out for trap point.

Sat 29^th Nov - B10 t/o finally finished after more flat bottom rail dragged from Stanton. Work continues on trap point.

Fri 5^th Dec - Survey of requirements to bring Gotherington loop into use due to the line closure at Cheltenham caused by the slip.

Sat 6^th Dec - A divided gang, several remove twists and dips in the loop at Gotherington, others continue work at Toddington.  Broadway extension reconnected to the GWSR! Trap point switches are relocated nearer to Broadway.

Sat 13^th Dec - Timbers laid out for trap point switches, switches positioned and some "adjustments" made.

Sat 20^th Dec - Ballast removed from Grampus wagons to build up new shed road up existing roadway.  Repair work undertaken to fix damage to recently re-laid siding 1 throat turnout!

Sat 27^th Dec - PW staff on 03 for brakevan rides at Toddington for the traditional post Christmas Diesel gala.  Meanwhile the rest continue screwing down the trap point switches past Stow Road Bridge.

2009

Sat 3^rd Jan - A cold start to the New Year, problems drilling the trap point switch rails for fishplate holes - the cutting fluid is frozen and they are made of Manganese steel! All rails in essentially finished bar switch end fish plate holes, Tungsten tipped Rotabroach cutters ordered.

Sat 10^th Jan - Finishing off trap point, levelling packing to keep us warm in the freezing cold!

Sat 17^th Jan - The closed season and out onto the track to undertake maintenance.  Turnouts for the approach to Toddington are worked on; timbers and rails are replaced where required. A second gang start to lay out sleepers in front of the Dowty shed.

Sat 24^th Jan - A continuation of the turnout maintenance, as last week.  The concrete foot crossing at Toddington removed to replace rotten sleepers beneath it.

Sat 31^st Jan - Special projects time! The preliminaries to the work week on construction of the E15 turnout on the Toddington North Remodelling started some time ago! Required material dropped by train, bullhead turnout immediately north of Toddington station removed with some gusto! Old bullhead turnout to extension also removed by second gang.  New connection to platform 1 slewed across after 2 years of waiting.

Sat 7^th Feb - Hmmm, 6 inches of snow covers everything!  JCB and Matbro double team removal of 6 panels of old bullhead track, a large gang out considering the weather.

Sat 14^th Feb - Platform 1 connected to 1N15 crossing, line cross levelled and packed.  Materials delivered to site by train for work week to commence on Monday.

Mon 16^th to Fri 20th Feb - Considerable work done to allow the possible completion of new turnout and associated trackwork remodelling prior to reopening for the new running season.  We also have the use of a road rail vehicle for the first time, which is a bonus; see http://nigel-black.fotopic.net/c1645541.html for a more detailed update.

Sat 21^st Feb - A vital job to complete, the replacement of around 20 sleepers under the barrow crossing south of Toddington platforms, here the road railer again is put to use, removing rail, sleepers etc.  Gang complete job in the dark under JCB lights, few we can official open again! A couple of the gang continue to work on the new t/out at Toddington North.

Sat 28^th Feb - Massive push to complete new layout at Toddington North to reduce inconvenience of shunt release operation. Two 39' rails required to complete perhaps the newly established Midweek Gang can complete next Wednesday! Rail changed just south of old south ground frame.

Wed 4^th Mar - A new day dawns, Glyn leads out the new midweek gang.  They concentrate on connecting up the E switches to the B siding switches to allow runround on Saturday providing completion of 39' connections.

Thurs 5^th Mar - Can't keep good blokes down, small gang out packing new turnout to allow Pway train to be shoved up extension out the way of the station.

Sat 7^th Mar - Connection to platform 2 completed, levelling and packing.  Formarke Hall used as shunter and test Guinea pig across new formation!  3rd train of day of new season able to run round removing need for shunt release, sorry Diesel department!

Sat 14^th Mar - Lifting fishplates fitted where needed on the North Toddington area, upgrade of fishplates begins between siding turnout and Stanway viaduct.

Thurs 19^th Mar - Midweek gang work on extension in the Stanton Fields area, 12 panels of track and 20 sleepers laid.

Sat 21^st Mar - New E15 t/o ballasted, start made on removing redundant materials. More work as the 14^th March and a 3^rd gang lay more sleepers out in Toddington yard.

Wed 25^th Mar - Gang clip up laid rail at Stanton Fields.

Sat 28^th Mar - More rail laid in front of Dowty shed, longer check rail replaced on straight road of E15 turnout.

Wed 1^st Apr - Toward Laverton laying out sleepers, Roadrailer tried with brush clearing ballasted line north of Toddington.

Sat 4^th Apr - Continue work on fishplate upgrading to viaduct, fitting of insulated plates around revised track work north of Toddington.

Wed 8^th Apr - Another 124 sleepers laid toward Laverton.

Sat 11^th Apr - Insulated gauge plate fitted on E switches, work in Toddington yard laying temporary connections to enable a "mega" shunt.

Wed 15^th Apr - Welding teams in at Stanton Fields and laying out sidings at Winchcombe.

Sat 18^th Apr - E15 switches hand ballasted.  Laying and slewing of rail in Toddington yard to assist shunting of David Page shed.

Thurs 23^rd Apr - Continuation of Winchcombe sidings. Pway new mess coach arrives.

Sat 25^th Apr - Continued slewing, temporary rails and shunting in Toddington yard.

Wed 29^th Apr - Continuation of Winchcombe sidings.

Sat 2^nd May - Start on new access line to connect up most of David Page shed.

Wed 6^th May - Continuation of Winchcombe sidings.

Sat 9^th May - Double team with Lineside clearance gang to remove growth from new line area at Toddington, starting to lay out first B7 turnout. Roadway widened.

Wed 13^th May - Various outstanding tasks on extension completed.

Sat 16^th May - Continuation of new access line to shed.

Wed 20^th May - Midweek gang finish fitting insulated fishplates at Gotherington loop.

Sat 23^rd May - Work on building B7 turnout in Toddington yard.

Wed 27^th May - Toward Laverton sleepers straightened and rails clipped up.

Sat 30^th May - B7 t/out switches gauged, drilled and screwed in place.

Sat 6^th Jun - Removal of connection to left hand pit road, B7 t/out straight connection finished and a connection re-established to pit from new t/out.

Wed 10^th Jun - Rail in 3^rd siding at Winchcombe, area almost complete awaiting stock.

Sat 13^th Jun - Removal of connection to right hand pit to allow construction of curve line.

Sat 20^th Jun - Finished off B7 turnout, area cleared to allow a second complete B7 t/out to be craned in.

Mon 22^nd Jun - Laying out ballast at Laverton in readiness for the new loop.

Wed 24^th Jun - B7 turnout craned roughly into position in Toddington yard.

Sat 27^th Jun - "Final" positioning of t/out, installation of temporary connection to shed road 7, t/out used to shunt Cadbury into shed.

Wed 1^st Jul - Midweek gang connect shed road 8 to turnout.

Sat 4^th Jul - A build yourself JCB operated 3 way point in Winchcombe to allow the 3 new sidings to be accessed from the existing S&T siding, after another "mega" shunt.  Connection track removed after shunt.

Wed 8^th Jul - Line to road 9 removed to enable 2^nd B7 turnout to be craned in.

Sat 11^th Jul - Connection to turnout made from new access line, temporary connection to road 9 re-established.

Wed 15^th Jul - Midweek gang undertake some lifting and packing on Chicken Curve.

Sat 18^th Jul - Temporary connection laid to recover Pway train form isolation outside Dowty shed, line removed after train. Begin to lay out timbers for switches for Dowty shed roads. On the Broadway extension, line to aqueduct from Stanton ballasted and sharked.

Wed 22^nd Jul - Midweek gang continue to fettle Toddington yard.

Sat 25^th Jul - Right hand C switch screwed down, E15 turnout ballasted.

Sat 1^st Aug - Yard abandoned, 4 rails dropped in and clipped up toward Laverton.

Wed 5^th Aug - Buffer stop repositioned at Winchcombe.

Sat 8^th Aug - Adjustments required to 2^nd craned in turnout to remove defects.

Sat 13^th Aug - Continuation and completion of 8^th Aug task. Removal of B switches from unloading line, replaced with plain track, for reuse in place of C switches for access to Dowty shed roads.