Temperamental Machines

 Week Commencing 14th April 2025

Monday

Grand total of 7 were out today must be the weather ! or the company ?

Ron was seen on the platform bank cutting the grass trying to keep away from the many Primroses and now Cowslips .

Wind was just right for a bonfire .

One of the lighter of our brush cutter was being worked on by Peter , we have two heavy Stihl petrol machines and two relative lighter models that are better to use on the banks. Just need to get them going.

Mike undercoated the spear fencing before moving onto cleaning the edging on platform 2 .

On returning from Toddington after a bottle change we noticed that there had been a rapid growth in vegetation down the bottom of the drive . Time to test the Strimmer out .

Less than an hour with the Petrol Strimmer all had succumbed .

When they stopped chatting Ian and Kevin followed me and raked up the debris.

Wednesday

Over on platform 2 Brick laying continued .

Peter had got the small yellow brush cutter going .

But the driven lawn mower started playing up . This mower is one of our favourites as it doesn't need to be pushed up the drive slope, it can pull itself up and the operator !!

Kevin was at the bottom of the drive trying to find a soft spot to plant a donated tree , 3 holes later !!

Locomotives on duty today were Foremarke Hall and 3850

Pulling the afternoon train back to Toddington was 47105

Dave

Mowing Season all go !

 Week Commencing 7th April 2025

Monday

None attendance by me , but from last week Chris and Dave put up a bird box on the rear of the mess hut . Hoping for a passing swallow or swift .

Ron returned from the far east to help Kevin with enclosing Julies small tree in a wooden surround , it should stop the mowers going over the edge and chopping the heads off the plants. Mike was on the spear fencing , applying a top coat of paint.

Wednesday

All this good weather has seen plenty of action over on platform 2 

windows and door frames all put in place now , brickwork continues between the frames and at the end of the building.

Out of the way of the customers platform 2 saw its first cut of the season

Up on the bank over on platform 2 the remaining bird box was placed on a frame and erected in the hedge row.

Ian followed me on platform 2 and strimmed round the spear fencing.

I started on the driveway grass before young Dave took over .

The mowers now need regular maintenance and Peter K had a challenge getting this one to fire up , eventually it decided to play ball and go.

On a warm sunny day we had P and O on duty with the Bubble car.

Dave

They're Back !

 Week Commencing 31st March 2025

Monday

A bright sunny day for those who turned up .

Over on 2 , window and door frames with some of their surrounding brick work have been fitted.

 Whilst the 3 of us were away last week on a Brush Cutter and Strimmer Course , Mike decided to give the pebbles a coat of white masonry paint , Kevin on Wednesday replanted some of our Primroses to fill in the gaps around the outside.

Word must have got out about our dislike for posters  ! 3 appeared when we weren't around , this one at the top of the drive on the fence , 1 over the road on the Caravans fence and 1 opposite the public car park !

Monday was a sort out day for scrap and stuff were not ever going to use. Jo turned up in the flatbed mainly to take a number not used signalling troughs away , also an old weighing scale plus a lot of scrap metal was taken down to the skip at Toddington.

Wednesday

Sunny day again so its the first cut of the season , Young Dave had the task of doing the drive way area .

Whilst his dad Chris removed the weeds from the edges.

Newly painted hose reels were fixed back onto the spear fencing by Ian and Dave

The small garden at the bottom of the drive received attention from Chris .

Kevin was also cutting the grass on platform 1 not with the petrol mower but with a battery trimmer due the number of primroses and daffodils he needed to go around. No such niceties for myself down the drive , I've had the course and I can now use the petrol version !!

A welcome return of the locomotives to Broadway station this week with the running of the Blue Timetable. They included the Bubble car and " P and O "

Dave

Around the Station and a Training Day

 Week Commencing 24th March 2025

Monday

5 around on Monday plus some of the Platform 2 gang .

Over on platform 2 there has been a lot of activity after this photo had been taken, see next weeks blog.

A bit of a change on one of the gardens , rebranding ?

A visit to the the suppliers gave Mike the chance to finish off the platform edge.

Chris was on the station garden.

Mike having finished the platform edge moved on to the spear fencing.

Kevin and Ian were at the bottom of the drive giving it a good tidy up.

Afternoon saw Ian and Myself clearing the track bed at the end of platform 1 , only the 4 wheel barrow full this time !

End of the day shot (or 3.40 pm ) shot 

Wednesday

A non attendance day for myself , Ian and Kevin . we were on a course on how to use and maintaine the petrol Brush cutter and Strimmer.

God help the countryside now !!!

Dave

Its getting Warmer

 Week Commencing 17th March 2025

Monday

Family Duties so non attendance , Ian and Kevin were working on and around the memorial garden .

Wednesday

Quite a warm day at last , 5 in attendance . even some on platform 2.

More rows of bricks have appeared at the rear of the building , door frame await their time !

Kevin and Ian's work on Monday gave the garden some serious edging , now it just needs more soil and planting up.

Myself and Ian popped down to Toddington and the gas bottle storage cage . The locking pin over the years has been pushed back and the cage door was getting harder to line up.  Ian with a bit of persuasion moved it back into somewhere close.

On return to Broadway and just in time for lunch ! It was Chris birthday ( mid 80`s !! ) the day before and it was cakes and buns all round .

Dave

Quiet Times at Broadway

 Week Commencing 10th March 2025

Monday

4 around on Monday , myself , Ian , Kevin and Chris , now the station is ready for the new season, its now time to get ready for the start of the growing season.

Monday saw the first sign of the season of various signs !

• Opposite the small Daffodils have appeared shame about the no parking sign.

Chris took to clearing and weeding the car park garden

Ian and myself went to Winchcombe and Toddington to make sure the gas in the 3 rakes are good for the race trains . whilst we were at Toddington a quick tour of the sheds saw the 3 race trains being prepared for the following days turns.

Back at Broadway we then helped Kevin make a new top for his table.

Wednesday

Miserable start to the day , snow and a biting wind , so nothing happened over on platform 2.

A job indoors in container 2 was cutting up old wood to maybe make some Truggs for our shed.

Kevin braved the weather to plant some shrub's in the platform garden.

At the end of the day the sun had come out and so had the daffodils on the bank.

Dave