A happy New Year to all readers.
Following last years busy activities we start again with more improvement tasks to enhance the Railway’s heritage attractions. At Alresford we have installed the gateway fences and handrails at the end of the platform outside the Old Goods Shed ready for the positioning of the Somerset and Dorset museum coach in the bay siding. The fences were fabricated to compliment the traditional spiked fencing that was in place but adapted to suit a pedestrian entrance. A gate is being constructed to be added that will swing back and be secured during the opening times of the coach for unobstructed passage for visitors. A ramp will be constructed when the museum coach is actually in situ so exact fitting can be achieved to allow step free access for all visitors including those with disabilities.
Following the completion of phase one on the extensive refurbishment of the exterior of the signal box at Medstead a gang moved to Ropley to start on the repair and renovation of the Burnham on Sea signal box. This structure is part of the relocation of items of the Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust to the Watercress Line. Scaffolding has been erected around the box to facilitate a complete removal and re-covering of the roof with reclaimed slates. Some of the timber was found to be rotten and new sections need to be inserted before the breathable membrane is laid under the slates and ridge tiles. As part pf that exercise new scalloped barge boards have been prepared in the workshop ready to be installed so that the slates would now overlap them and prevent the water ingress that had occurred during the previous method of construction.
Further signage work has begun to provide a comprehensive batch of signs for Ropley to eventually replace temporary versions installed during the upgrade works to the station site. The signs will follow the more traditional looking pattern of signs that has been slowly been rolled out over the last year or so. The production of the sign boards and posts is a very suitable job for the department in the workshop during the winter months in order to keep the work schedule on track during bad weather periods.
In the workshop further preparation work has been completed for the sets of replacement doors at Alresford station. Two sets of doors will replace both those in the platform and main entrance in the booking hall and the other set being the doors at the dining end of the West Country Buffet. The old doors currently in position are starting to need constant repair and also allow rainwater to penetrate inside the building. The three sets have been brought up to undercoat and will be installed, glazed, door furniture fitted and final painting finished during the non-running period in January and February.
Bob Brooks
