An Extension to the Sandwell Valley Railway

Work on the extension to the Sandwell Valley Railway has ground to a halt! I should have removed the strawberry bed earlier, I can`t dig it up now with such a good crop of strawberries ripening! So it’s going to be August before work can recommence.
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Meanwhile at the other end of the railway the pond was unrecognisable as a pond.
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I`ve used the pause in the work on the extension to start refurbishing this area.
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Pond Area Clearance.jpeg
 
Looks like the laying of temporary track into the strawberry jam factory kitchen can be justified. You can then earn some brownie points with management be delivering the harvest twice a day.
 
An oddment of corrugated plastic sheet could form an ad-hoc avalanche strawberry shelter for the season perhaps?
A couple of short garden canes would keep it in place, and allow through-trains again.. That or a 'Wimbledon' bus replacement service! ;) ;D ;D
 
The strawberries were delicious but the bed has now been cleared and work has re-commenced on the extension after a two-month delay.
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Meanwhile at the other end of the railway the pond area was transformed into the seaside for Thomas and the Seaside Special which was filmed in July. Work is slowly progressing on its refurbishment.
Pond Area 14-9-15.jpeg


Thomas and the Seaside Special
 
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playmofire said:
Love the new video - very much in the spirit of the original Thomas stories.
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Thanks, pleased you like it. This video was a collaboration with Pine Tree Junction and we are planning to work together again on a Thomas the Tank Engine Christmas special - perhaps a re-working of Mrs Kyndley's Christmas.
 
It's now 7 months since planning permission was granted. It should have all been finished by now but ......

The plan was to clear this area and construct a new terminus station and turning triangle. This is what the site looked like in March.
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The site was cleared in April and work started in May.
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Work initially progressed rapidly but in June it came to a complete stop as we waited for the strawberries to crop.
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Work started again in September. The strawberry bed has now gone and progress is being made on the new station area.
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A view looking from the triangle towards the site of the new terminus station.
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The triangle is now almost complete.
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Shortly after I posted the last update I had a nasty fall whilst pursuing my other hobby which resulted in a 3 week stay in hospital and 6 months of forced idleness, but now I've been able to start working again on the extension. All of the block-work has now been completed and as soon as the concrete has fully set I can recommence track-laying.

New Station 1.jpg
Photo 1: Station area in the foreground. The station carpark will be on the left.

New Station 2.jpg
Photo 2: The station throat.

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Photo 3: The turning triangle and goods platform.

New Station 4.jpg
Photo 4: The same area from the other side.
 
All of the track layout has been completed except for fixing some of it down. The next jobs are to make the platforms and clad the walls.
SVR Terminus Station

SVR Terminus Station

  • Media owner kedwards
  • Date added
Taken on 31st May 2016. All of the track layout has been completed except for fixing some of it...
 
I've been taking lessons off Lazy Grange Bay in foam board modelling. After numerous incidents (including glueing my fingers together, mis-measuring, mis-cutting and stemming the flow of blood following embedding a Stanley knife in my fingers) I've got this far with my new station platforms. I've calculated that I need to mark out about 10,000 bricks and this is represents about 2,500. I now realise just how skilled Mike is. If my station ever gets finished I think it will be my last foam board model - life's too short.
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Henri said:
Brick by brick...

And WHAT is foam board? The stuff I know has paper on both sides...?
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Very similar Henri.. A foam core, with a thin plastic sheet either side.. Commonly used for short-life advertising signs. - Name and party of local candidate at elections, 'for sale' signs,that type of thing.

It is very often not UV stable, but a coat of paint protects it.
It comes in various thicknesses.
You can use the edge of an old screwdriver (flat blade) to 'score' indentations in it to create a brick pattern.
 
What great progress. A real nice looking line.
 
Very impressive and very attractive. The viaduct has turned out brilliantly and the platforms look great, :clap:; and I just love your train shed :envy:
 
Great looking platforms. But to keep the progress going, perhaps you might want to invest in a pair of chain-mail gloves.....:D
 
Nice work, especially those platforms....
 
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