Chelfham Station Report January 2016

Chelfham Station January 2016

Work in Progress - Wednesday 20th January Chelfham Station.

Some progress already this year by the ‘small’ group of regular L&BR volunteers. Work parties are every Wednesday and Sunday, as the station restoration plans continue.

1. Chelfham Station, January 2016 in the winter sunshine.

2. The down platform edging bricks were completed late last year.

3. The next stage here is to level the surface of the cleared platform length ready for stone surfacing. Dave Evans and Nigel Thompson spent the day scraping and raking part of this platform level. A wooden post and rail fence as per the original style will be recreated here later this year. Temporary posts mark the position and route of this fence.

4. Frank Daff‘s usual metal salvage ‘business’ was today directed at some old donated bicycle frames.

5. Inside, the painted windows and doors (in SR livery) look good even from within the unsightly 1950s extension as preparations continue apace in advance of its removal.

6. Special thanks to Bert Williams, who last autumn helped to fit out the kitchen sink and units in the old booking office/kitchen, now in use as the volunteers mess room.

7. John Edmonds has been busy this winter with the kitchen fitting-out, as well as adjusting the electrics and plumbing for the water heaters there and in the toilet.

8. The partition is now almost complete, as Jim Pounds fitted the ‘TICKET OFFICE’ sign in place as seen from the waiting room. Thanks also to Jim Price, who made the wooden frame for this sign, later painted and hand- lettered by Jim Pounds.

9. A regular winter feature at Chelfham is feeding the birds. During each work party day, a variety of Blue/Great/Coal tits, Robins, Nuthatches, Chaffinches, Woodpeckers and many others frequent the seeds and nuts put out on the garden area to the rear of the station building. The roof and chimneys beyond are those of "Distant Point".

Visitors are welcome to view the latest restoration work as well as walk our section of the original railway trackbed towards Bratton Fleming on every Sunday throughout the year.

Work parties take place most Wednesdays, and every Sunday, from 10am.

Contact Nigel Thompson for further details.