Engineer Provides Platform For Restoration
25 February 2010
Costain's Graham Swain helped keep a railway restoration
project on track, when he carried out a survey at Wheathampstead
station, Hertfordshire.
The station closed in 1965 as part of the Beeching cuts and the
platform is all that remains. Now a group of local volunteers is
aiming to restore the platform in time for the 150th
anniversary of the station's opening in September.
Graham, Costain Project Engineer at the West Ham flood
alleviation scheme, became involved when one of the volunteers, an
ex-boss, asked him if he could carry out a topographical
survey.
He explains: "The volunteers want to restore the platform so
that it can be used by the local community for events such as
exhibitions. But to do that they need to know the layout of the
site and have a clear idea of the gradients involved in order to
provide public access up to the platform. Now they have a drawing
that will show them the best place to site steps."
The volunteers are very grateful to Graham for his help, says
David Johnston, who is managing the restoration project on behalf
of Wheathampstead parish council.
"The survey has helped us to record the site as it is, something
of great interest to not only local people but also to the Museum
of St Albans, which is currently putting together an exhibition
about the lost railway lines of Hertfordshire."
For Graham it was an unusual way to spend a Saturday afternoon
but he says he was happy to do it: "It was all in a good cause. And
I'd help again if asked."