More fondue please

As remarked on in previous posts, we frequently have to adjust our planned work schedule to take account of changing circumstances. Sometimes this is because of urgent requests to deal with unexpected situations, sometimes due to availability of the team members or the plant, and sometimes due to the weather. The focus on the repair of the up side of culvert 7A came under the weather category. This year’s dry spring and summer has led to several streams drying out completely, and many more having a much reduced flow. 7A was one of these, during ‘normal’ times the flow of water here would preclude work without diverting the inbound channel or using a very large pump. Hence the desire to complete the repair before the autumn wet season came in earnest. We would have liked to include a few more of the ‘only possible in dry periods’ jobs – but with only a small team working one day a week time is against us. If you would like to help strengthen the team so that we can keep the drainage system fully functioning and thus the track bed dry and stable, please get in touch. In the the first instance, please contact the Estates Management HoD or the Railway Recruitment Office; alternatively email draingangGWSR@gmail.com.

Thursday 20^th October

A small team returned to culvert 7A at Stanton with the special ingredient to effect the repair to the leaking up side headwall. This was a special quick hardening ‘underwater’ cement. For some reason our expert bricklayer calls this fondue! It has to be mixed in small quantities and applied rapidly; it certainly is very quick to harden. Whilst waiting for the pump to reduce the water level sufficiently in the outlet, repairs to the dry top course and copings of the headwall were made. The corner coping stones were patched – as we were not able to find replacement ones with the same geometry and size.

Completed repair to low mileage end of up side 7A headwall. On the wet side, level sufficiently low to allow Martin to climb down. (Photo by Dave)

Rapid drying cement under the pipe on the exit. (Photo by Dave)

Dry side void filled with concrete - normal cement mix. (Photo by Dave)

Finally, several loads of concrete (using standard cement) were mixed and used to fill the void on the track side of the headwall which the leaking water had created.

Another odd job, for the plant operator, was some maintenance on the dumper. This included fashioning a cover for the drivers seat; so that it should stay dry when we have to park it outside in the winter.

Dumper maintenance (Photo by Jonathan)

Thursday 27^th October

For the first time in several weeks we had full attendance with all 7 of the team working. So we split into two groups.

One group of 3 spent the morning at culvert 7A, just north of B4632 Stanton Road bridge. They checked on the work of last week. This has been successful, there was no sign of leakage into the up cess. Water level was above the silt in the outlet ditch; so some flowing away. They pumped the pit dry; then used more of the fondue (rapid setting cement) to complete the repairs to the pointing. They also made a fence to cover the hole in the hedge were the digger came in two weeks ago.

7A up side exit chamber; holding water high enough for flow out into the exit ditch. No leakage to the cess! (Photo by Roger)

The second group of four resumed the internal visual inspection programme; starting at Toddington and working south. Three structures completed, being cross drain 14A, culvert 14B and culvert 15A. 14A inlet on the down side is the pipe and then ditch from behind Toddington signal box. The ditch is overgrown again, it was completely clear back in February after the work of the clearance teams. 14A has an overflow, as the pipe under the track (and then the narrow gauge line) is only of small diameter, during wet periods there is a flow at the foot of the down side embankment south to culvert 14B. This was still dry. 14B is the culvert where the upside outlet under the adjoining property is too high; so there is quite a deep pond. This was full of a watercress like weed, which was cleared, so the level in the pond dropped several inches. Finally at 15A on the down (inlet side); the displaced concrete slabs which form the low mileage side were reset - so all are upright now.

14A inlet on down side is an unusual tall chamber in a ditch. Requires the long handle grab to clear out - guess what we forgot to load today!

One year's growth in the outlet pond of 14B - before clearing....

... and after clearing. Note reduction in water level!

A three man lift team after resetting the slabs on the inlet (down side) of 15A.

 

A final task for the combined teams was in connection with the milepost project, the first activity for a number of months. Milepost 10 at Didbrook was at an angle and with one face missing. So this was completely removed – a four man lift job as bridge rail is heavy. Its replacement, a new head and a refurbished length of bridge rail is waiting in the workshop.

Sunday 30th October

The annual team day out at the Mixed Traffic Gala. All seven of the team were present. With the disruption to the timetable caused by loco failure (class 20) and signalling problems (at Gotherington) we spent most of the day riding in the FO ‘Mary’. By luck, we also rode on one of the workings with the Hall and the Manor at one end and the Deltic at the other – real super-power. We spent an interesting hour in the loco sheds at Toddington, chatting to our Steam and Diesel Loco colleagues. Finally we repaired to the Pheasant for a hearty meal. Very good value that was too – one course was sufficient without a preceding day of manual work!

Unrecognisable wearing 'civis'; 5 of the team at Toddington. Left to right: Jonathan, Martin, Dave, Nigel, Roger.

 

Deltic 55019 from the footbridge at Broadway.

Dinmore Manor and Foremarke Hall on the other end of the train.

 

Thursday 3^rd November

A significant day for three reasons. First it was a team member's birthday; second we replaced milepost 10 and third we got the flail back into action after nearly two years waiting for a replacement throttle cable..

Again full team attendance. In the morning we split into two teams. First team of three tackled removal of silt from the inlet chamber (down side) of culvert 14A at Toddington. This was left over from the previous week, as it required the long handled grab. With the rain in the last week; the overflow from 14A to 14B down the toe ditch on the down side is now flowing. The team then moved on to erect the new milepost 10; a head on a refurbished length of bridge rail secured by two bags on postcrete. Then on to milepost 10 & quarter (by Didbrook No2 bridge) to remove the old damaged head and to paint the bridge rail. This length of bridge rail will be retained in-situ.

Just like new - MP10 at Didbrook. (Photo by Roger)

The second team of four undertook visual internal inspection of cross drains 16A, 16B and culvert 16C. Significant clearance on the area on the down side at 16A was undertaken; as there are three chambers here and a pipe run that goes along the boundary hedge to the road under Didbrook No2 bridge. There are breaks in this pipe which need fixing; one of which we will make into another inspection chamber. This repair is yet another that requires a spell of drier weather.

Broken section of pipe on down side - part of the 16A complex.

Inside the outlet chamber (up side) of 16A; all in good condition.

 

One of the smallest headwalls on the railway - 16B down side.

A job for our bricklayer, two courses of 16C low mileage down side wing wall need replacing.

 

Also having got the Efco flail working, we used this to clear vegetation alongside the former up track bed most of the way from 16A to south of bridge 17A (on the Winchcombe side of Hayles Abbey Halt). For most of this it was two passes, but on a level spot more we cut more width to create a new safe spot to enable vehicles to be parked the requisite 12ft distance from the running rail. The flail deals with most vegetation; apart from brambles. We found the best policy was to remove most brambles and any saplings with a hedge cutter first.

The Efco flail back in action. Great on level ground as long as the waist high brambles are removed first.

This was the first day this autumn we were working with no passenger trains running. However, we did have an ECS move and a light engine move to keep us on our toes!

In the afternoon the combined teams cleared vegetation around bridge 17A, this is the major culvert just south of Hayles Abbey Halt. As this is a large structure it is professionally inspected, so we do not perform a visual inspection, but annual vegetation clearance is vital.

The large bore of 17A - this is why this is a bridge not a culvert.

Thursday 10^th November

Only four of us attending today; and an urgent request from the Structures Manager. So a reschedule on two counts.

The urgent request was to unblock culvert 24C at Gretton. This is on the low mileage side of Working Lane. The external examiners undertaking the detailed examination had found an obstruction about 3m (or 9 feet in old money) in from the outlet end on the up side. As this is approximately where the bore was extended to run under the haul road, we guessed what the cause would be.

Sure enough, the blockage was branches, twigs and leaves then a build up of silt at the join between the old brick invert and the slightly smaller diameter plastic pipe that forms the extension. A good illustration of why extending bores with smaller diameter pipe is best avoided.

The blockage - taken from a CCTV image during the inspection by Inspire Structures Ltd.

 

Three of the team spent all morning with the two sets of drain rods we have; slowly removing the blockage. One of the dampest and muckiest jobs we have tacked for a long time! After unblocking we carried on adding rods; but ran out of rods before the head reached the other end (down side). However we knew the bore was clear, as we could see torches from each end. Plus the water was flowing clear.

 

VIDEO - Rodding in action. Dave providing the muscle power; Jonathan providing the lighting.

 

Blockage cleared. View from up side (outlet), with the first of nearly 30 drain rods in place that still did not reach the other end. That length of rodding is heavy!

View in from the down (inlet) side - the camera has not picked up the pin point of torch light we could see from the other end.

Almost all of our larger red set of rods in use.

 

The fourth member of the team (plant operator and now chief flail driver) used the flail to mow the haul road vegetation from near 24C up to the top opposite the Royal Oak pub. He also discovered a patio umbrella from the pub which had blown onto the lineside. This was returned.

In the afternoon, all four undertook the internal visual inspection of culvert 24B. On the up side this included clearance of growth and silt from the spillway between the railway and haul road bores. The difference between the up and down sides here is very apparent. The up side structures are all in tip top condition, they were rebuilt in 2017 and 2021. Whereas on the down side, the headwall needs some major work; probably the first since the old GWR days. Hopefully we will have an external contractor attending to this early next year when the line south of Winchcombe is closed for bridge and PW work at various locations.

24B up side (outlet), built 2017 in fine condition.

 

24B down side (inlet), built approx 1902 now needing attention.